645.0001  National Range and Pasture Handbook Contributors................... i.2

645.0002  Preface.................................................................................. i.5

645.0003  Authority................................................................................ i.6

645.0004  Mission.................................................................................. i.7

645.0005  Goal...................................................................................... i.7

645.0006  Policies.................................................................................. i.8

645.0007  Table of Contents................................................................... i.8

645.0101  General Information............................................................. A.1

645.0102  Grazing Land Definitions....................................................... A.5

645.0103  References.......................................................................... A.9

645.0201  General Information............................................................. B.1

645.0202  Ecological Site Concept......................................................... B.2

645.0203  Developing Ecological Site Descriptions.................................. B.5

645.0204  Contents of an Ecological Site Description.............................. B.6

645.0204  Application of Ecological Sites.............................................. B.19

645.0205  Accessing Ecological Site Descriptions.................................. B.20

645.0206  References........................................................................ B.20

645.0207  Appendices....................................................................... B-A.1

645.0301  Introduction....................................................................... C.1

645.0302  Rangeland Resource Concerns............................................. C.1

645.0303  Resource Concern: Noxious and Invasive Plants.................... C.4

645.0304  Rangeland Disturbance...................................................... C.10

645.0305  Rangeland Assessment Measures (NRI Data)....................... C.13

645.0306  References....................................................................... C.19

645.0401  General............................................................................... D.1

645.0402  Purpose............................................................................... D.2

645.0403  Developing Conservation Plans.............................................. D.2

645.0404  Areawide Conservation Planning............................................ D.2

645.0405  Conservation Planning Process – Preplanning.......................... D.3

645.0406  The Nine Steps of Conservation Planning on Grazing Lands

               (range, pasture, and all hayed or grazed land uses)................ D.4

645.0407  References........................................................................ D.16

645.0501  General Information.............................................................. E.1

645.0502  Remote Sensing for Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring of

                   Grazing Lands................................................................... E.2

645.0503  Data Capture and Storage..................................................... E.6

645.0504  Inventory and Assessment.................................................... E.7

645.0505  Production as Part of Inventorying and Assessment............... E.10

645.0506  Density and Frequency........................................................ E.32

645.0507  Cover................................................................................ E.34

645.0508  Composition....................................................................... E.36

645.0509  Structure........................................................................... E.37

645.0510  Utilization........................................................................... E.38

645.0511  Assessments...................................................................... E.48

645.0512  Trend................................................................................. E.53

645.0513  Section Reserved for Similarity Index................................... E.57

645.0514  Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health Assessments....... E.57

645.0515  Pasture Condition Scoring for Health Assessments................. E.81

645.0516  Determining Indicators of Pasture Health (DIPH): Technical                                           Introduction...................................................................... E.99

645.0517  Monitoring........................................................................ E.115

645.0518  Monitoring Methods........................................................... E.118

645.0519  References....................................................................... E.130

645.0520  Appendices...................................................................... E.136

645.0601  Introduction.......................................................................... F.1

645.0602  Managing Native Grazing lands............................................... F.2

645.0603  Managing Pasture Lands and Forage Crops............................ F.46

645.0604  Procedures and Worksheets for Planning Grazing

                  Management.................................................................... F.59

645.0605  References:........................................................................ F.77

645.0606  Exhibits............................................................................. F-1.1

645.0701  Introduction......................................................................... G.1

645.0702  Hydrologic Definitions........................................................... G.4

645.0703  Hydrologic Cycle.................................................................. G.4

645.0704  Hydrologic Cycle Components............................................... G.5

645.0705  Hydrologic Water Budgets and Interaction with Precipitation, Runoff,

               Evaporation, Transpiration, Erosion, and Sediment Yield.......... G.21

645.0706  Water-Use Efficiency............................................................ G.24

645.0707  Runoff and Erosion Dynamics............................................... G.25

645.0708  Soil Properties Affecting Hydraulic Processes......................... G.30

645.0709  Vegetation Effects on Hydrologic Processes........................... G.38

645.0710  Case Studies: Review of Vegetation Effects on Hydrology

                and Erosion....................................................................... G.46

645.0711 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Crusts affect Infiltration

              (Spaeth 2020).....................................................................G.50

645.0712  Grazing Effects on Hydrology and Erosion.............................G.52

645.0713 Influence of Livestock Grazing and Trampling on Hydrologic

              Characteristics....................................................................G.56

645.0714  Case Studies Livestock Grazing and Hydrologic Effects......... G.59

645.0715  Monitoring Prerequisites for Grazing Systems...................... G.64

645.0716  Soil Erosion and Sediment Production on Watersheds........... G.64

645.0717  Hydrologic Effects of Range Improvement Practices............. G.67

645.0718  Riparian Vegetation and Grazing......................................... G.68

645.0719  Fire Dynamics on Hydrology and Erosion............................. G.68

645.0720  Rangeland Models Associated with Hydrology and Erosion..... G.71

645.0721  Appendix G-A................................................................... G-A.1

645.0722  References....................................................................... G-R.1

645.0801  General............................................................................... H.1

645.0802  Nutrition.............................................................................. H.2

645.0803  Maintenance, Growth, and Production..................................... H.3

645.0804  Maintaining a Balance Between Livestock Numbers and Available

               Forage............................................................................... H.33

645.0805  Feedstuffs.......................................................................... H.41

645.0806  Husbandry.......................................................................... H.41

645.0807  Control of Livestock Parasites and Diseases.......................... H.43

645.0808 Regulating the Breeding Season for Efficient use of Forage...... H.44

645.0809  Animal behavior................................................................. H.46

645.0810  Exhibits............................................................................. H.48

645.0811  References........................................................................ H.49

645.0901  General............................................................................... I.1

645.0902  Technical Assistance to Landowners and Managers.................. I.2

645.1001  Introduction.......................................................................... J.1

645.1002  Prescribed Burning Objectives................................................ J.4

645.1003  Training, Certification, and Authority....................................... J.9

645.1004  Technical application assistance............................................ J.11

645.1005  Planning prescribed burns.................................................... J.11

645.1006  Smoke Management............................................................ J.13

645.1007  Prescribed Burning Laws...................................................... J.16

645.1008  NRCS employee liability....................................................... J.17

645.1009  References......................................................................... J.18

645.1010  Appendices......................................................................... J.21

645.1101  Introduction: A Holistic View of Soil Health and Soil Quality on

                Range and Pasture............................................................... K.1

645.1102  Ecosystem Components of Range and Pastureland Health........ K.4

645.1103  Soil Health and Quality (selected excerpts included from

                Spaeth 2020)...................................................................... K.7

645.1104  Soil Health Management on Rangeland and Pastureland......... K.10

645.1105  Carbon Budgets and Balance in Terrestrial Ecosystems.......... K.13

645.1106  Soil Organic Matter............................................................. K.16

645.1107  Organic Matter Losses with the Advent of Agriculture and

                 Land Use Practices............................................................K.20

645.1108  Carbon Geochemical Cycle................................................. K.21

645.1109  Grazing Effects on Soil Organic Carbon................................ K.36

645.1110  Conclusions....................................................................... K.40

645.1111  References........................................................................ K.41

645.1201  General.............................................................................. L.1

645.1202  Application.......................................................................... L.1

645.1203  Economic Analysis Tools....................................................... L.8

645.1204  References and Technical Terms and Definitions..................... L.8

645.1301  General............................................................................... M.1

645.1302  Insect Pollinators on Range and Pasturelands.......................... M.2

645.1303  Range and Pasturelands as Pollinator Habitat........................... M.2

645.1304  Major Pollinator Groups and their Biology................................ M.5

645.1305  Characteristics of Suitable Pollinator Habitat............................ M.6

645.1306  Pollinator Habitat Management – Overview`............................ M.6

645.1307  Pollinator Habitat Management – Grazing................................ M.6

645.1308  Pollinator Habitat Management – Prescribed Fire..................... M.8

645.1309  Pollinator Habitat Management – Mowing and Haying............... M.8

645.1310  Pollinator Habitat Management – Herbaceous Weed

                 Treatment (315)................................................................M.10

645.1311  Pollinator Habitat Management – Pest Management

                 Conservation System (595)............................................... M.11

645.1312  Pollinator Habitat Management – Brush Management (314)..... M.12

645.1313  Pollinator Habitat Management: Planting and Stand

                   Rejuvenation - Range Planting (550), and Pasture

                   and Hay Planting (512)................................................... M.12

645.1314  Additional Resources......................................................... M.13

645.1315  References....................................................................... M.15

645.1401  Abbreviations Used in This Glossary:..................................... N.1

645.1402  Definitions of Terms............................................................. N.1