 Necessary materials: PowerPoint Guide Teacher Information!

What is Rangeland Management? Rangelands, Forests, & Fire

Students will be able to…  Define rangeland management  Discuss principles and tools of rangeland management

What is rangeland management?  The careful use and management of rangeland resources (plants, animals, soil, and water) to meet the needs and desires of society

Range Management Concepts 1. Rangeland is a renewable resource 2. Energy from the sun can be captured by plants and used by animals 3. Rangelands supply food and fiber to humans at low energy costs

Range Management Concepts 4. Rangeland productivity is determined by soil, topographic, and climate characteristics 5. Rangelands produce a variety of “products” 6. Rangeland must be managed to maintain soil and water quality

Who owns rangeland?  In Idaho, 66% of all rangeland is “Public Land”  “Public Land” is owned and managed by federal and state governments Bureau of Land Management (BLM) U.S. Forest Service Idaho Department of Lands

Who owns Idaho rangeland?

Tools of Rangeland Management  Fences  Number of livestock  Species of livestock  Weed control  Fire

Grazing on Rangeland  Grazing on private lands is integrated with “public land” Livestock grazing occurs on:  95% of BLM lands  58% of U.S. Forest Service lands 88% of all beef cows in Idaho graze at least part of each year on BLM or U.S. Forest Service lands

Are all rangelands grazed?  Grazing is an important ecological process in all rangeland, but not all rangeland are grazed by livestock

Benefits of livestock grazing  Sets back succession  Improves forage quality for livestock and wildlife  Controls invader species  Converts vegetation into food & fiber for humans

Negative effects of livestock grazing  Disrupts habitat of some wildlife species  Under- or overgrazing  increases invader species  Soil compaction & erosion

Review  What is rangeland management?  Discuss principles and tools of rangeland management.