Index
A
A-Horizon, 105
Adaptation, ecosystem
elements of, 7
vs. succession, 90-91
Area sampling, 147
Assessment methodology
classification of rangeland condition, 75-81
climax community concept, 58-59, 60-61, 62, 63, 66-67, 75-76, 77, 80-81, 86, 88, 89, 127
current practices for rangelands, 2-3, 27-28, 62-63, 123
defining ecosystem health, 4-5, 34-35
elements of, 6-11
evaluation process, 8, 29, 97-98, 126-127
field evaluation, 129-132
implementing standardized program, 14-16, 132-133, 153-156
multiple ecological indicators, 8, 15-16, 92-93, 154
national inventorying and monitoring system, 12-14, 151-152
National Resources Inventor, 147-148
need for consistency in, 4, 13, 34, 85
problems in current practice, 3, 4, 11, 12, 26-27, 30-34, 82-91, 119-120
site classification, 13, 66-75, 84-85
site comparisons, 88-89
social values implicit in, 3-4, 29
soil-vegetation inventory, 143-144
successional stage model, 59-62, 75-76, 86-92
three-phase matrix, 129
trend and apparent trend, 26, 81-82, 96
At-risk rangeland
early warning of transition to, 43-46, 48
identifying boundaries of, 7-8, 36-38, 123
nutrient distribution in, 125
recovery mechanisms in, 126
soil stability in, 124
B
Black grama grassland, 32-33
BLM. See Bureau of Land Management
Boundaries of healthy/unhealthy ecosystems
health criteria in identifying, 123
nutrient distribution in assessment of, 119-120, 125-126
soil conditions in assessment of, 123-124
See also Threshold of rangeland health
Bureau of the Census, 135
Bureau of Land Management, 58, 138, 156
assessment practices, 13, 15, 31, 61-62, 63, 66, 74-75, 80-81, 85, 87, 104, 143-144, 154
current rangeland assessments, 24-25
inventorying and monitoring activities of, 36, 43, 146
National Environmental Policy Act compliance, 139
role of, 6, 14, 18, 23, 30, 63, 109, 110, 136, 140, 143, 148-149
in transition to standardized assessment, 16, 156
C
Change processes
black grama grassland to desert shrubland, 32-33
boundary identification, 7-8, 36-37
climax community concept, 58-59, 60-61, 62, 63, 66-67, 75-76, 77, 80-81, 86, 88, 89
ecological status evaluation, 80-81
episodic events, 42
initial conditions in determining, 91
irreversibility, 8, 37, 38, 39, 42-43, 47
monitoring system for, 14, 153
multifactorial model 92-93
perennial grassland to woody vegetation, 39, 44-45
perennial to annual grassland, 40-41
range condition evaluation, 75-80
recovery mechanism activities, 42, 120-121
recovery mechanism indicators, 11
soil degradation, 93, 97, 98-99
succession-retrogression model, 61-62, 75-76, 89-92
succession stages model, 38-39, 42, 59-61, 86-88
trend identification, 26, 81-82, 96
See also Threshold of rangeland health
Clean Water Act, 139
Climatic conditions
in climax community development, 59, 60
in defining range sites, 67
extreme environments, 49-50
extreme events, 42
in grazing effects, 38
monitoring of, 48
Climax community
in current assessment practices, 63, 75-76, 77, 80-81
as management goal, 94
objections to, in assessment, 83-84, 86, 88, 127
in rangeland assessment, 59-62
in site classification, 66-67
site comparisons, 89
theoretical development, 58-59
D
Data collection
area sampling technique, 147
Bureau of Land Management, 148-149, 150
development of, for rangeland assessment, 58-63
General Accounting Office, 150
independent review of, 15-16, 154-155
legislatively-mandated efforts, 138-146
National Resources Inventory, 147-148
nutrient cycling indicators, 118-119
social values in decisions regarding, 3-4, 29
soil condition surveys, 110
in transition to standardized assessment, 14-16
USFS, 149-150
See also Inventorying/monitoring
Department of Agriculture, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 119, 123, 127, 128, 134, 135-136, 142, 152, 153
Department of the Interior, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 119, 123, 127, 128, 152, 153
Desert shrubland, grassland transition to, 32-33
E
Early warning line, 8, 37, 43-46
Ecological integrity, 35
See also Site classification
Ecological status assessment, 2, 13, 16, 26, 31, 63, 80-81
See also Assessment methodology
Endangered species, 19
Endangered Species Act, 139
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), 13, 30, 142 , 152
Environmental Protection Agency, 13, 26, 30, 142, 152, 153
Erosion
current trends, 24-25
deposition processes, 108
as rangeland health criterion, 97-98, 132
rills and gullies in assessing, 24, 104, 105
sheet and scour, 24, 104, 105-108
in soil degradation process, 8-9, 39, 98-99, 102-103
as soil stability indicator, 9, 104-105
in transition from perennial to annual grassland, 40, 41
F
Federal Land Policy and Management Act, 23, 143
Field evaluation, 129-132
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act, 140-141
Forest Service, U.S., 22, 143, 156
assessment practices, 13, 15, 31, 61-62, 63, 66, 74, 80-81, 85, 87 , 154
current rangeland assessments, 24-25
in development of assessment theory, 51, 135-136
inventorying and monitoring activities of, 36, 43, 144-145, 146
role of, 6, 14, 18, 30, 63, 109, 110, 140, 144, 149-150
in transition to standardized assessment, 16, 156
G
General Accounting Office, 25, 150
Grasslands
transition from perennial to annual, 40-41
transition to woody vegetation, 39, 44-45
Grazing, 12
climatic factors in effects of, 38
controversy, 30-31
extent of, on rangelands, 19-20
historic development, 20-22, 51
legislation, 136, 139, 145-146
in range condition assessment, 76
in soil degradation, 100-101
in transition from grassland to woody vegetation, 39, 44-45
in transition from perennial to annual grassland, 40-41
I
Inventorying / monitoring
current practice, 146-151
development of, 51-58, 134-138
early warning line in, 43-46
See also National inventorying and monitoring system
J
Jornada Experimental Range, 32-33
L
Legislation
inventorying/monitoring, 146
national resource management, 140-146
rangeland management 22-23, 136, 139, 145-146
M
Minimum ecological standard, 5, 95, 96
Models
research needs, 9, 11, 127-128
succession-retrogression, 90-92
Multifactorial assessment, 8, 15-16, 92-93, 154
Multiple use, 94
Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act, 23
N
National Environmental Policy Act, 138-139
National Forest Management Act, 144-145
National inventorying and monitoring system
standards for, 12-13, 151, 152
See also Inventorying/monitoring
National Range Handbook,63, 66, 94
National Resources Inventory, 13, 15, 24, 26, 142, 147
National Wildlife Federation, 150
Natural Resources Defense Council, 150
Nevada, 87-88
Nutrient cycling
in assessing rangeland health boundaries, 125-126
effectiveness in, 112-115
energy flow and, 9-10, 115-117
plant community structure in measurement of, 118-119
as rangeland health criterion, 8, 9-10, 98, 117-119
soil degradation and, 100
O
Ownership of rangelands, 1, 18
federal lands, 18-19, 22-23, 148-149
historical development, 135
nonfederal lands, 18, 21, 147-148
recreational use fees, 21
P
Perennial grassland
transition to annual grassland, 40-41
transition to woody shrubland, 44-45
Plant biology
age-class distribution, 11, 120-121
in assessment of range condition, 75-77, 83-84, 87-88
climax community concept, 7, 58-59, 60-61, 62, 66-67, 75-76, 80-81, 89
community structure, 118-119
distribution as health indicator, 119
in early assessment methodology, 57-58, 59-61
in ecosystem sustainability, 34
in multifactorial approach to assessment, 15, 92-93, 154
non-successional model, 90-91
rainfall in threshold changes of, 42
in rangeland change states, 36-37, 38-39, 46-47
rangeland diversity, 18-19
in rangeland management goals, 94-95
recovery mechanism assessments, 11, 120-121
seed development, 11, 42, 96, 122
in site classification, 66-69, 74-75, 84-85
soil degradation effects on, 100, 129
succession-retrogression model, 61-62, 75-76, 89-92
successional stage model, 59-61, 86-89
topography as factor in, 69-74
transition from grassland to woody vegetation, 39, 44-45
transition from perennial to annual grassland, 40-41
Potential natural community, 66, 74-75, 80-81, 83-84, 86, 88
See also Climax community
Primary succession, 38
Productivity of rangelands, 1, 19-21, 28, 29-30, 48-49, 95-96
Public Land Law Review Commission, 138
Public Rangelands Improvement Act, 145-146
R
Rainfall
pathways, 101-102
in threshold change, 42
in transition from grassland to woody shrubland, 44-45
Range condition assessment, 2, 13, 16, 26, 31, 63, 75-80
See also Assessment methodology,
See also Site classification
Rangeland diversity, 18-19
Rangeland health
boundaries of, 7-8, 36-38, 123-127
concern for, historical development of, 21-23, 27, 30-31
in extreme environments, 49-50
human interactions and, 20-22
nutrient cycling in, 8, 9-10, 97-98, 115, 117-119
nutrient distribution in, 119-120, 125-126
plant community characteristics, 121-122
plant distribution as indicator of, 119, 120, 121
in rangeland management, 5, 16-17, 47-50, 95-96
recent legislation, 138-146
recovery mechanisms, 8, 10-11, 42, 98, 120-121, 123
resource value rating, 94-96
responsibility for assessment of, 4, 63
role of assessment, 3-4, 5-6, 12, 16-17, 27-28, 29-30, 35, 47-49
role of watersheds in, 20
soil properties and, 11-12, 128-129
soil surface indicators in, 9, 14-15, 99, 104-108, 153-154
stage of succession in, 86-88, 90-92
see also Assessment methodology
Rangeland management
federal, 22-23
legislation, 145-146
minimum standard for, 5, 47-48, 95-96
responsibility for, 18, 31, 63
uses of rangeland, 19-21
watershed management, 20
Recovery mechanisms
assessment criteria, 120-121, 123
as criteria of rangeland health, 8, 97-98
seeding, 42
Recreational value of rangelands, 19, 21
Research needs
models of rangeland change, 11, 127-128
nutrient cycling, 11, 119-120, 133
recovery mechanism indicators, 11, 123, 133
sampling system, 13
soil properties in rangeland health, 11-12, 128-129
soil surface assessment, 14-15, 108-109, 132-133
soil surveys, 110
Resource value rating, 94-96
Resources Conservation Act, 15, 23, 154
Resources Planning Act, 15, 23, 140, 149, 154
Rio Grande Plains, 44-45
Riparian areas
current status, 25-26
definition, 18-19
S
Sampling systems, 13-14, 147, 153
SCS. See Soil Conservation Service
Secondary succession, 38-39
Site classification
alternatives to, 84-85
problems in current practices, 82-84
sampling systems, 13-14, 147, 153
Site comparison, 88-89
Society for Range Management, 24, 26, 48, 62, 84, 94-95, 99, 150
Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act, 23, 141-142, 147
Soil conditions
A-horizon, 105
in assessing rangeland health boundaries, 37, 123-124
as criteria of rangeland health, 4-5, 6, 8-9, 34-35, 97-98, 132
current assessment of, 24-25
in identifying trends, 81-82
linked to stage of succession, 86-87
in multifactorial approach to assessment, 15-16, 92-93, 154-155
in rangeland health, research needed in, 11-12, 128-129
in site classification, 66, 67-69, 85
soil stability, 8-9, 82, 97-98, 103-105, 123-124, 132
soil surface assessment, 9, 14-15, 99, 104-105, 108-109, 132-133, 153-154
survey needs, 110
topography, 69-74
See also Erosion;
Soil degradation
Soil Conservation Service, 156
assessment practices, 13, 15, 31, 61-62, 63, 66, 74, 75-80, 85, 154
current rangeland assessments, 24-25
inventorying and monitoring activities of, 36, 43, 141, 146, 147
role of, 6, 14, 18, 23, 30, 63, 109, 110, 136-137, 140
in transition to standardized assessment, 16, 156
Soil degradation
cause of, 30
environmental factors in, 100-101
watershed function and, 101-103
Soil tolerance level, 24
Soil-vegetation inventory method, 143-144
South African grassveld, 40-41
Succession-retrogression model, 61-62, 75-76
limitations of, 89-91
modifications needed, 91-92
Succession stages of rangelands, 38-39, 59-62
alternative models, need for, 127-128
environmental determinants, 42
objections to model, 83-84, 86-89
Sustainability
in definition of rangeland health, 4-5, 34-35
determinants of, 29-30
T
Taylor Grazing Act, 22, 23, 136
Threshold of rangeland health
assessing nutrient distribution in, 125-126
assessing recovery mechanisms in, 126
climatic conditions in, 42
destructive change processes, 39
difficulty of crossing, 42-43
grass to woody vegetation, 39
monitoring of, 43-46
soil conditions as indicators of, 99
stable to degraded soil, 39
in succession-retrogression models, 91-92
See also Boundaries of healthy/unhealthy ecosystems
Topography, in site classification, 69-74
U
Unhealthy rangeland
identifying boundaries of, 7-8, 36-38, 123
naturally-occurring, 49-50
nutrient distribution in, 125-126
recovery mechanisms in, 126
soil stability/watershed function in, 124, 132
USFS. See Forest Service, U.S.
W
Watershed function
in assessing rangeland health boundaries, 123-124
as rangeland health criterion, 8-9, 97-98, 132
in rangelands, 20
soil degradation and, 101-103
Wilderness Act of 1964, 138
Recent Publications of The Board On Agriculture
Policy and Resources
Soil and Water Quality: An Agenda for Agriculture (1993), 510 pp., ISBN 0-309-04933-4
Managing Global Genetic Resources: Agricultural Crop Issues and Policies (1993), 450 pp., ISBN 0-309-04430-8
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993), 408 pp., ISBN 0-309-04875-3
Managing Global Genetic Resources: Livestock (1993), 294 pp., ISBN 0-309-04394-8
Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment in the Humid Tropics (1993), 720 pp., ISBN 0-309-04749-8
Agriculture and the Undergraduate: Proceedings (1992), 296 pp., ISBN 0-309-04682-3
Water Transfers in the West: Efficiency, Equity, and the Environment (1992), 320 pp., ISBN 0-309-04528-2
Managing Global Genetic Resources: Forest Trees (1991), 244 pp., ISBN 0-309-04034-5
Managing Global Genetic Resources: The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (1991), 198 pp., ISBN 0-309-04390-5
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education in the Field: A Proceedings (1991), 448 pp., ISBN 0-309-04578-9
Toward Sustainability: A Plan for Collaborative Research on Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (1991), 164 pp., ISBN 0-309-04540-1
Investing in Research: A Proposal to Strengthen the Agricultural, Food, and Environmental System (1989), 156 pp., ISBN 0-309-04127-9
Alternative Agriculture (1989), 464 pp., ISBN 0-309-03985-1
Understanding Agriculture: New Directions for Education (1988), 80 pp., ISBN 0-309-03936-3
Designing Foods: Animal Product Options in the Marketplace (1988), 394 pp., ISBN 0-309-03798-0; ISBN 0-309-03795-6 (pbk)
Agricultural Biotechnology: Strategies for National Competitiveness (1987), 224 pp., ISBN 0-309-03745-X
Regulating Pesticides in Food: The Delaney Paradox (1987), 288 pp., ISBN 0-309-03746-8
Pesticide Resistance: Strategies and Tactics for Management (1986), 480 pp., ISBN 0-309-03627-5
Pesticides and Groundwater Quality: Issues and Problems in Four States (1986), 136 pp., ISBN 0-309-03676-3
Soil Conservation: Assessing the National Resources Inventory, Volume 1 (1986), 134 pp., ISBN 0-309-03649-9; Volume 2 (1986), 314 pp., ISBN 0-309-03675-5
New Directions for Biosciences Research in Agriculture: High-Reward Opportunities (1985), 122 pp., ISBN 0-309-03542-2
Genetic Engineering of Plants: Agricultural Research Opportunities and Policy Concerns (1984), 96 pp., ISBN 0-309-03434-5
Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals Series and Related Titles
Nutrient Requirements of Fish (1993), 108 pp., ISBN 0-309-04891-5
Nutrient Requirements of Horses, Fifth Revised Edition (1989), 128 pp., ISBN 0-309-03989-4; diskette included
Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle, Sixth Revised Edition, Update 1989 (1989), 168 pp., ISBN 0-309-03826-X; diskette included
Nutrient Requirements of Swine, Ninth Revised Edition (1988), 96 pp., ISBN 0-309-03779-4
Vitamin Tolerance of Animals (1987), 105 pp., ISBN 0-309-03728-X
Predicting Feed Intake of Food-Producing Animals (1986), 95 pp., ISBN 0-309-03695-X
Nutrient Requirements of Cats, Revised Edition (1986), 87 pp., ISBN 0-309-03682-8
Nutrient Requirements of Dogs, Revised Edition (1985), 79 pp., ISBN 0-309-03496-5
Nutrient Requirements of Sheep, Sixth Revised Edition (1985), 106 pp., ISBN 0-309-03596-1
Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, Sixth Revised Edition (1984), 90 pp., ISBN 0-309-03447-7
Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, Eighth Revised Edition (1984), 71 pp., ISBN 0-309-03486-8
Further information, additional titles (prior to 1984), and prices are available from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418, 202/334-3313 (information only); 800/624-6242 (orders only); 202/334-2451 (fax).