RESEARCH ON RANGELAND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

Management of rangeland ecosystems to provide desired mixes of benefits to the present generation without compromising their ability to provide benefits for future generations.

A GREAT, BUT NEGLECTED, RESOURCE:• 3/4ths of entire range area has declined.• 95% of public domain has declined.• Only 36 million out of 728 million acres is in

“thoroughly” satisfactory condition.

Western ranchesdepend uponpublic lands forage

LIVESTOCK GRAZING: A DOMINANT USE

Previous national assessments used range condition as the sole measure of rangeland health or sustainability.

In the 48 states, “only 46 percent of the rangelands are in fair or good condition.”

Note: Other categories are poor and very poor.

Range condition: BLM landsExcellent 4%Good 30%Fair 41%Poor 18%

Forest Service landsPNC 15%Late seral 31%Mid-seral 38%Early seral 15%

Non-federal landsExcellent 4%Good 31%Fair 47%Poor 17%

2000 Assessment

On NFS lands:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meeting FPMO 48%

Moving towards FPMO 39%

Neither meeting norMoving towards FPMO 13%

Grain = Resolving power of data.

Grain determines smallest entities that can be found in data.

Extent = highest level that can be accessed.

If size of entity is larger than data (spatial, temporal), then associated attributes cannot be observed.

Scale in Ecological Observations

The larger the system,the longer the cycle time of unperturbed behavior.

From top to bottom of a hierarchy, there is a continuum of natural frequencies.

FREQUENCY OF BEHAVIOR

- Systems have particular characteristic frequencies.- Monitoring must accommodate frequency of a system’s scale.

1991Ecological Society of AmericaSustainable Biosphere Initiative

Focuses on role of ecology in wise management of Earth’s resources.

Calls for increases in fundamental research in three areas:-Global change-Biological diversity-Sustainability of ecological systems

At broadest scale: Effects of land use patternsFeedbacks between ecosystem & atmospheric processes

FORUMSCIENCE AND

SUSTAINABILITY

Ecological ApplicationsVol. 3 No. 4 Pages 545-589

1993

-Based upon paper in Science on resource exploitation.Ludwig et al. 260:17, 36. 1993.

-Sustainability is a vague and elusive notion.-Ultimate goal: “Leave to the future the option or capacity to be as

well off as we are.”-“Sustainability requires attention to the linkages among physical,

biological, and socioeconomic systems, and to the interface between science and policy.”

RESEARCH GOALS FOR 21st CENTURY

- Provide water for multiple uses.

- Develop environmentally-compatible,efficient livestock management systems.

- Maintain and enhance riparian systems.

- Develop vegetation management schemesthat ensure ecosystem integrity

- Provide wildlife habitat for a wide array of native species.

- Understand the needs and direction of society in relation to rangelands.

HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH FOR HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE1993 Symposium – Research Affairs Committee, SRM

Evaluating Rangeland Sustainability

SRM Task Group on Unity and Concepts in Terms

Rangelands 17(3):85-921995

• Focused on the site level; i.e. rangeland condition and trend.• Soil is the basic resource.• Sought unity in terminology and methodology.

Ecological sitesSite conservation thresholdsSite Conservation rating: sustainable and unsustainableDesired plant community

FORUMECONOMIC GROWTH AND

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Ecological ApplicationsVol. 6 No. 1 Pages 1-32

1996

Based upon a paper in Science on economic growth and environment.Arrow et al. 268:520-521. 1995.

-Relationship between economic growth and environmental quality?-Ecosystems limited in capacity to absorb disturbance. Signals may

not allow anticipation of irreversible changes.-Basic ecosystem services are not substitutable: Clean air, pure water,

decompose wastes, recovering from disturbance, CO2 balance.-Indices must be intuitively obvious and fit needs of decision-makers.

RMRS STUDY

Assessed 67 Montreal Process indicators.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Applicability to

rangelands

Which ones are important

Availability of data and monitoring capability

Needed research

SRRValidates/develops

indicators and measurement protocols.

NRI / FIA / etc.Rangeland monitoring

systems incorporate new protocols.

NAT’L ASSESSMENTS

Monitors trends of SRR indicators.

Are the indicators valid and useful?

no

yes

1 2

3

SOME COMMON DENOMINATORS

1. The concept of sustainability is not concise, but is important. There is agreement that it involves physical, biological, and socio-economic-political systems.

SOME COMMON DENOMINATORS

1. The concept of sustainability is not concise, but is important. There is agreement that it involves physical, biological, and socio-economic-political systems.

2. No “Dow Jones” of sustainable development or sustainability exists. Quantitative ecological and economic models are not adequate to address any measure of overall sustainability.

SOME COMMON DENOMINATORS

1. The concept of sustainability is not concise, but is important. There is agreement that it involves physical, biological, and socio-economic-political systems.

2. No “Dow Jones” of sustainable development or sustainability exists. Quantitative ecological and economic models are not adequate to address any measure of overall sustainability.

3. Sustainability indicators are hierarchical because the systems they monitor are subject to the principles of hierarchy theory.