C04 - Attachemnt 4 - Border Mix.xlsx

This is a technical specification attachment for a prairie seed mix required under a USDA-NRCS South Dakota contract for land obstruction removal and disturbed land revegetation services. The document outlines two distinct seed mixes—Mixed Grass Prairie Mix and Tall Grass Prairie Mix—each specified for particular Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) and ecological sites. The Mixed Grass Prairie Mix includes eight grass species (Big bluestem, Blue grama, Indiangrass, Little bluestem, Prairie sandreed, Sideoats grama, Switchgrass, and Alkali sacaton) with precise specifications for each species including scientific names, seed counts per pound, seeds per acre, percentage of mix by weight, and seeding rates at full rate ranging from 30-40 pounds per acre. Species are selected based on their successional stage, coefficient of conservatism values (5-7), habit classifications (warm/cool season, bunchgrass/sod grass, height), and specialized characteristics such as Monarch butterfly use and herbicide tolerance.

The specification establishes quantitative performance standards for the seed mix quality, including a minimum Floristic Quality Index of 20.0, a minimum Coefficient of Conservatism of 3.0, Simpson's Evenness rating of at least 70 percent to ensure balanced species distribution, and a minimum of 25 pure live seeds (PLS) per square foot. Recommended conservatism guild distributions are specified as 15-33 percent for early successional, 45-65 percent for mid-successional, and 15-33 percent for late successional species. The document also notes estimated forage production ranges specific to different ecological sites (2,625-4,975 pounds depending on site type) and herbicide tolerance requirements, emphasizing compliance with all pesticide label instructions and noting that NRCS does not endorse specific herbicide products.