New proposed national resources inventory protocols on nonfederal rangelands

摘要: The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) has used resource inventories for over 65 years to assess the Nation's natural resources on nonfederal lands. Rangeland National Inventory (NRI) activities in NRCS have provided scientifically credible information about status, conditions, and trends rangelands. inventory process evolved last two decades from qualitative early 80s more quantitative field methods 90s. Since 1995, cooperation between government agencies resulted new protocols rangeland techniques giving Nation a foundation assessing conditions. The proposed NRI are designed detect long-term—years decades—changes condition ecosystems, monitor short-term impacts, which may be immediate concern. will provide field-based benchmarks primary sample units fulfill NRCS-NRI objectives (see sidebar, page 20A). An interagency group—the USDA-NRCS, USDA-Agricultural Research (ARS), Interior (USDI)-Bureau Land Management (BLM), USDI-U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), USDA-Forest (USFS)—worked together develop list data elements that …