Tree & shrub selection guide for conservation in the great plains

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agroforestry Center
SWCS Annual Meeting  July 30, 2018
Gary Bentrup
Research Landscape Planner
Mike Dosskey (retired)
USDA National Agroforestry Center

Dosskey, M., Wells, G., Bentrup, G., Wallace, D. 2012. Enhancing ecosystem services: Designing
for multifunctionality. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 67(2), 37A-41A.
Landscape
Structure
Ecosystem
Services
Human Benefits
Modifying Landscape Structure

Plant Information
& Selection
Purpose-specific lists
Lists typically do not indicate
which species would be
relatively better for certain
purposes
USDA NRCS
Windbreak

Function-based
Tool
Ratings based on plant attributes
Support multi-functional designs
Mike Dosskey - Research Ecologist
Retired April 2017

Great Plains
Region

Rating tool
Based on USDA Plant
Hardiness Zone – 2012
Over 90 woody species
Why the term “advisor”?
Not a site-specific tool
Evolving tool
USDA
Hardiness
Zone
Winter Minimum
Temperature (o F)
Annual Precipitation (inches)
West Central East
3 -30 to -40 < 14 14 - 16 > 16
4 -20 to -30 < 15 15 - 20 > 20
5 -10 to -20 < 18 18 - 25 > 25
6 0 to -10 < 15 15 - 30 > 30

SUB-REGION
Native Status 3 (native), 2 (native elsewhere in North America, 1 (not native in N.A.)
MORPHOLOGY and GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS
Crown Size/Form 1 (small shrub) - 4 (large tree)
Crown Height 1 (short) – 3 (tall)
Growth Rate 1 (slow) – 3 (fast)
Life Span 1 (short) – 3 (long)
Stem Form 1 (single) – 2 (multiple)
Foliage Retention 1 (deciduous) – 2 evergreen)
Shade Density 1 (light) – 3 (dense)
Foliage Porosity 1(low) – 3 (porous)
Root Structure 1 (shallow lateral) – 3 (deep, lateral or taproot)
Vegetative Spread Rate 0 (none) – 3 (fast)
Seeding Spread Rate 1 (slow) – 2 (fast)
Stand Form 1 (dispersed individuals) – 3 (dense clonal thickets)
Resprout Ability 0 (no ability) – 2 (high ability)
Nitrogen Fixation 0 (not significant) – 1 (significant)
Water Use 1 (low) – 3 (high)
ENVIRONMENTAL TOLERANCES
Flood Tolerance 1 (low) – 3 (high)
Drought Tolerance 1 (low) – 3 (high)
Salt Tolerance 1 (low) – 3 (high)
Shade Tolerance 1 (low) – 3 (high)
Breakage Resistance 1 (low) – 2 (high)
Plant Attributes
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Plant Attributes
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Spread Risk Text description of weedy, invasive qualities
Pest Risks Text description of serious insect/disease/other damage agents
Other Issues Text description of other potential hazards associated with a species
WILDLIFE BENEFITS
Bird & Mammal Habitat 1 (average) – 2 (high)
B&M Habitat Quality Text description of type of high habitat quality for birds, mammals
Pollinator Habitat 1 (average) – 2 (high)
POTENTIAL ECONOMIC PRODUCTS
Product Potential 0 (none) – 2 (significant commercial)
Product Type Text description of the type of product that has potential
VISUAL AESTHETICS
Visual Quality Exhibits a special quality
Visual Quality Type Text description

Information Sources
Syntheses of National Scope
 USDA PLANTS database, http://plants.usda.gov .
 US Forest Service Fire Effects Information System database, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis
 Francis (ed.). 2004. Wildland Shrubs of the United States and Its Territories: Thamnic Descriptions: Volume 1. IITF-GTR-25. USDA-FS, Int.
Inst. Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR. and Rocky Mtn Res Sta, Ft Collins, CO. http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/iitf_gtr026.pdf
State Plant Recommendations
Data from these sources were summarized by D. Coehlo (2014, “Tree Selection under Climate Variability in the Northern Plains: A Synthesis”) for
use in USFS-NFS Regions1 and 2 (includes ID, MT, WY, CO, ND, SD, NE, KS).
 North Dakota Tree Handbook. North Dakota State University and North Dakota Forest Service
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook.htm
 Conservation Trees and Shrubs for Montana. MT-NRCS, MT Dept. Natural Resources and Conservation.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_053519.pdf
 South Dakota Tree List for Conservation. South Dakota Dept. of Agric. http://sdda.sd.gov/conservation-forestry/forest-woodlands-
trees/south-dakota-tree-list/
 Wyoming Tree Owner’s Manual, WY State Forestry Div. (mainly urban, ornamental, and fruit trees) http://slf-
web.state.wy.us/forestrydivision/forestryprograms/wytree-owners-manual-toc.pdf
 Conservation Trees for Nebraska http://www.nrdtrees.org/trees_list.php
 Native Trees for Colorado Landscapes, Native Shrubs for Colorado Landscapes. Colorado State Univ. Extension (rev. 7/08)
www.ext.colorado.edu
 Kansas Conservation Trees. Kansas Forest Service http://www.kansasforests.org/conservation_trees/products/index.html
Other Information Sources of National Scope
 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center database, http://www.wildflower.org
 The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/
Plus over 50 printed publications

14 Conservation Purposes
Alley Cropping
Aquatic Habitat
Carbon Sequestration
Flood Protection
Native Ecosystem Restoration
Particle Drift Reduction
Pollinator Habitat
 Rated on a scale of 0 (none) to 10 (highest)
 Most ratings based on 3 to 5 plant attributes
Polluted Runoff Treatment
Streambank Stabilization
Stormwater Treatment
Wetland Restoration
Wildlife Habitat
Visual Aesthetics
Vision & Noise Screen

Functions: Vegetation provides surface roughness that slows overland flow and
promotes infiltration, thereby promotes deposition of sediment and sediment-
bound pollutants, infiltration of dissolved pollutants, uptake and sequestration of
nutrients by plants, and transformation of nutrients and degradation of pesticides
by soil microorganisms.
Attribute Stand Form Shade
Density
Water Use Growth Rate
Attribute Value (A) T S W G
Max value (AMAX) 3 3 3 3
Min value (AMIN) 1 1 1 1
Weighted 1x 1x 1x 1x
Best rating is Max or
Min
Max Min Max Max
Rating = ([T/TMAX]+ [(SMAX –S)/(SMAX-SMIN)] + [W/WMAX] + [G/GMAX]) / n x 10

Common
Name
Scientific Name
Polluted Runoff
Treatment
willow, bebb Salix bebbiana 9
willow,
sandbar
Salix interior 9
silverberry
Elaeagnus
commutata
8
alder, gray Alnus incana 8
birch, paper
Betula
papyrifera
8
rose, woods Rosa woodsii 8
currant,
golden
Ribes aureum 8
snowberry,
western
Symphoricarpos
occidentalis
7
Sub-region 3W
Attribute Stand Form Shade
Density
Water Use Growth Rate
Bebb Willow (9) 3 2 3 3
Hackberry (5) 1 2 1 2

Functions: Tree crowns slow wind and intercept airborne particles, thereby
reducing the amount and distance of travel of dust, crop pollen, and pesticide-
containing spray droplets into adjacent fields and other off-site areas.
Attribute Crown
Size/Form
Growth Rate Foliage
Porosity
Breakage
Resistance
Attribute Value (A) C G P B
Max value (AMAX) 4 3 3 2
Min value (AMIN) 1 1 1 1
Weighted 2x 1x 1x 1x
Best rating is Max or
Min
Max Max Max Max
Rating= ([2C/CMAX] + [G/GMAX] + [P/PMAX] + [B/(BMAX]) / n x 10

Sub-region 6E
Common
Name
Scientific
Name
Particle Drift
Reduction
birch, river Betula nigra 9
boxelder Acer negundo 9
catalpa,
northern
Catalpa
speciosa
9
locust, black
Robinia
pseudoacacia
9
cherry, black
Prunus
serotina
9
mulberry, red Morus rubra 9
sugarberry
Celtis
laevigata
9
Attribute Crown
Size/Form
Growth Rate Foliage
Porosity
Breakage
Resistance
River Birch (9) 4 3 2 2
Elderberry (6) 1 3 1 2

Zone Changes

Climate
Change
Tree Atlas
www.fs.fed.us/nrs/atlas/
Current FIA
Quaking Aspen
Future Scenario
Quaking Aspen

Gary Bentrup
U.S. Forest Service
gbentrup@fs.fed.us
https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/
index.shtml
Image by National Agroforestry Center
National
Agroforestry
Center

Tree & shrub selection guide for conservation in the great plains

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