Rangeland Sustainability: Social, Ecological, and Economic Assessments

Description

This book provides an integrated description of the indicators of rangeland sustainability that capture ecological, economic, and social dimensions. It takes a fresh look at the information available on current and emerging issues across rangelands, and presents collaborative research for future progress. Authors offer a framework for evaluating rangeland sustainability, the best available data to use, as well as an interactive tool for use at a variety of geographical scales. Readers with limited knowledge of rangelands, as well as professional rangeland ecologists and land managers, will gain an understanding of the best tools available today to assess sustainability across rangeland ecosystems in the U.S. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Series Preface Preface Authors Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction to the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable and the National Assessment People and Process SRR Criteria and Indicators Caveats Chapters Methods Used Rangeland and Rangeland Counties Indicators Assessing Sustainability Note Literature Cited Chapter 2: Ecological Indicators Indicator Descriptions Extent of Land Area in Rangeland Rangeland Area by Vegetation Community Area of Infestation and Presence/Absence of Invasive and Non-native Plant Species of Concern Fragmentation of Rangeland and Rangeland Plant Communities Rangeland Aboveground Phytomass Rangeland Annual Productivity Number of Domestic Livestock on Rangeland Percent of Surface Water on Rangeland Areas with Significant Deterioration of Their Chemical, Physical, and Biological Properties from Acceptable Levels Results Extent of Land Area in Rangeland Fragmentation of Rangeland and Rangeland Plant Communities Rangeland Area by Vegetation Community Area of Infestation and Presence/Absence of Invasive and Non-native Plant Species of Concern Rangeland Aboveground Phytomass Rangeland Annual Productivity Number of Domestic Livestock on Rangeland Percent of Surface Water on Rangeland Areas with Significant Deterioration of Their Chemical, Physical, and Biological Properties from Acceptable Levels What Do the Ecological Indicators Mean by Themselves? Note Literature Cited Chapter 3: Social and Economic Rangeland Sustainability Indicators:: The Challenge of Social Indicators and Sustainability Larger Social Forces and Rangeland Counties Indicator Data The Value of Forage Harvested from Rangeland by Livestock Rate of Return on Investment for Range Livestock Enterprises Area and Number of Operations with Conservation Easements Income Inequality Distressed Communities Index Federal, State, and Local Transfers to Ranches Sources of On-Farm Income and Level of Dependence on Livestock Production for Household Income Employment Diversity Agriculture (Ranch/Farm) Structure Value Produced by Agriculture and Recreation Industries as Percent of Total Economic Output Unemployment Land Tenure, Land Use, and Ownership Patterns by Land Size Classes Population Pyramid and Population Change Income by Work Location versus Residence What Do the Social and Economic Indicators Indicate? What Do the Social Indicators Mean by Themselves? What Do the Economic Indicators Mean by Themselves? Literature Cited Chapter 4: Assessing Rangeland Sustainability Displaying Rangeland Sustainability Sustainability Triangle State-Level Sustainability Conclusion Literature Cited Chapter 5: What the Data Show: Integrating Ecological, Social, and Economic Rangeland Sustainability Defining Rangeland Counties Putting It All Together County-Level and State-Level Indicators MLRAs, Ecoregions, and CD Literature Cited Chapter 6: Case Studies Wasatch Front Wasatch: Ecological Indicators Wasatch: Economic Indicators Wasatch: Social Indicators Wasatch Front: Overall Conclusion Central Great Plains Central Great Plains: Ecological Indicators Central Great Plains: Economic Indicators Central Great Plains: Social Indicators Central Great Plains: Overall Conclusion Northern Great Plains Northern Great Plains: Ecological Indicators Northern Great Plains: Economic Indicators Northern Great Plains: Social Indicators Northern Great Plains: Overall Conclusion Conclusion Literature Cited Chapter 7: Key Elements Missing from Rangeland Sustainability Assessment: Future Research Needs Ecological Data Needs Indicators Used in This Assessment Indicators with Partial or Fragmented Data Indicators with No Available Data Social Data Needs Indicators Used in This Assessment Indicators with Partial or Fragmented Data Indicators with No Available Data Economic Data Needs Indicators Used in This Assessment Indicators with Partial or Fragmented Data Story Map Literature Cited Chapter 8: Conclusion and Closing Thoughts Literature Cited Appendix: List of Abbreviations Index