1. Rangeland Principles (REM 151)
What are Rangelands?
K. Launchbaugh
K. Launchbaugh
K. Launchbaugh
K. Launchbaugh
Rangeland Principles (REM 151)
Pictures provided by K. Launchbaugh

2. What are Rangelands? Which of these are Rangeland? Deserts? Tundra?
Wetlands?
Savannas?
Shrublands?
Forests?
Grasslands?
Pastures?
K. Launchbaugh
J. Peterson
K. Launchbaugh
Overview of topics in presentation
J. Peterson
K. Launchbaugh

3. What are Rangelands? Which of these are rangeland? Deserts? Tundra?
Wetlands?
Savannas?
Shrublands?
Forests?
Grasslands?
Forage pasture?
All deserts except barren deserts
All tundra
Vegetation around streams, ponds, springs, lakes, etc.
All savannas
All shrublands
Only open forests – where grass and forbs can grow
All grasslands
Not highly managed pastures
K. Launchbaugh
K. Launchbaugh
Ask group which are rangelands and which are not.
Rangelands are all of the above except “forage pasture.” Though they look like Rangelands., they are managed by economic than ecological principles.
J. Peterson

4. Pasture vs Range Pastureland differs from rangeland:
Presentation (ppt.)
Pasture vs Range
Lynn Betts USDA-NRCS
Pastureland differs from rangeland:
Periodic cultivation is used to maintain.
Generally introduced (or non-native) forage species.
Usually irrigation or fertilization.
Managed by agronomic rather than ecological principles.
BLM
Notes on pasturelands from Chuck Butterfield a range professor who worked at Chadron State University.
The key is that Rangelands growing reproduce under natural conditions with few inputs from humans.
There are

5. What are Rangelands? Wild Open Spaces
Grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, deserts, savannas, tundra, steppe, and prairies.
Naturally growing plants – not irrigated or fertilized.
Very diverse – dry or moist, hot or cold, nearly barren to densely vegetated.
Soils most and least fertile soils on earth.
No large trees…. vast open spaces…. See for miles and miles.
When you think Rangelands, think open spaces and vast landscapes.
Rangelands encompass a wide variety of vegetation types, plant types, and soils.
But they all have in common large vast landscapes where you can see for miles and miles
J. Peterson

6. What are Rangelands? All areas that are not: Barren Desert Farmland
Linee - Flick
All areas that are not:
Barren Desert
Farmland
Closed-Canopy Forest
Covered by solid rock, concrete or glaciers
C. Thompson
It is often easiest to describe what rangelands are not than to describe what they are.
J. Fowlers - Flickr
M. Button
Jeff Vanuga USDA-NRCS

7. What are Rangelands?
Rangelands are shrublands, grasslands, deserts, woodlands, and open forest.
Several factors can preclude farming or timber production on these:
Limited precipitation
Sandy, saline, or wet soils
Steep topography
Rocks
K. Launchbaugh
J. Corbett
If there weren’t restrictions for farming, rangelands would generally have become farmland.
Some grasslands such as the tall grass prairie and the Palouse prairie exist today only as small remnants today because these rangelands types were converted to high quality croplands.
K. Launchbaugh

8. Rangelands and Grazing
Are all rangelands grazed?
Grazing is an important ecological process in all rangeland.
But not all rangelands are grazed by livestock.
All rangeland are grazed by some sort of animal… wildlife and insects.
Rangelands are a kind of land – not a specific land use.
All rangelands are grazed in some form or another – herbivory is a key factor in defining rangelands.
However, not all rangelands are grazed by livestock.
Ask audience if they can think of other important herbivores (e.g. insects and wildlife). Insects generally eat more vegetation on rangelands than livestock.
K. Launchbaugh

9. Why are rangelands important?
Presentation (ppt.)
Why are rangelands important?
They cover a lot of ground!
47% of the EARTH is rangeland (some estimates as high as 70%)
36% of the US is rangeland
53% of Western States is rangeland
Not much land east of the Mississippi is classified as rangeland because it is mostly forested land, cropland, or pastureland.
48% of Idaho is rangeland
80 % of Nevada
There are

10. Why are rangelands important?
Presentation (ppt.)
Why are rangelands important?
More rangeland than anything else
47% = Rangeland
25% = Dense Forest
10% = Cropland
3% = Urban
15% = Ice, rock, and barren desert
Michael Haddock
Although rangelands comprise a large portion of the earth’s land surface, most of the biomass is in dense forests.
Urban expansion is mostly taking place on cropland.
There are

11. Rangelands are Diverse and Extensive!
Across the globe
Tundra of the Arctic
Sagebrush Steppe
Matt Lavin
Mongolian Plains
Mike Hale
Billy Lindblom-Flickr
African Savannah
J. Peterson
Rangelands occur as beautiful ecosystems across the globe.
These iconic ecosystems include the savannas of Africa on the Mongolian plains of Asia the outback of Australia in the trouble and's of Brazil
Sonoran Desert
Matt Lavin
K. Launchbaugh
Leo Li - Flickr
K. Launchbaugh
Cerrados of Brazil
Matt Lavin
Outback of Australia

12. Rangelands are Diverse and Extensive!
Across the globe
Mountain Grasslands
Across the globe
Arctic Tundra
USFWS/gpv
Seth McFarland
Oak Woodlands
Plains Grasslands
North America also has beautiful ecosystems that are recognize as Rangelands.
These include the prairies of the middle of the continent and the deserts and shrublands west of the Rocky Mountains.
Lynn Betts USDA-NRCS
B.Spengler
Mixed Prairie
Sonoran Desert
K. Launchbaugh
USFWS

13. Rangelands are Important
Wildlife Habitat
NPS.gov
Forage
Livestock Production
Water
BLM.gov
NRCS.USDA.gov
Renewable Energy
BLM.gov
USDA.gov
Recreation
Rangelands are important for many resources and values that exist on them.
Native Plants
BLM.gov
Open Space
Jen Peterson
Michale Haddock

14. Rangelands are Challenged
Many forces that threaten rangeland integrity!
As the group to discuss what they think are the greatest threats to modern Rangelands in North America?
J. Peterson

15. Rangelands are Challenged
Many forces that threaten rangeland integrity!
Unsustainable grazing practices
Damaging fire regimes
Invasive plant species
Global climate change
Human development
The challenges most recognized include inappropriate grazing, frequent fires, invasive plants, changing and variable climate patterns, and human development and urbanization.
J. Peterson