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SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH FOR RANGELANDS

SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH FOR RANGELANDS. John E. Mitchell. Early understanding of rangeland sustainability focused upon range condition. Rangeland occupies 728 million acres – 40% of continental U.S. 75% of area has been depleted. 95% of public domain has been depleted.

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SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH FOR RANGELANDS

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  1. SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH FOR RANGELANDS John E. Mitchell

  2. Early understanding of rangeland sustainability focused upon range condition

  3. Rangeland occupies 728 million acres • – 40% of continental U.S. • 75% of area has been depleted. • 95% of public domain has been depleted. • Stocking rate – 17.3 million A.U.’s • Carrying capacity – 10.8 million • Original carrying capacity – 22.5 million • > 580 million acres excessively eroding. • But, 99% suitable for livestock grazing. • It will take 50+ years of management • to restore to withstand present use, • and another 50+ years to restore to its • original carrying capacity. Senate Document 199 1936

  4. Rangelands have many values, both commodity and amenity related.

  5. SUSTAINABILITY IS A 3-LEGGED STOOL Criteria and Indicators: Environmental Economic Social and Legal

  6. RESEARCH ISSUES • Scale • Thresholds • Integrating the three legs

  7. Scale in Ecological Observations Grain = Resolving power of data. Grain determines smallest entities that can be found in data. Extent = highest level that can be accessed. If size of entity is larger than data (spatial, temporal), then associated attributes cannot be observed.

  8. Frequency of Behavior • - Systems have particular characteristic frequencies. • - Monitoring must accommodate frequency of a system’s scale. The larger the system, the longer the cycle time of unperturbed behavior. From top to bottom of a hierarchy, there is a continuum of natural frequencies.

  9. Ecosystem Resilience • Ecosystem Function • Ecosystem Fragmentation • Invasive Species • Fire Thresholds in Ecology

  10. Sustainability as Expressed by Forms of Capital • Capital has investment value. • Sustainability attained when combination of investments provide for future needs. • Human Capital: Resources of individuals • (education, leadership, values, etc.) • Social Capital: Resources of community • (mutual trust, reciprocity, collective action) • Natural Capital: Resources from nature • (clean air and water, soil, functioning • ecosystems, diverse landscapes) • Financial Capital: Measured in money • (labor, structures, land, inventory, taxes) Flora, C.B. 1999. Great Plains Research 9:397-419.

  11. Previous Sustainability Research • Sustainable Biosphere Initiative (ESA) • Forums in Ecological Applications • ← SRM Symposium on Research Priorities • SRM Task Group on Unity in Concepts • and Terms • RMRS Assessment of Montreal Process • “Sustainability Science” – a new discipline Rangelands 17(6):199-214. Dec. 1995

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