Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #404382
Research Project: Science and Technologies for the Sustainable Management of Western Rangeland Systems

Location: Range Management Research

Title: Describing indicators of rangeland health

Author
item LEPAK, NIKA - Bureau Of Land Management
item MOFFITT, JENNIFER - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item Toledo, David
item Newingham, Beth
item LAURENCE-TRAYNOR, ALEX - Bureau Of Land Management
item JOST, BRAD - Bureau Of Land Management
item COULTRAP, DAWN - Us Forest Service (FS)
item Herrick, Jeffrey - Jeff

Submitted to: USGS - Scientific Investigations Report
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2024
Publication Date: 8/1/2024
Citation: Lepak, N., Moffitt, J., Toledo, D.N., Newingham, B.A., Laurence-Traynor, A., Jost, B., Coultrap, D., Herrick, J.E. 2024. Describing indicators of rangeland health. USGS - Scientific Investigations Report. Technical Reference.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This technical reference explains a simple, repeatable protocol to describe and quantify 17 indicators of rangeland health where no reference is available. The protocol uses a combination of quantitative measurements and observations. Describing Indicators of Rangeland Health (DIRH) results can be used in several ways, including (1) to help develop Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH) reference sheets, when collected on the same ecological site in areas that are at potential, (2)to develop ecological site-specific evaluation matrices when collected in areas on the same ecologica site that both are and are not at potential, (3) as a monitoring tool that integrates standardized quantitative data with observations of difficult-to-measure indicators such as soil erosion indicators, and (4) understanding the relationship between quantitative data and ecosystem processes. Use of DIRH requires basic rangeland monitoring experience, knowledge of soils, vegetation, and strong observational skills.