Foothills Fescue Range Plant Community Guide - Sustainable ...

Smooth Brome - Alfalfa FFB3
(Bromus inermis - Medicago sativa) Herbaceous
n=13 This an old field plant community associated with loamy range sites in the Foothills Fescue prairie,
in the vicinity of the Oldman Reservoir near north of Brocket and Pincher Creek. These fields were once
seeded as hay or pastureland but now are managed as pastureland. This community would rate as a
desirable modified plant community given the abundance of Smooth brome and Alfalfa. It is unlikely that
this community would revert to native status, but there are a number of native species that have
reestablished with the agronomic species. This community will produce little forage during drought periods
and are not well suited to dormant season grazing. Plant vigor should be maintained to prevent weed
invasion. Soil exposure is greater than found in the reference plant community.
Soil Exposure: 32 % (2-60) Moss/Lichen Cover: 0 Total Vegetation: 72% (42-93)
PLANT COMPOSITION CANOPY COVER(%)
MEAN RANGE CONST
SHRUBS
PRAIRIE ROSE
(Rosa arkansana) 4 0-20 69
FORBS
ALFALFA
(Medicago sativa) 18 0-41 92
COMMON DANDELION
(Taraxacum officinale) 3 0-15 46
CANADA THISTLE
(Cirsium arvense) 1 0-5 38
CREEPING WHITE PRAIRIE ASTER
(Aster falcatus) 1 0-5 31
YELLOW SWEET-CLOVER
(Melilotus officinalis) 1 0-8 8
GRASSES
AWNLESS BROME
(Bromus inermis) 41 17-92 100
NORTHERN WHEATGRASS
(Agropyron dasystachyum)3 0-16 62
KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS
(Poa pratensis) 3 0-20 31
RED FESCUE
(Festuca rubra) 1 0-8 31
GREEN NEEDLE GRASS
(Stipa viridula) 1 0-13 8
Environmental Variables
RANGE SITE
LOAMY 4 AND CLAYEY
SOILS
ORTHIC BLACK (BEAZER, COWLEY)
ELEVATION (M):
1250 TO 1300
SOIL DRAINAGE:
WELL DRAINED
SLOPE :
LEVEL TO STRONGLY SLOPING
ASPECT:
VARIABLE
FORAGE PRODUCTION (LB/AC)
GRASS NOT AVAILABLE
FORB NOT AVAILABLE
SHRUB NOT AVAILABLE
LITTER NOT AVAILABLE)
TOTAL NOT AVAILABLE
Ecologically Sustainable Stocking Rate
0.35 AUM/ac
55