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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.
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
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
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
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
Soil and Water-Based Indicator
Area and Percent of Rangeland Managed Primarily for Protective
Functions
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.
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
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?