Busby, F.

Herrick, Jeffrey E.

Pellant, Michael

Pyke, D. A.

Shaver, P. L.

English

University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky UKnowledge International Grassland Congress Proceedings 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress A Rapid Assessment Technique to Evaluate Rangeland Health Michael Pellant Bureau of Land Management Jeffrey E. Herrick U.S. Department of Agriculture P. L. Shaver U.S. Department of Agriculture F. Busby Utah State University D. A. Pyke U.S. Geological Survey Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc  Part of the Plant Sciences Commons, and the Soil Science Commons This document is available at https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/21/4-1/28 The 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress took place in Hohhot, China from June 29 through July 5, 2008. Proceedings edited by Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference Published by Guangdong People's Publishing House This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant and Soil Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Grassland Congress Proceedings by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu. 瞯 ]586　 瞯 　 Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World 　 Volume Ⅰ 　Grasslands/Rangelands Resources and Ecology ——— Indicators for Sustainable Use and Conservation of Grasslands/Rangelands ResourcesA rapid assessment technique to evaluate rangeland healthM . Pellant1 , J .E . Herrick 2 , P . Shaver 3 , F . Busby 4 , and D .A . Pyke51 Bureau o f L and Management , 1387 S . V innell W ay , Boise , ID 83709 ,2 USDA , A gricultural Research Serv ice , JornadaEx perimental Range , MSC 3JER , NMSU , Box 30003 , L as Cruces , NM 88003 , 3 USDA Natural Resources ConservationServ ice , West National Technology Sup port Center , 1201 NE L loyd Blv d . , Suite 1000 , Portland , OR 97232 , 4 Utah StateUniversity ,Logan , UT . 5 U .S . Geological Survey , 3200 SW Je f f erson W ay , Corv allis , OR 97331 . E‐mail : M ichael ＿Pellant＠ blm .govKey words : rangeland health , assessment , qualitative ranking , indicatorIntroduction Land managers are constantly searching for more efficient methods to assess the condition of rangelands . Theconcept of rangeland health was advanced as an alternative to range condition ( NRC １９９４ ) and is defined as ,�The degree towhich the integrity of the soil , vegetation , water , and air , as well as the ecological processes of the rangeland ecosystem arebalanced and sustained ( Pellant et al . ２００５) ." It can be assessed using quantitative measures ( Herrick et al . ２００５) and with aqualitative , rapid assessment protocol ( Pellant et al . ２００５ ) . Qualitative assessments can be used to help prioritize land forrestoration and more intensive monitoring .Materials and methods This technique , which is currently being applied in a number of countries including the US , Mexico ,China and Mongolia , utilizes １７ indicators that are rated ( Table １) according to their departure from an expected condition asdescribed in a Reference Sheet . These indicators include a range of biotic and soil based elements that address the integrity ofthe plant community , soil erosion , and water function . The Reference Sheet facilitates consistent application of the process oneach ecological site by integrating all available sources of data and knowledge to a single range of reference conditions for eachindicator . An ecological site is a kind of land with specific physical characteristics which differs from other kinds of land in itsability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation and in its response to management . The product of this qualitativeassessment is not a single rating of rangeland health , but three components called attributes ( Table １) .Table 1 A ttributes o f rangeland health and the rating categories f or each attribute ( and indicator ) .Soil/ Site Stability Hydrologic function Integrity of the Biotic CommunityRatings reflect the degree of departure from expected values of each attribute/ indicator per the Reference SheetExtreme to Total Moderate to Extreme Moderate Slight to Moderate None to SlightResults The outputs from this assessment provide a preliminary evaluation of the attributes of rangeland health at the ecologicalsite or its equivalent , level . The results can be used to communicate fundamental ecological concepts to a wide variety ofaudiences . Monitoring site selection can be improved using the assessment results and early warnings of potential problems andopportunities in areas that are potentially at risk of degradation or where resource problems currently exist can be identified .Caution must be exercised to ensure that this technique is used appropriately to identify independently the cause( s) of resourceproblems and follow‐up management actions .Conclusions This protocol will continue to evolve as our understanding of ecological dynamics of global rangelands continues togrow . The use of a qualitative protocol , supplemented by quantitative studies , provides managers with a starting point to betterdescribe and ultimately manage rangelands .ReferencesHerrick , J .E . , J .W . Van Zee , K .M . Havstad , and W .G . Whitford . ( ２００５ ) . Monitoring manual for grassland , shrublandand savanna ecosystems . USDA‐ARS Jornada Ex perimental Range , Las Cruces , New Mexico .NRC ( National Research Council) . (１９９４) . Rangeland health : new methods to classify , inventory , and monitor rangelands .National A cademy Press ,Washington , DC . National Research Council . １８０p .Pellant , M . , P . Shaver , D .A . Pyke , and J .E . Herrick . ( ２００５ ) . Interpreting indicators of rangeland health , version ４ .Technical Reference １７３４‐６ . U .S . Department of the Interior , Bureau of Land Management , N ational Science andTechnology Center , Denver , CO . BLM /WO/ST‐００ /００１ ＋ １７３４ / REV０５ . １２２pp .

A Rapid Assessment Technique to Evaluate Rangeland Health

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A Rapid Assessment Technique to Evaluate Rangeland Health

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