Author: Renee O'Brien
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecosystem health
Languages : en
Pages : 20
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Book Description
Rangelands comprise about 42 percent of the land area of the United States and provide vital land functions such as watershed, multiple-use, recreation, and other amenities. Currently, we do not know the status and trends of many of our nation's rangelands, and consistent protocols for describing rangeland system dynamics across land management agencies are lacking. Various Federal land management agencies have responsibility for rangeland inventory and assessments that characterize the health of the nation's rangelands. Many efforts have been initiated to standardize an approach to large-scale monitoring and assessment of rangelands, but none are universally accepted. This paper describes four rangeland health indicators and interpretation criteria that can be used to characterize rangeland health and functionality. The four indicators tested in this study-noxious weeds, ground cover, species composition, and shrub cover-proved to be viable indicators of rangeland health and functionality. The paper recommends that these indicators can be used at many scales, from the site level for local planning, to State and national levels for strategic planning.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecosystem health
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecological integrity
Languages : en
Pages : 146
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Book Description
"The protocol described in this technical reference is designed to: be used only by knowledgeable, experienced people; provide a preliminary evaluation of soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity (at the ecological site level); be used to communicate fundamental ecological concepts to a wide variety of audiences; improve communication among interest groups by focusing discussion on critical ecosystem properties and processes; select monitoring sites in the development of monitoring programs; provide early warnings of potential problems and opportunities by helping land managers identify areas that are potentially at risk of degradation or where resource problems currently exist"--P. 1.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecological integrity
Languages : en
Pages : 122
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Book Description
"The protocol described in this technical reference is designed to: be used only by knowledgeable, experienced people; provide a preliminary evaluation of soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity (at the ecological site level); be used to communicate fundamental ecological concepts to a wide variety of audiences; improve communication among interest groups by focusing discussion on critical ecosystem properties and processes; select monitoring sites in the development of monitoring programs; provide early warnings of potential problems and opportunities by helping land managers identify areas that are potentially at risk of degradation or where resource problems currently exist"--P. 1.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forests and forestry
Languages : en
Pages : 82
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forests and forestry
Languages : en
Pages : 122
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 528
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 232
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309048796
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 201
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Book Description
Rangelands comprise between 40 and 50 percent of all U.S. land and serve the nation both as productive areas for wildlife, recreational use, and livestock grazing and as watersheds. The health and management of rangelands have been matters for scientific inquiry and public debate since the 1880s, when reports of widespread range degradation and livestock losses led to the first attempts to inventory and classify rangelands. Scientists are now questioning the utility of current methods of rangeland classification and inventory, as well as the data available to determine whether rangelands are being degraded. These experts, who are using the same methods and data, have come to different conclusions. This book examines the scientific basis of methods used by federal agencies to inventory, classify, and monitor rangelands; it assesses the success of these methods; and it recommends improvements. The book's findings and recommendations are of interest to the public; scientists; ranchers; and local, state, and federal policymakers.
