U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory: Mandan, ND
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Employment
                        Work With Us
                                    ARS Vacancies at USDAJOBS
                    Local News
                        INTEGRATOR
                                    Bottom Line Ag SummitSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area Mandan, North Dakota Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications
- IACUC Executive Minutes

Title:   Author  item
                                            Toledo, Daviditem
                                            Sanderson, Mattitem
                                            Goslee, Sarahitem
                                            Herrick, Jeffrey

                                                         - *Jeff*item
                                            FULTS, GENE - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
  Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2016
                                    Publication  Date: 11/1/2016
                                    Citation: Toledo, D.N., Sanderson, M.A., Goslee, S.C., Herrick, J.E., Fults, G. 2016. An integrated grazingland assessment approach for range and pasturelands. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 71(6):450-459.Interpretive Summary: There is a need for an improved grazingland assessment tool that merges elements of both the Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH) and Pasture Condition Scoring (PCS) assessment methods while taking into account the differing ecosystem attributes and management objectives of the grazinglands where these methods are usually applied. We use IIRH and PCS data collected at two locations in the Northern Great Plains of the USA to describe an improved assessment and monitoring protocol that allows evaluators to assess site conditions and to make interpretations regarding management based on site-specific attributes. This new approach, combined with proper adaptive management can potentially help optimize the ecological potential and livestock carrying capacity of a site.
                                Technical Abstract: In the USA, rangelands and pasturelands have traditionally been assessed using different methods and indicators. The most commonly used rangeland health assessment protocol on US rangelands is the Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH) assessment, while pasturelands are usually assessed using the Pasture Condition Score (PCS) system. The IIRH method provides a way of detecting changes in ecological attributes relative to a site's ecological potential. PCS informs managers about the utility of an area for livestock production or factors that could be keeping the area from operating at its full or optimized productive potential. There is a need for an improved grazingland assessment tool that merges the relevant elements of both the rangeland and pastureland assessment methods while taking into account the differing ecosystem attributes and management objectives of the grazinglands where these methods are usually applied. We use IIRH and PCS data collected at two locations in the Northern Great Plains of the USA to describe our approach and demonstrate its usefulness. We present an improved grazingland assessment protocol that is applicable to range and pasturelands that highlights the complementarity of the IIRH and PCS approaches. This improved assessment and monitoring protocol allows evaluators to assess site conditions, and to make interpretations regarding management based on site-specific attributes that can potentially optimize the ecological potential and livestock carrying capacity of a site. Standardized grazingland assessment and monitoring protocols based on ecological and land management principles will ultimately improve National level assessments and will provide a valuable and efficient tool for land managers to assess, plan, manage and monitor their land.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov