Utility of ESD interpretations for Department of Defense applications. Sparks, Ruth^*,1, ¹ U.S. Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA, USA

ABSTRACT- NRCS soil surveys and ecological site descriptions were completed for the U.S. Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA and the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA in 1999 (published in 2002). ESD interpretations have been used by Fort Irwin′s Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) Program to guide rehabilitation efforts by identifying possible species composition for revegetation projects (both container planting and broadcast seeding). Watershed information has also been used to determine the type and extent of erosion control structures needed at specific project sites. ESDs for these desert military installations include information about habitat suitability for the federally threatened Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). The ITAM Progam is developing ways to integrate this information into the decision-making process for range development and planning of military training exercises. The brief summary of soils information provided in the ESD has also been helpful for natural resource and range managers who have no formal soil science background.

KEY WORDS: Gopherus agassizii, ecological site, military land management, revegetation