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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #222614
Title: Strategies for sustaining multiple ecosystem services from rangelands

Author
item Havstad, Kris
item BROWN, JOEL - NRCS
item Herrick, Jeffrey - Jeff
item Peters, Debra
item Frederickson, Eddie
item Bestelmeyer, Brandon
item PIEPER, REX - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV

Submitted to: International Rangeland Congress
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2008
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Citation: Havstad, K.M., Brown, J., Herrick, J.E., Peters, D.C., Fredrickson, E.L., Bestelmeyer, B.T., Pieper, R. 2008. Strategies for sustaining multiple ecosystem services from rangelands. In: Proceedings Multifunction Grasslands in a Changing World. XXI International Rangeland Congress, VIII International Rangeland Congress. June 30-July 5, 2008, Hohhot, China. p. 1094.

Interpretive Summary: The need to integrate science into management of our natural resources is obvious given the many problems facing resource management and land managers. An important past of this integration process is participation of the public in the science process. This includes all aspects of the development of research questions, the implementation of research programs, and the availability and use of research results. This model of community involvement may have application to other rangeland research programs around the world.

Technical Abstract: The application of natural resource science to both management needs and policy formation has been spotty, at best. Interestingly, rangeland science had an early history of closely supporting management needs and USA rangeland policies during the early 20th century. This history of support unraveled during the mid part of the 20th century as the science failed to address increasingly relevant socioeconomic factors, and rangelands were sought to provide other services beyond food and fiber. Recently, rangeland science has again been coupled to management and policy. Sustaining any combination of goods and services from rangelands requires that linkages among science, management and policy be well established and functional. An analysis of this history of the coupling, uncoupling and then recoupling of rangeland science with both management and USA rangeland policies may provide useful insights for sustained use of these resources.