Rangeland ecosystem services: Connecting nature and people. A Society of Range Management Task Force Report

Authors: Porensky, Lauren; GOODWIN, JEFF - Texas A&M University; MEIMAN, PAUL - University Of Nevada; Wilmer, Hailey; Derner, Justin; IOVANNA, RICH - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); MONLEZUN, ANNE - Colorad0 State University; VANDEVER, MARK - Us Geological Survey (USGS); GRIGGS, JON - Producer; PRICE, FRANK - Producer; Spiegal, Sheri; PADILLA, NICK - Forest Service (FS); VOTH, DAVE - Producer; MAHER, ANNA - Forest Service (FS); O'Connor, Rory; Hoover, David; PLUHAR, JENNY - Texas Grazing Land Coalition; Estep, Catherine; FOX, WILLIAM - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Society for Range Management
Publication Type: Research Technical Update
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2023
Publication Date: 8/11/2023
Citation: Goodwin, J., Porensky, L.M., Meiman, P., Wilmer, H.N., Derner, J.D., Iovanna, R., Monlezun, A.C., Vandever, M., Griggs, J., O'Connor, R.C. 2023. Rangeland ecosystem services: Connecting nature and people. A Society of Range Management Task Force Report. Society for Range Management. Rangeland Ecosystem Services.

Interpretive Summary: Rangelands support many ecosystem services and associated benefits for human society, including food and fiber production, wildlife habitat, pollination, water infiltration, and much more. Today, rangelands and the ecosystem services they support are faced with many threats, ranging from climate change and market shifts to invasive species and aging producer populations. These pressures increase the likelihood of land use change and the loss of livestock production operations, which in turn can lead to permanent losses in a wide array of ecosystem services and associated benefits provided to people by rangelands. The Society for Range Management (SRM) works closely with rangeland stakeholders and advances science and policy related to the sustainable, productive management of rangelands. SRM commissioned a Task Force to study the role of the Society on the topic of ecosystem services in rangelands. In this report, the Task Force seeks to: 1) outline several ecosystem services important to rangelands, including who benefits from the service and what factors currently threaten the service, 2) discuss ways that rangeland stewardship helps support the services, 3) outline current opportunities for rangeland stakeholders to gain direct benefits from the services, and 4) describe potential ways SRM could engage in this topic. Our report found that active rangeland stewardship is essential for maintaining ecosystem services and associated benefits provided by rangelands. In other words, not only do benefits flow from nature to people, but also from people to nature. At the same time, some forms of human management can lead to the degradation of rangeland ecosystem services. We focus on three facets of rangeland stewardship that help support ecosystem services in rangelands: avoiding conversion, restoration of degraded lands, and adaptive management. We found that these actions form a “three-legged stool” supporting resilient rangeland systems, in that without attention to all three, the system cannot maintain health and function. Although the presence and actions of rangeland managers, producers, and other stakeholders are critical for supporting rangeland ecosystem services and benefits, there are currently few opportunities or mechanisms for rangeland stakeholders to receive direct benefits for the services they support. We found that there are multiple ways SRM can engage in the conversation around rangeland ecosystem services. Broadly, potential SRM roles include discovery, sharing, engagement, advocacy, and acting as a trusted liaison. Unlike many government agencies, SRM has the ability to advocate strongly and publicly for activities, policies and practices that benefit rangeland ecosystem services as well as rangeland stakeholders and communities. This Task Force report does not advocate for any particular action but presents various potential options and opportunities for the Society to consider.

Technical Abstract: Rangelands support many ecosystem services and associated benefits for human society, including food and fiber production, wildlife habitat, pollination, water infiltration, and much more. Over the past fifteen years, the ecosystem services framework has spurred countless scholarly efforts and policy initiatives and has also been criticized. Despite its faults, the ecosystem services framework continues to provide a shared language about the flow of benefits from nature to people. Today, rangeland social-ecological systems and the ecosystem services they support are threatened by both broad-scale and fine-scale drivers, ranging from climate change and market shifts to invasive species and aging producer populations. These pressures increase the likelihood of land use change and the loss of livestock production operations, which in turn can lead to permanent losses in a wide array of ecosystem services and associated benefits provided to people by rangelands. The Society for Range Management (SRM) works closely with rangeland stakeholders of all types and advances science and policy related to the sustainable, productive management of rangelands as complex social-ecological systems. SRM commissioned a Task Force to study the role of the Society on the topic of ecosystem services in rangelands. In this report, the Task Force seeks to: 1) outline several of the ecosystem services that we consider most central to rangelands, including who benefits from the service and what factors currently threaten the service, 2) discuss ways in which rangeland stewardship helps support the services, 3) outline current opportunities for rangeland stakeholders to gain direct benefits from actions taken to support the services, and 4) describe potential ways SRM could engage in this process. Our compilation of the literature and of existing SRM member perspectives found that active rangeland stewardship is essential for maintaining and enhancing the ecosystem services and associated benefits provided by resilient rangeland social-ecological systems. In other words, not only do benefits flow from nature to people, but also from people to nature. At the same time, some forms of human management can lead to the degradation of rangeland ecosystem services. Sanderson et al. (2020) proposed three facets of rangeland stewardship that help support ecosystem services in rangelands: avoiding conversion, restoration of degraded lands, and adaptive management. Here, we adapt these three categories and argue that they form a “three-legged stool” supporting resilient rangeland systems, in that without attention to all three, the system cannot maintain health and function. Although the presence and actions of rangeland managers, producers, and other stakeholders are critical for supporting a broad array of rangeland ecosystem services and benefits, there are currently few opportunities or mechanisms for rangeland stakeholders to receive direct benefits for many of the services they support. There are multiple ways that SRM can engage in the conversation around rangeland ecosystem services. Broadly, potential SRM roles include discovery, sharing, engagement, advocacy, and acting as a trusted liaison. Unlike many government agencies, SRM has the ability to advocate strongly and publicly for activities, policies and practices that benefit rangeland ecosystem services as well as rangeland stakeholders and communities. This Task Force report does not advocate for any particular action but presents various potential options and opportunities for the Society to consider.