Improving the Monitoring of Rangelands

摘要: Early Monitoring During earlier decades in the history of rangeland management, monitoring conditions was informal. On private lands, rancher visually assessed total amount available forage and perhaps balance between growth forms within vegetation, particularly if "weeds" were increasing, but put more attention on performance his/her livestock. In U.S., could get technical assistance from Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resource Service) or local extension agent, seldom made written photographic records. public grazing permits administered range conservationist some photo records a few small plots "key areas" located each pasture. A map showing utilization may have been by riding over pasture shortly after livestock removed. If concluded, during consultation with administrators, that unacceptable, intensive would be done to see stabilized improved. not, use adjusted (in terms numbers kind and/or season use) until trend determined stable upward. Only occasionally did permitee government officials disagree strongly enough such issue had settled judicially.