Sustainable Sustainable Rangelands Rangelands RoundtableRoundtable

Development and Development and Evolution of the Evolution of the

Criteria and Criteria and IndicatorsIndicators

OverviewOverview

CriteriaCriteria Productive CapacityProductive Capacity Soil and Water ResourcesSoil and Water Resources Ecosystem Health and DiversityEcosystem Health and Diversity Social and Economic BenefitsSocial and Economic Benefits Legal, Institutional, Economic FrameworksLegal, Institutional, Economic Frameworks

Indicators within these CriteriaIndicators within these Criteria Scientific ChallengesScientific Challenges Next Technical StepsNext Technical Steps

A journey of 1000 miles A journey of 1000 miles begins with 1 stepbegins with 1 step

Criteria and indicators described Criteria and indicators described here represent the current here represent the current development.development.

The indicators will continue to evolve The indicators will continue to evolve as the SRR advances towards an as the SRR advances towards an accepted set for monitoring and accepted set for monitoring and assessing rangeland sustainability.assessing rangeland sustainability.

Sustainable Rangelands

ProductiveProductive

CapacityCapacity

Health and DiversityHealth and Diversity

Social and EconomicSocial and Economic

Legal, Legal, InstitutionalInstitutional and and EconomicEconomic

FrameworkFrameworkSoil and Soil and WaterWater

IndicatorIndicatorss

CriteriCriteriaa

Maintenance of Productive Maintenance of Productive Capacity on Rangeland Capacity on Rangeland EcosystemsEcosystems

Productive capacity … provide the current Productive capacity … provide the current generation with a wide variety of goods generation with a wide variety of goods and services depending on the mix and services depending on the mix desired by society at any particular timedesired by society at any particular time

Maintenance … that future generations Maintenance … that future generations will be able to obtain their desired mix...will be able to obtain their desired mix...

Indicators must capture: Determinants of Indicators must capture: Determinants of Productive Capacity, and the Variety of Outputs Productive Capacity, and the Variety of Outputs that can be produced on Rangelandsthat can be produced on Rangelands

Indicators: Determinants of Indicators: Determinants of Productive CapacityProductive Capacity

Aboveground Biomass Production

Integrates biotic and abiotic factors influencing capacity

Rangeland available for livestock grazing

Indicates shifts in a major commodity product

Indicators: Productive Capacity Indicators: Productive Capacity OutputsOutputs

Wildlife Density

Domestic Livestock

Harvest of landscape & edible/medicinal plants

Number of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, bison measures a consumptive use

Measures the variety of other consumptive uses

Direct measure of wildlife numbers & indirect for recreation

Maintenance of Ecological Health Maintenance of Ecological Health and Diversity of Rangelandsand Diversity of Rangelands

Rangeland healthRangeland health .. “degree to which .. “degree to which the integrity of the soil and the ecological the integrity of the soil and the ecological processes of rangelands are sustained” processes of rangelands are sustained” Nutrient cycling, energy flow, hydrologic processesNutrient cycling, energy flow, hydrologic processes

Biodiversity Biodiversity .. “variety of life and its .. “variety of life and its processes” which encompasses “the variety processes” which encompasses “the variety of living organisms, the genetic differences of living organisms, the genetic differences among them and the communities and among them and the communities and ecosystems in which they occur”ecosystems in which they occur” Landscape, community, population, geneticsLandscape, community, population, genetics

Indicators: Indicators: HealthHealth and and DiversityDiversity

Extent of rangeland Trends in land status

Annual production Energy capture & storage

Changes in fire regimes

Fire freq., intensity & extent

Riparian condition Veg. & watershed healthWetland Abundance Number & extent

Indicators: Health and Indicators: Health and DiversityDiversity

FragmentationPlant CommunitiesParcel SizeDifferent Management

Captures changes in landscape patterns, connectedness, habitatsPlant Communities

AreaInvasives, Non-nativesVegetation Classes

Captures changes in plant community structure and function

Population DynamicsSpecies & communities of concernSelected Species

Captures finer scale details for individual species & communities

Conservation and Conservation and Maintenance of Soil and Water Maintenance of Soil and Water ResourcesResources

Soils influence hydrologic Soils influence hydrologic processes by providing the medium processes by providing the medium for the capture, storage, and for the capture, storage, and release of water. release of water.

Flow of water through rangelands Flow of water through rangelands influences soil physical and influences soil physical and biological properties. biological properties.

In most rangelands, water is In most rangelands, water is extremely limiting. extremely limiting.

Indicators: Indicators: Soil Soil and Water and Water ResourcesResources

Area of Rangeland withArea of Rangeland with Significant ErosionSignificant Erosion

Significant Significant CompactionCompactionChanges in aggregateChanges in aggregate stabilitystabilityBare groundBare ground

Diminished Organic Diminished Organic MatterMatterChanges in Soil Changes in Soil OrganismsOrganismsPesticide ApplicationPesticide Application

Measures loss of soil

Physical properties affecting water infiltration

Potential for erosion Potential for erosion through resistances through resistances to wind and waterto wind and water

Measures of soil Measures of soil productivity, and ties productivity, and ties to water qualityto water quality

Indicators: Soil and Indicators: Soil and WaterWater ResourcesResources

Percent of Water Bodies withVariation in Natural Range of Biological DiversityVariation in pH, Chemicals, Temperature, SedimentationChanges in Groundwater

Changes in stream:Flow amounts & timingDry periodsGeometry

Indicates changes in water quality and aquatic habitat conditionsIndicates potential for changes in vegetation and water availability

Assesses watershed functioning, and impacts to aquatic and terrestrial diversity

Maintenance and Enhancement of Maintenance and Enhancement of Multiple Economic and Social Benefits to Multiple Economic and Social Benefits to Current and Future GenerationsCurrent and Future Generations

Socio-economic indicators provide a Socio-economic indicators provide a measure of societal values reflecting measure of societal values reflecting allocation of scarce economic allocation of scarce economic resources.resources.

Economic indicators complement Economic indicators complement social measures by assessing social measures by assessing changes resulting from adjustments changes resulting from adjustments in social, ecological, legal, and in social, ecological, legal, and political systems. political systems.

Indicators: Indicators: SocialSocial and Economic and Economic BenefitsBenefits

Social measures are widely available: Social measures are widely available: Population, Migration, Mortality, Population, Migration, Mortality, Education, Income, etc.Education, Income, etc.

However, few are rangeland-specific. However, few are rangeland-specific.

For example, “social acceptability” of For example, “social acceptability” of rangeland policies, practices, conditionsrangeland policies, practices, conditions

Assumption: Human communities are Assumption: Human communities are better off if rangelands are both healthy better off if rangelands are both healthy and productive.and productive.

Indicators: Indicators: SocialSocial and Economic and Economic BenefitsBenefits

Area managed forArea managed forCultural, Spiritual Cultural, Spiritual ValuesValuesSubsistenceSubsistenceNon-consumptive-useNon-consumptive-useLand Ownership Land Ownership

New Technologies New Technologies

Viability and Viability and adaptability of social adaptability of social systemssystems

Assess management Assess management support for these support for these values and usesvalues and uses

Measures effect of Measures effect of change change Assess adoption for Assess adoption for improvement and improvement and protectionprotectionAssesses how use and Assesses how use and conditions impact conditions impact range-dependent range-dependent communitiescommunities

Indicators: Social and Indicators: Social and Economic Economic BenefitsBenefits

Amount and Economic Amount and Economic ValueValue

AUMsAUMsForageForageNon-livestock productsNon-livestock products

Management for Management for RecreationRecreation

Area, Facilities, Area, Facilities, VisitorsVisitorsInvestment in RangelandsInvestment in Rangelands

Assess availability Assess availability and value of diverse and value of diverse usesuses

Assess desire for Assess desire for tourism, recreation, tourism, recreation, wildernesswildernessDemand for different Demand for different usesuses

Rangeland Research, Development and Education

Investment in the future

Indicators: Social and Indicators: Social and Economic Economic BenefitsBenefits

Ranching SectorRanching SectorUse of new Use of new technologytechnologyRate of returnRate of returnEmployment in sectorEmployment in sectorLand Use and ConservationLand Use and Conservation

Conservation easementsConservation easementsOwnership by NGOsOwnership by NGOsContribution to restorationContribution to restoration

Trade Flows between Rural and Urban Areas

Ability to remain in business, importance in total employment Willingness to contribute to conservation by people and by organizationsIdentifies where investment income is occurring

Sustainable rangelands are Sustainable rangelands are influenced byinfluenced by U.S. laws, regulations, guidelines,U.S. laws, regulations, guidelines, Issues of equity, cultural traditions, Issues of equity, cultural traditions,

legal rights and obligations, andlegal rights and obligations, and Availability of scientific Availability of scientific

understanding and appropriate understanding and appropriate management technologies and management technologies and skills. skills.

Legal, Institutional, and Economic Legal, Institutional, and Economic Framework for Rangeland Conservation Framework for Rangeland Conservation and Sustainable Managementand Sustainable Management

Legal, Institutional and Economic Legal, Institutional and Economic FrameworksFrameworks CriteriaCriteria

Support for sustainability through frameworks of:

Legal InstitutionalEconomic Capacity to monitor

change in sustainable managementCapacity in R&D aimed at improving management and delivery of goods and services

Property rights, range-related planning, public involvement in policy, investment, taxation Inventories, policy review, enforcement of laws and regulations Existence of research and development programs

ChallengesChallenges

Capacity?Capacity? To what extent can To what extent can productive capacity be measured? productive capacity be measured?

Transition between rangeland and Transition between rangeland and forests?forests? What triggers identification What triggers identification of land as rangeland vs. forests? of land as rangeland vs. forests?

ScaleScale? National inventory? National inventory

Integration?Integration? Links between Links between economic, social, and ecological economic, social, and ecological sustainability?sustainability?

Next Technical StepsNext Technical Steps

Reduce duplication of indicatorsReduce duplication of indicators Develop protocols for evaluating Develop protocols for evaluating

indicatorsindicators Protocols for identifying & Protocols for identifying &

evaluating data setsevaluating data sets Inventory structure at national levelInventory structure at national level Agency rolesAgency roles First Approximation ReportFirst Approximation Report

A journey of 1000 miles A journey of 1000 miles begins with 1 stepbegins with 1 step

Future Plans