Soil-Vegetation Relationships of a Blue Shale-Limy Upland Range Site in Ellis County, Kansas

The purpose of this study was to determine some soil-vegetation relationships of a blue shale-limy upland range site which is a complex of five different soils. Soil texture, percent organic matter, available P2O5 exchangeable K20, wilting point, and pH were determined for each soil. Detailed soil descriptions were also written for each soil. The sails are developed from Blue Bill shale and loamy calcareous outwash material. Vegetative composition and annual forage production were determined for each soil. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and meadow tall dropseed (Sporobolus asper var. hookeri) were the dominant grasses overall; however, not all the species were dominant on any one soil. Annual forage production was determined by species for the years 1963, 1964, and 1965