Rangeland management

Rangeland Management (also Range Management, Range Science, or Arid-Land Management) is a professional natural science that centers around the study of rangelands and the “conservation and sustainable management [of Arid-Lands] for the benefit of current societies and future generations.”[1] Range management is defined by Holechek et al. as the “manipulation of rangeland components to obtain optimum combination of goods and services for society on a sustained basis.”[2]

History

Rangeland Management was developed in the United States in response to rangeland deterioration and in some cases, denudation, due to overgrazing and other misuse of arid lands, as was described by Hardin’s 1968 “Tragedy of the Commons” and evidenced previously by the 20th century “Dust Bowl.”[3][4][5] Historically, the discipline focused on the manipulation of grazing and the proper use of rangeland vegetation for livestock.[6]

Modern application

Today, Range Management’s focus has been expanded to include the host of ecosystem services that rangelands provide to humans world-wide. Key management components seek to optimize such goods and services through the protection and enhancement of soils, riparian zones, watersheds, and vegetation complexes, sustainably improving outputs of consumable range products such as red meat, wildlife, water, wood, fiber, leather, energy resource extraction, and outdoor recreation, as well as maintaining a focus on the manipulation of grazing activities of large herbivores to maintain or improve animal and plant production.[7]

Education and employment

In the United States, the study of Range Science is commonly offered at Land Grant Universities including New Mexico State University, Colorado State University, Oregon State University, South Dakota State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Arizona, the University of Idaho, the University of Wyoming, Utah State University, and Montana State University.[8] The Range Science curriculum is strongly tied to animal science, as well as plant ecology, soil science, wildlife management, climatology and anthropology. Courses in a typical Range Science curriculum may include ethology, range animal nutrition, plant physiology, plant ecology, plant identification, plant communities, microbiology, soil sciences, fire control, agricultural economics, wildlife ecology, ranch management, cartography, and environmental policy. These courses are essential to entering a Range Science profession.

Student with degrees in Range Science are eligible for a host of technician-type careers working for the federal government under the Bureau of Land Management or the US Forest Service as Range Conservationists, Inventory Technicians, Range Monitoring/ Animal Science Agents, Field Botanists, Natural Resource Technicians, Vegetation/ Habitat Monitors, GIS programming assistants, general Range Technicians, and as Ecological Assessors, as well as working in the private sector as Range Managers, Ranch Managers, or Range/ Ranch Consultants. Individuals who complete degrees at the M.S. or P.h.D. level, can seek academic careers as professors, Extension Specialists, Research Assistants, and Adjunct staff, in addition to a number of professional research positions for government agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Society for range Management. Society for Range Management, 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
  2. ↑ Holechek, Jerry L., Rex D. Pieper, and Carlton H. Herbel. Range Management: Principles and Practices (6th Edition). 6th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2011. 5. Print.
  3. ↑ Morris, Melvin S. "History of Range Management Education." Rangelands 3.3 (1981): 119-20. Print.
  4. ↑ Talbot, M W., and F P. Cronemiller. "Some of the Beginnings of Range Management." Journal of Range Management 14.2 (1961): 95-102. Print
  5. ↑ Nathan F. Sayre, William deBuys, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, and Kris M. Havstad. “’The Range Problem’ After a Century of Rangeland Science: New Research Themes for Altered Landscapes.” Rangeland Ecol Manage 545-552: 65 (2012)
  6. ↑ Parker, Kenneth W., W R. Chapline, Lloyd W. Swift, George W. Craddock, and Donald R. Cornelius. "Arthur W. Sampson- Pioneer Range Scientist." Journal of Range Management 20.6 (1967): 245-351. Print.
  7. ↑ J. E. Herrick, J.R. Brown, B.T. Bestelmeyer, S.S. Andrews, G. Baldi, J. Davies, M. Duniway, K.M. Havstad, J.W. Karl, D.L. Karlen, D.P.C. Peters, J.N. Quinton, C. Riginos, P.L. Shaver, D. Stainaker, S. Twomlow. “Revolutionary Land Use Change in the 21st Century: Is (Rangeland) Science Relevant? Rangeland Ecol Manage 590-598: 65 (2012).
  8. ↑ Society for range Management. Society for Range Management Universities and Colleges, 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
  9. ↑ Society for range Management. Society for Range Management Jobs and Employment, 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
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