Document: DAV-3-63-17

Interpreting indicators of rangeland health.

PYKE, D.A.* ¹, P.SHAVER ^2,3,4, M.PELLANT ⁵ and J.E.HERRICK ⁶

USGS, Corvallis, OR USA ¹
USDA, OR USA ²
Grazing Lands Institute, OR USA ³
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA ⁴
Bureau of Land Management, Boise, ID USA ⁵
USDA, Las Cruces, NM USA ⁶

Abstract:
Rangelands are lands where the native vegetation is predominately herbaceous plants and shrubs. Recently, a National Research Council (NRC) panel proposed that rangelands be evaluated using the concept of "rangeland health" instead of current techniques used to rate range condition. They proposed a series of indicators to assess ecological processes and site stability. Using this as a starting point, we developed a rapid qualitative method for assessing rangelands. Our technique uses seventeen indicators to evaluate three attributes (Soil/Site Stability, Watershed Function, and Biotic Integrity) for a given location. The indicators include rills, water flow patterns, pedestals and terracettes, bare ground, gullies, wind scour and depositional areas, litter movement, soil resistance to erosion, soil surface loss, plant composition relative to infiltration, soil compaction, functional groups, plant mortality, litter amount, annual production, invasive plants, and reproductive capability. The user completes six steps in the procedure: 1) Classify the site according to the NRCS soil and ecological site classification systems; 2) Rate the 17 indicators based on comparisons to the NRCS applicable ecological site description and one or more reference sites; 3) Accept or modify rating criteria for each indicator based on applicability to the particular site; 4) Describe soil and vegetation characteristics of both reference and evaluation sites; 5) Rate each indicator relative to its degree of departure from expected; 6) The evaluator uses the rating given by the majority of indicators to rate the site for the three attributes of rangeland health. Land managers should not use this technique for monitoring. If used by knowledgeable and experienced people, they will be able to make rapid and preliminary evaluations of soil and site stability, watershed function and biotic integrity on rangeland sites.

Keywords: rangeland, ecosystem, assessment, indicators, soil stability, watershed function, biotic integrity

This abstract is being presented at: 10:30 AM in session:
Poster Session #5: Landscape Ecology.