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Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

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Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable
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Page 1: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands

Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable

Page 2: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

W.C. Lowdermilk. 1953. Conquest of the land through 7,000 years.

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Soil erosion is regarded as a major contributor to declines in human

civilizations over the past 7,000 years.

Page 3: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Working Members of Soil and Water Group (Feb. 2002)

Steven Borchard Bureau of Land Management, Washington, D.C.

Bill Haglan U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Arlington, VA

Mike “Sherm” Karl Bureau of Land Management, Washington, D.C.

David Pyke U.S. Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon

Jerry Schuman U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service, Cheyenne, WY

John Stednick Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Paul Tueller University of Nevada, Reno

Page 4: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

14 Indicators of Soil and Water Resources

7 soil-based

6 water-based

1 soil & water-based

Retained 7 soil & water resources indicators from Roundtable on

Sustainable Forests

Page 5: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

7 Soil-Based Indicators

Significant Current Soil Erosion

Significantly Diminished Soil Organic Matter

Significant Soil Compaction

Area and Percent of Rangeland Experiencing Changes in Toxic Substances

Area and Extent of Rangelands with Changes in Soil Aggregate Stability

Significant Variance in Diversity of Soil Organisms

Change in Extent of Bare Ground

Page 6: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

6 Water-Based Indicators

Percent of Water Bodies with Significant Variation of Biological Diversity from the Natural Range of

Variability

Percent of Water Bodies with Significant Variation from Historic Range of Variability in pH, Dissolved

Oxygen, Levels of Chemicals (Electrical Conductivity), Sedimentation or Temperature

Change

Quantifying Aquifer Change

Area and Extent of Rangelands Occupied by Wetlands

Percent Stream Miles in Rangeland Catchments in which Stream Channel Geometry Significantly

Deviates from Natural Channel Geometry

Change in Number and Duration of Dry Periods in Rangeland Intermittent Streams

Page 7: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Soil and Water-Based Indicator

Area and Percent of Rangeland Managed Primarily for Protective

Functions

Page 8: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Challenges and Opportunities (So Far)

Applicability of Indicators over Broad Geographic Areas

Some indicators, like soil compaction, appear only over very small portions of rangelands; therefore aren’t

widespread problem.

Page 9: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Conclusions and Future Work

1. Creation of Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable; potential overlap could result in reduction of number of water-based indicators

2. Some overlap in indicator identification between Soil & Water Group, & Ecological Health & Diversity Group (e.g. diversity of soil organisms indicator)

3. Integration between Roundtables and within groups within Rangelands Roundtable will minimize overlap

Page 10: Indicators for Soil and Water Conservation on Rangelands Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable.

Conclusions and Future Work

4. More than one indicator appears to be indexing same rangeland component

E.g. soil erosion, soil aggregate stability, organic matter content, & soil compaction, are 4 indicators that all relate to soil erosion

Are fewer adequate?


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