The SRMC project aims to conduct and evaluate monitoring data on a growing number of ranches in the Nebraska Sandhills, connecting ranchers, scientists, and the public in knowledge exchange relating to rangeland health and management. 2021 monitoring results were compiled and analyzed by region and will be discussed here.
Sandhills Regions
A total of 126 monitoring sites across 14 SRMC ranches made up the 2021 monitoring season. Ranches were grouped into two regions: 1) western sandhills and 2) central/eastern sandhills (see figure below). Five ranches were in the western sandhills and had 45 uplands study sites (n=45), while nine ranches were in the central/eastern sandhills with 91 uplands study sites (n=91).
Bringing the Data Together
Data collected during the 2021 monitoring season (July-September) were made into boxplots and displayed in graphs on the following pages. These graphs show percent cover, frequency of occurrence, and dry weight rank for rangeland plants in upland sites on the 2021 SRMC ranches grouped by region.
What is a boxplot, and how do I interpret it?
A boxplot is a way to display a group of data points by the average, median, upper quartile, lower quartile, minimum, and maximum values as well as the outliers. The figure below describes these terms and outlines how to read a boxplot.
2021 Results by Region
Percent Cover on Uplands
Percent cover describes the percent of the ground surface covered by litter, bare ground, or bases of live plants (basal live veg.) on a site. In sandhills rangelands, prevalent bare ground indicates a risk of wind and water erosion. Litter can act as a beneficial mulch for live vegetation throughout the growing season.
Comments on 2021 Percent Cover Results
On both western and the central sandhills ranches, litter was the dominant component of ground cover on uplands, dunetops, and slopes, with the maximums reaching between 79 and 85%. Average and maximum bare ground tended to be higher on the western sandhills upland sites, while basal live vegetation were similar in both regions.
How to Use Monitoring Results
There are a number of ways you can interpret and use monitoring data, whether you have a single year or many years of data. One way is to compare your data to the target plant communities highlighted in the NRCS state and transition models for the ecological site you are monitoring. Monitoring data can help detect changes in plant communities over time and may highlight plant responses to grazing management strategies. The compiled data displayed here can be used when reviewing your own monitoring results by comparing your values with the averages, maximums, and minimums in your region. In this way you may be able to detect needs for reassessing management practices based on your goals (https://globalrangelands.org/topics/maintaining-and-improving-rangelands/rangeland-monitoring).