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This report serves as a 2023 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 43 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 49 advisory committee members, the report outlines 32 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years. They include: land, water, air, agriculture, and the Great Salt Lake.

While most restoration projects to date have focused on a specific system in a specific location and are rarely greater than 5,000 hectares in extent, calls for restoration at broader scales with a focus on restoring complexity, and in diverse ecosystems are growing. However, ecological restoration at broader scales, encompassing multiple habitat types, management goals, and complex cross-scale interactions presents its own suite of challenges. To address these challenges I first developed a long-term adaptive ecological monitoring framework for landscape restoration projects. Then I assessed changing fire regimes in California woodlands at regional scales and how this may influence current vegetation structure. I also evaluated the current conditions and restoration needs of California’s iconic and extensive Blue oak woodlands and savannas.

This is "Wild," a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources podcast with your host, Faith Heaton Jolley. In this episode, Utah Department of Natural Resources Watershed Program Director Tyler Thompson and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Habitat Conservation Coordinator Daniel Eddington talk about some of the proactive land management taking place in Utah and the program that helps make it possible. They also address some of the misconceptions regarding tree removal and the times when fire is beneficial for habitats.

This report serves as a 2022 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers and other statewide leaders to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 37 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 38 advisory committee members, the report outlines 26 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years. They include: They include: land, water, air, agriculture, and the Great Salt Lake.

This report serves as a 2022 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers and other statewide leaders to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 37 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 38 advisory committee members, the report outlines 26 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years. They include: They include: land, water, air, agriculture, and the Great Salt Lake.

This is "Wild," a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources podcast with your host, Faith Heaton Jolley. In this episode, Utah Department of Natural Resources Watershed Program Director Tyler Thompson and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Habitat Conservation Coordinator Daniel Eddington talk about some of the proactive land management taking place in Utah and the program that helps make it possible. They also address some of the misconceptions regarding tree removal and the times when fire is beneficial for habitats.

In 2010, elevated levels of ecoli were discovered in the north fork of the Virgin River, due to wildlife exclusively grazing near the stream. In 2018 the Natural Resources Conservation Service in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and others launched a project to help reinvigorate the vegetation in the surrounding area by removing patches of pinyon juniper trees and planting a new seed bed creating new areas for wildlife forage and eventually lowering the ecoli levels in the stream benefitting wildlife, landowners, and the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative, and even the land itself for many years to come.

In 2010, elevated levels of ecoli were discovered in the north fork of the Virgin River, due to wildlife exclusively grazing near the stream. Several years ago Utah NRCS, along with several state and local partners, began a project designed to reinvigorate the vegetation in the surrounding area. This project will benefit not only water quality, but wildlife, migration and even the land itself.

This report serves as a 2021 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah's shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers and other statewide leaders to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 43 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 32 advisory committee members, the report outlines 25 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years. They include: land, water, air, outdoor recreation, and cross-cutting issues.

On California's Mediterranean rangelands, cattle ranching supports the conservation of threatened and endangered species; however, ranchers are generally not compensated for providing this ecological service or beneficial natural process. Instead, the provision of ecological services, including species conservation, relies on livestock production-- primarily beef cattle production-- to sustain beneficial grazing and rancher stewardship. Poor economic returns, production losses from weather, fire, or other causes, loss of access to forage, and conflict from the demands of a growing population put livestock ranching at risk in California. To understand how beef production can be sustained to provide ecological services, it must be understood as a social-ecological system (SES), where people and their activities work within and use nature. In three research studies, I used mixed methods and qualitative research methods to examine key aspects of the social-ecological system framework that describe ranching in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. First, using document review, I studied ranching activities or the SES interactions that impact species conservation. Second, through interviews, survey, direct observation, and big data analysis of all recorded cattle movements in the state over two years, I considered the SES actors by examining the function of the production system that support ranching or rancher-livelihood requirements. In a final study, I conducted spatial analysis to document the role of grazing land in species conservation. I also examined case studies of exacted easements to assess impacts of a governance strategy for land protection increasingly impacting SESs on grazing lands. Overall, the research revealed that land sharing, a conservation strategy for conservation in concert with agricultural production, is demonstrated on California's grazing lands. However, relationships between conservation, livestock production, and the people involved in

In 2010, elevated levels of ecoli were discovered in the north fork of the Virgin River, due to wildlife exclusively grazing near the stream. In 2018 the Natural Resources Conservation Service in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and others launched a project to help reinvigorate the vegetation in the surrounding area by removing patches of pinyon juniper trees and planting a new seed bed creating new areas for wildlife forage and eventually lowering the ecoli levels in the stream benefitting wildlife, landowners, and the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative, and even the land itself for many years to come.

In 2010, elevated levels of ecoli were discovered in the north fork of the Virgin River, due to wildlife exclusively grazing near the stream. Several years ago Utah NRCS, along with several state and local partners, began a project designed to reinvigorate the vegetation in the surrounding area. This project will benefit not only water quality, but wildlife, migration and even the land itself.

This report serves as a 2021 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah's shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers and other statewide leaders to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 43 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 32 advisory committee members, the report outlines 25 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years. They include: land, water, air, outdoor recreation, and cross-cutting issues.

Savanna rangelands are ecosystems which are characterized by the co-existence of scattered trees and shrubs with a continuous grass layer. However, the grass and tree balance has been highly altered as a result of disturbances caused by bush encroachment. Encroaching woody species have been shown to decrease species richness and abundance of the seed bank and ground‐layer diversity. So far little is known on the effect of bush encroachment and soil depth on the soil seed bank diversity in savanna rangelands. The objectives of this mini-dissertation were to (1) determine the influence of soil depth on soil seed bank diversity in bush encroached savanna rangelands, and (2) determine the relationships between soil seed bank herbaceous vegetation and physicochemical properties in encroached rangeland. In order to address these objectives, a savanna rangeland was demarcated into two encroachment gradients spanning from open to encroached rangeland. Within each encroachment gradient, six plots of 10 m x 10 m were randomly selected, whereby soil sampling and herbaceous vegetation were carried out and determined. In each replicate plot per encroachment level, five soil samples were randomly collected at 0-10 and 10-20 cm depths. The number of seedlings of different species emerging from the soil samples was used as a measure of the number of viable seeds in the soil and the composition of the seed bank using the seedling emergence method. The total seed densities showed significant differences (P<0.05) in the 0-10 cm depth layer in the open rangeland and encroached rangeland. Bush encroachment significantly (P<0.05) decreased the seed density of perennial grasses, specifically in 0-10 cm depth layer. Further, species diversity increased with bush encroachment in the 10-20 cm depth layer. Menhinick’s richness index showed no significant difference in the open and encroached rangeland, while species evenness decreased in the 0-10 cm depth layer and increased at 10-20 cm depth, AgriSeta

The weather last fall was unusually favorable for private landowners to carry out prescribed burns to reduce wildfire hazard. Burn permits, however, made burning unnecessarily difficult. Safe and effective prescribed burns can benefit from changes in permitting.

The Ranch Water Quality Planning Instructor's Guide and Lesson Plan (RWQP Guide) is a multi-part curriculum for extension professionals, watershed organization staff and volunteers, and the ranching community. The goal is to provide an objective, adaptive blueprint for organizing short course-type educational programs to enable ranchers to complete their RWQPs.This updated guide and lesson plan provides a scientific overview of water quality, specifically for livestock operations, with a wealth of new information discovered since the curriculum was first written in 1995. Designed for "turn-key" operation with a guide, lesson plans, participant worksheets, and video modules.Through the 6 modules and 19 lessons short course participants will learn about key issues presented in advanced management practices that protect water quality and support grazing livestock operation viability.

Battery electric vehicles are becoming more common but still fall behind combustion engine cars in terms of driving range and charging time. The displayed driving range in electric vehicles' dashboard can be a volatile parameter suddenly dropping by 10-20\%, for instance when speed is increased. Which can result in a condition referred to as range anxiety . Hence it is interesting to observe more in detail how drivers behave and think in scenarios where range is important and the cars' available range can change drastically depending on the drivers driving style. Such scenarios are problematic to test in real traffic for practical and ethical reasons. In this article, without putting anyone at risk, we present a study using a VR driving simulator in a critical scenario with a substantial risk of running out of battery. Two separate groups (N=10) each drove on the same test track using two different range displays. One group had a typical range display showing the distance left to empty (out of battery) and the other group a novel and more transparent display. The novel display shows how speed is affecting the range. Both displays allow the driver to set a target driving range. The results indicate that the novel display allows for a more agile and adaptive driving style by changing between specific speeds rather than searching and "guessing" which speed is the most optimal as with typical range displays. Although, it can hide other affecting factors, such as acceleration and road height. Which was more prevalent amongst drivers who had to search and guess., Batterielbilar blir allt vanligare men når inte riktigt upp till samma nivå som bilar med förbränningsmotorer när det handlar om räckvidd och laddtid. Den kvarstående körsträckan som visas i elbilars instrumentpanel kan vara en instabil variabel och plötsligt sjunka med 10-20%, när man till exempel ökar hastigheten. Vilket kan leda till ett tillstånd som kallas räckviddsångest . Därav intresset för att undersöka i detalj hur förare agerar och tänker i scenarier där räckvidd är extra viktigt och bilens kvarstående körsträcka kan ändras drastiskt beroende på körstil. Sådana scenarier är problematiska att testa ute i trafiken av både praktiska och etiska skäl. I denna artikel, utan att placera någon i en verklig riskfylld situation, presenterar vi en studie där en bilsimulator i VR används för att testa ett kritiskt scenario där risken för att strömmen tar slut är stor. Två separata grupper (N=10) körde samma sträcka fast med olika instrumentpaneler. Där den ena är mer konventionell och endast visar kvarstående körsträcka. Medan den andra är mer originell och visar hur hastighet påverkar kvarstående körsträcka. Båda instrumentpanelerna tillåter föraren att ställa in hur långt man vill köra. Resultaten indikerar på att den originella instrumentpanelen tillåter en mer agil och adaptiv körstil, genom att byta mellan specifika hastigheter istället för att leta och gissa vilken hastighet som är optimal, vilket skedde med den konventionella instrumentpanelen. Men den kan även dölja andra faktorer som påverkar körsträckan, såsom acceleration och höjdskillnader. Vilket användare av den originella instrumentbrädan noterade i större utsträckning.

The weather last fall was unusually favorable for private landowners to carry out prescribed burns to reduce wildfire hazard. Burn permits, however, made burning unnecessarily difficult. Safe and effective prescribed burns can benefit from changes in permitting.

The Ranch Water Quality Planning Instructor's Guide and Lesson Plan (RWQP Guide) is a multi-part curriculum for extension professionals, watershed organization staff and volunteers, and the ranching community. The goal is to provide an objective, adaptive blueprint for organizing short course-type educational programs to enable ranchers to complete their RWQPs.This updated guide and lesson plan provides a scientific overview of water quality, specifically for livestock operations, with a wealth of new information discovered since the curriculum was first written in 1995. Designed for "turn-key" operation with a guide, lesson plans, participant worksheets, and video modules.Through the 6 modules and 19 lessons short course participants will learn about key issues presented in advanced management practices that protect water quality and support grazing livestock operation viability.

Horses and burros were introduced to North America in the 1600s with European missionaries and explorers. Over time, abandoned and released horses and burros formed herds and by the time European-American settlers began to explore North America in the 1700s, these free-roaming horses and burros had adapted to their habitat and been incorporated into Native American culture. By the mid-1900s, most Americans considered these horses as wild and symbols of freedom and beauty. In 1971, Congress passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 73-482) to provide federal protection for free-roaming horses and burros (also known as wild horses and burros) in the western United States. In 1978, the Act was amended (Public Law 95-514) to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to “determine appropriate management levels (AMLs) for wild horses and burros on [designated] public lands.” The Bureau of Land Management set AML at 26,715 wild horses and burros on 29 million acres of public land across 10 western states. The U.S. Forest Service was also tasked with managing over 7,100 wild horses and 900 burros on 53 wild horse territories (USFS, 2020). Managing free-roaming horses and burros on public lands has its challenges. In this article, we explain some of the potential conflicts free-roaming horses create with native wildlife on western public lands.

The livestock sector is immersed in the problem of aging and the rural exodus. Agricultural technology and the organic farming model monopolize the Global Food System, leaving small agro-ecological farms behind. Land access and generation succession are key factors in its survival. Some new projects that put human and natural environment in the first place are emerging, giving way to an incipient increase in small-scale livestock farming. In order to assess the viability of agro-ecological projects, it is important to evaluate farms globally, generating a transparency tool for the farmer, a space for debate and reflection and an instrument of improvement. With this aim, global sustainability assessment tools are being implemented. As part of a European project, the Escola de Pastors decided to compare four of them to assess their adaptation and viability when applying to the context of the Catalan Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. The four tools have been chosen out of the information extracted from their manuals and from some studies. Different evaluation tools were compared and finally, Idea, Fadear, Dialect and Safa were chosen. Through this project, their adaptability to the studied context were checked. The studied farms were chosen with the aim of showing the diversity of agro-livestock projects in the area. In order to carry out the study, the indicators of the four tools were unified in a single interview, which were held in the three farms. Then, the answers from the three tools were emptied and the results were compared. One of the four tools had to be removed in this process. The comparison evaluates, on the one hand, technical terms such as the format of the tool, the time and the effort invested or the feasibility. On the other hand, the content terms were also evaluated, such as the adaptation of the tool to agroecology, whether it takes into account the diversity of companies or if it is precise enough, among other variables. Conclusions are that Fadear and, El sector ganadero se encuentra inmerso en la problemática del envejecimiento y el éxodo rural. La tecnificación agrícola y el modelo de agricultura ecológica monopolizan el Sistema Alimentario Global, y dejan atrás las pequeñas explotaciones agroecológicas. El acceso a la tierra y el relevo generacional se convierten en factores clave para su supervivencia. Algunos nuevos proyectos que ponen el entorno humano y natural en el centro están empezando a emerger, i dan lugar a un aumento incipiente de la pequeña ganadería. Para valorar la viabilidad de los proyectos agroecológicos, es importante evaluar de forma global las explotaciones. Así, se genera una herramienta de transparencia para el ganadero, un espacio de debate y reflexión y un motor de mejora. Con este objeto, surgen las herramientas de evaluación global de la sostenibilidad. En el marco de un proyecto europeo, la Escola de Pastors se dispone a comparar cuatro de ellas para evaluar su adaptación y viabilidad cuando se aplican en el contexto del Pirineo y Prepirineo catalán. Las cuatro herramientas se han escogido a partir de la información extraída de sus manuales y de algunos estudios. Se han comparado varias herramientas y finalmente se han escogido Idea, Fadear, Dialecte y Safa. Mediante este proyecto, se comprueba la adaptabilidad al contexto estudiado. Las explotaciones se han escogido con el fin de mostrar la diversidad de proyectos agroganaderos de la zona. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se han unificado los indicadores de las cuatro herramientas en una sola entrevista, que se ha hecho a las tres explotaciones. Se ha hecho el vaciado a las tres herramientas y, finalmente, se han comparado los resultados obtenidos de cada una para cada explotación. En este proceso se ha eliminado una de las cuatro herramientas. En la comparación se evalúan, por un lado, términos técnicos como son el formato de la herramienta, el tiempo y esfuerzo invertidos o la facilidad de uso. Por otro lado, se evalúan términos de c, El sector de la ramaderia es troba immers en la problemàtica de l'envelliment i l'èxode rural. La tecnificació agrícola i el model d'agricultura ecològica monopolitzen el Sistema Alimentari Global, i deixen enrere les petites explotacions agroecològiques. L'accés a la terra i el relleu generacional es converteixen en factors clau per a la seva supervivència. Alguns nous projectes que posen l'entorn humà i natural al centre estan començant a emergir, i donen pas a un augment incipient de la petita ramaderia. A fi de valorar la viabilitat dels projectes agroecològics, és important avaluar de forma global les explotacions. Així, es genera una eina de transparència pel ramader, un espai de debat i reflexió i un motor de millora. Amb aquesta finalitat, sorgeixen arreu les eines d'avaluació global de la sostenibilitat. En el marc d'un projecte europeu, l'Escola de Pastors es disposa a comparar-ne quatre per avaluar-ne l'adaptació i viabilitat a l'hora d'aplicar-se al context del Pirineu i Prepirineu català. Les quatre eines s'han escollit a partir de la informació extreta dels seus manuals i d'alguns estudis. S'han comparat diverses eines i finalment s'han escollit Idea, Fadear, Dialecte i Safa. Mitjançant aquest projecte, se'n comprova l'adaptabilitat al context estudiat. Les explotacions s'han escollit amb la finalitat de mostrar la diversitat de projectes agroramaders de la zona. Per dur a terme l'estudi, s'han unificat els indicadors de les quatre eines en una sola entrevista, que s'ha fet a les tres explotacions. Se n'ha fet el buidatge a les tres eines i, finalment, s'han comparat els resultats obtinguts de cadascuna per a cada explotació. Al llarg d'aquest procés s'ha eliminat una de les quatre eines. En la comparació s'avaluen, d'una banda, termes tècnics com són el format de l'eina, el temps i esforç invertits o la senzillesa d'ús. D'altra banda, s'avaluen termes de contingut com són l'adaptació de l'eina a l'agroecologia, si contempla la diversitat d'empreses o

Horses and burros were introduced to North America in the 1600s with European missionaries and explorers. Over time, abandoned and released horses and burros formed herds and by the time European-American settlers began to explore North America in the 1700s, these free-roaming horses and burros had adapted to their habitat and been incorporated into Native American culture. By the mid-1900s, most Americans considered these horses as wild and symbols of freedom and beauty. In 1971, Congress passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 73-482) to provide federal protection for free-roaming horses and burros (also known as wild horses and burros) in the western United States. In 1978, the Act was amended (Public Law 95-514) to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to “determine appropriate management levels (AMLs) for wild horses and burros on [designated] public lands.” The Bureau of Land Management set AML at 26,715 wild horses and burros on 29 million acres of public land across 10 western states. The U.S. Forest Service was also tasked with managing over 7,100 wild horses and 900 burros on 53 wild horse territories (USFS, 2020). Managing free-roaming horses and burros on public lands has its challenges. In this article, we explain some of the potential conflicts free-roaming horses create with native wildlife on western public lands.

Battery electric vehicles are becoming more common but still fall behind combustion engine cars in terms of driving range and charging time. The displayed driving range in electric vehicles' dashboard can be a volatile parameter suddenly dropping by 10-20\%, for instance when speed is increased. Which can result in a condition referred to as range anxiety . Hence it is interesting to observe more in detail how drivers behave and think in scenarios where range is important and the cars' available range can change drastically depending on the drivers driving style. Such scenarios are problematic to test in real traffic for practical and ethical reasons. In this article, without putting anyone at risk, we present a study using a VR driving simulator in a critical scenario with a substantial risk of running out of battery. Two separate groups (N=10) each drove on the same test track using two different range displays. One group had a typical range display showing the distance left to empty (out of battery) and the other group a novel and more transparent display. The novel display shows how speed is affecting the range. Both displays allow the driver to set a target driving range. The results indicate that the novel display allows for a more agile and adaptive driving style by changing between specific speeds rather than searching and "guessing" which speed is the most optimal as with typical range displays. Although, it can hide other affecting factors, such as acceleration and road height. Which was more prevalent amongst drivers who had to search and guess., Batterielbilar blir allt vanligare men når inte riktigt upp till samma nivå som bilar med förbränningsmotorer när det handlar om räckvidd och laddtid. Den kvarstående körsträckan som visas i elbilars instrumentpanel kan vara en instabil variabel och plötsligt sjunka med 10-20%, när man till exempel ökar hastigheten. Vilket kan leda till ett tillstånd som kallas räckviddsångest . Därav intresset för att undersöka i detalj hur förare agerar och tänker i scenarier där räckvidd är extra viktigt och bilens kvarstående körsträcka kan ändras drastiskt beroende på körstil. Sådana scenarier är problematiska att testa ute i trafiken av både praktiska och etiska skäl. I denna artikel, utan att placera någon i en verklig riskfylld situation, presenterar vi en studie där en bilsimulator i VR används för att testa ett kritiskt scenario där risken för att strömmen tar slut är stor. Två separata grupper (N=10) körde samma sträcka fast med olika instrumentpaneler. Där den ena är mer konventionell och endast visar kvarstående körsträcka. Medan den andra är mer originell och visar hur hastighet påverkar kvarstående körsträcka. Båda instrumentpanelerna tillåter föraren att ställa in hur långt man vill köra. Resultaten indikerar på att den originella instrumentpanelen tillåter en mer agil och adaptiv körstil, genom att byta mellan specifika hastigheter istället för att leta och gissa vilken hastighet som är optimal, vilket skedde med den konventionella instrumentpanelen. Men den kan även dölja andra faktorer som påverkar körsträckan, såsom acceleration och höjdskillnader. Vilket användare av den originella instrumentbrädan noterade i större utsträckning.

Riparian areas in arid rangelands provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are critical areas for conservation of landscape and regional biological diversity. Creeks and their associated riparian habitats also provide unique resources for livestock management, however these systems have proven to be sensitive to disturbance from livestock. Ecological site concepts and associated state-and-transition models are useful tools for understanding rangeland plant succession and the relative influence of management actions. These models have been widely developed for upland rangeland systems; however, extension of these models to rangeland riparian systems is still in its infancy. In this study I classified two ecological sites along four streams on the Tejon Ranch in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California. Using vegetation data gathered over four years at fifteen study reaches I identified three distinct vegetation states and plausible conditions precipitating transitions between states. I monitored large mammal and herpetofauna activity at each of the study reaches and compared the predictive power of the categorical ecological site and state-and-transition models in predicting wildlife activity to models based on continuous environmental variables. Finally I investigated the role of cattle and feral pig management on riparian vegetation and wildlife. Ecological sites proved to be a good predictor of observed wildlife community assemblages and was included in top models predicting activity of three of five mammal species: bobcat (Lynx rufus) deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and feral pig (Sus scrofa); and two of three reptile species: western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) and Gilbert’s skink (Plestiodon gilberti). In contrast, vegetation states proved to be a poor predictor compared to continuous variables. Cattle and feral pigs appear to have played a role in the one observed vegetation transition, and cattle and feral pig activity was correlated with incre

Riparian areas in arid rangelands provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are critical areas for conservation of landscape and regional biological diversity. Creeks and their associated riparian habitats also provide unique resources for livestock management, however these systems have proven to be sensitive to disturbance from livestock. Ecological site concepts and associated state-and-transition models are useful tools for understanding rangeland plant succession and the relative influence of management actions. These models have been widely developed for upland rangeland systems; however, extension of these models to rangeland riparian systems is still in its infancy. In this study I classified two ecological sites along four streams on the Tejon Ranch in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California. Using vegetation data gathered over four years at fifteen study reaches I identified three distinct vegetation states and plausible conditions precipitating transitions between states. I monitored large mammal and herpetofauna activity at each of the study reaches and compared the predictive power of the categorical ecological site and state-and-transition models in predicting wildlife activity to models based on continuous environmental variables. Finally I investigated the role of cattle and feral pig management on riparian vegetation and wildlife. Ecological sites proved to be a good predictor of observed wildlife community assemblages and was included in top models predicting activity of three of five mammal species: bobcat (Lynx rufus) deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and feral pig (Sus scrofa); and two of three reptile species: western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) and Gilbert’s skink (Plestiodon gilberti). In contrast, vegetation states proved to be a poor predictor compared to continuous variables. Cattle and feral pigs appear to have played a role in the one observed vegetation transition, and cattle and feral pig activity was correlated with incre

Livestock on California's foothill rangelands get much of their nutrition from rangeland forage plants. An understanding of how climatic factors influence forage productivity can help growers predict the need to provide supplemental feed.

Part of the Understanding Working Rangelands series. Ranch roads, fencing, gates, water systems, corrals, and working scales play a key role in proper management of livestock and effective management of rangelands. Having the right infrastructure is crucial to maintain the health and safety of rancher as well as the environment.

Livestock on California's foothill rangelands get much of their nutrition from rangeland forage plants. An understanding of how climatic factors influence forage productivity can help growers predict the need to provide supplemental feed.

Part of the Understanding Working Rangelands series. Ranch roads, fencing, gates, water systems, corrals, and working scales play a key role in proper management of livestock and effective management of rangelands. Having the right infrastructure is crucial to maintain the health and safety of rancher as well as the environment.

Restoring watersheds in Utah improves water quality and yield, reduces catastrophic wildfire risk in treated areas, increases forage for agriculture, protects habitat for wildlife and provides economic benefits for local communities.

An important part of the Forest Service’s Range Management Program is providing information about all aspects of rangeland vegetation management on National Forest System lands. This report, published annually, provides statistics on grazing use for Congress, our partners, permittees, the livestock industry, other institutions, or agencies, or anyone interested in the use of the National Forest System rangeland vegetation. Livestock grazing is permitted on over 95 million acres of National Forest System lands spread across 29 states. Grazing use is administered through a grazing permit system. The Forest Service administered permits for 5,897 permittees. The authorized use was for approximately 6.9 million head months (HMs) of authorized grazing by cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. An HM is the amount of time in months that an animal spends on National Forest System lands. The data collected is also reported in animal unit months (AUMs), which can be equated to the amount of forage required to support a mature 1,000 lb. cow or its equivalent for one month.

The Resilient Landscape program is a new approach to achieve fire resiliency goals across landscapes, based on collaborative efforts. The program strengthens fire management’s ability to restore and maintain landscapes across all jurisdictions, while increasing their overall resistance to disturbances.

Many regions in Libya have begun to show signs of rangelands degradation, the major causes of which are drought and overgrazing.It has been documented that rangelands deterioration has led to a reduction in the variety of plants and a decrease in yield, and this decreases the regenerative capacity of rangeland ecosystem. This study was conducted on the southern slope of Al- Jabal Al- Akhdar, northeast Libya.The main objective was to assess shrub rangeland recovery to determine whether or not exclosures (fenced areas) are an effective method or strategy for the restoration and rehabilitation of rangelands at the regional level.Four research areas with moderate to severe degraded soil and vegetation, namely Madur Zetun, Omguzlan, Thahar Altair, and Ajramiah, were selected along a strong north-south rainfall gradient, which include a diverse range of soil and vegetation types. A total of 28 monitoring sites were re-installed and assessed between May and December 2014. These sites were initially installed and assessed between May and December 2006. The monitoring sites were installed within the exclosures and in open rangelands for grazing. The monitoring layout is based on the Western Australia Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS). In order to achieve the research objective,Landscape Function Analysis technique (LFA) and selected Vegetation Indices (VIs)were employed.The outcomes of the LFA field data calculations show that the ecosystem function increased positively with the increase in rehabilitation time of the protected areas where fences is taking places. The results also indicate an increase in the three indices of soil surface condition (SSI, WII and NCI) inside the fenced rangelands. The findings demonstrate a good linear relationship between the LFA-SSA indices and the selected Vegetation Indices. NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and MSAVI (Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index) were closely correlated to the field data.Additionally, the results

Since its inception in 2005 and with the help of over 100 partner agencies and groups, the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative has completed over 1,700 projects and treated nearly 1.5 million acres of upland, stream and riparian areas statewide. Here's why it matters.

Restoring watersheds in Utah improves water quality and yield, reduces catastrophic wildfire risk in treated areas, increases forage for agriculture, protects habitat for wildlife and provides economic benefits for local communities.

An important part of the Forest Service’s Range Management Program is providing information about all aspects of rangeland vegetation management on National Forest System lands. This report, published annually, provides statistics on grazing use for Congress, our partners, permittees, the livestock industry, other institutions, or agencies, or anyone interested in the use of the National Forest System rangeland vegetation. Livestock grazing is permitted on over 95 million acres of National Forest System lands spread across 29 states. Grazing use is administered through a grazing permit system. The Forest Service administered permits for 5,897 permittees. The authorized use was for approximately 6.9 million head months (HMs) of authorized grazing by cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. An HM is the amount of time in months that an animal spends on National Forest System lands. The data collected is also reported in animal unit months (AUMs), which can be equated to the amount of forage required to support a mature 1,000 lb. cow or its equivalent for one month.

The Resilient Landscape program is a new approach to achieve fire resiliency goals across landscapes, based on collaborative efforts. The program strengthens fire management’s ability to restore and maintain landscapes across all jurisdictions, while increasing their overall resistance to disturbances.

Many regions in Libya have begun to show signs of rangelands degradation, the major causes of which are drought and overgrazing.It has been documented that rangelands deterioration has led to a reduction in the variety of plants and a decrease in yield, and this decreases the regenerative capacity of rangeland ecosystem. This study was conducted on the southern slope of Al- Jabal Al- Akhdar, northeast Libya.The main objective was to assess shrub rangeland recovery to determine whether or not exclosures (fenced areas) are an effective method or strategy for the restoration and rehabilitation of rangelands at the regional level.Four research areas with moderate to severe degraded soil and vegetation, namely Madur Zetun, Omguzlan, Thahar Altair, and Ajramiah, were selected along a strong north-south rainfall gradient, which include a diverse range of soil and vegetation types. A total of 28 monitoring sites were re-installed and assessed between May and December 2014. These sites were initially installed and assessed between May and December 2006. The monitoring sites were installed within the exclosures and in open rangelands for grazing. The monitoring layout is based on the Western Australia Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS). In order to achieve the research objective,Landscape Function Analysis technique (LFA) and selected Vegetation Indices (VIs)were employed.The outcomes of the LFA field data calculations show that the ecosystem function increased positively with the increase in rehabilitation time of the protected areas where fences is taking places. The results also indicate an increase in the three indices of soil surface condition (SSI, WII and NCI) inside the fenced rangelands. The findings demonstrate a good linear relationship between the LFA-SSA indices and the selected Vegetation Indices. NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and MSAVI (Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index) were closely correlated to the field data.Additionally, the results

Grasslands in California's inland Mediterranean climate zone vary greatly over time and space, largely due to fluctuating rainfall and heterogeneous geology, topography, and soils. In light of a dramatic invasion of exotic species into these grasslands, conservation management goals typically include the preservation and enhancement of native vegetation. Developing specific management targets to achieve these goals, however, is complicated by uncertainty about pre-invasion conditions and the spatial and temporal complexity of the system. The Tejon Ranch, the largest, contiguous, privately-owned property in the state, supports 44,000 ha of California's inland Mediterranean grassland. The mission of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy (Conservancy) is to preserve, enhance, and restore the native biodiversity of Tejon Ranch. In 2009, the Conservancy partnered with the University of California Range Ecology Lab led by James Bartolome to describe the grasslands on the ranch, in order to build the understanding required for management planning. As a doctoral researcher and co-leader of the study from 2010 to 2014, my objective was to develop a scientific framework to inform reliable predictions about the distribution of plant species over space and time in the ranch's grasslands. I investigated three basic questions: 1. Does species composition correlate with geologic, topographic, and edaphic landscape composition, at differing spatial scales?2. What are the drivers of inter-annual community change at the ecological site scale?3. What are the alternative states of the ecological sites?Chapter 1 is a description of how I investigated the first question in the western Mojave Desert landscape of the ranch. I collected topographic, edaphic, and ground cover data at 35 small (0.25 m2) plots across a 64 km2 (6.4 x 107 m2) extent in the spring of 2010. Fortuitously, the timing and amount of rainfall in 2009-2010 resulted in high diversity and abundance of native annual forbs and grasse

Grasslands in California's inland Mediterranean climate zone vary greatly over time and space, largely due to fluctuating rainfall and heterogeneous geology, topography, and soils. In light of a dramatic invasion of exotic species into these grasslands, conservation management goals typically include the preservation and enhancement of native vegetation. Developing specific management targets to achieve these goals, however, is complicated by uncertainty about pre-invasion conditions and the spatial and temporal complexity of the system. The Tejon Ranch, the largest, contiguous, privately-owned property in the state, supports 44,000 ha of California's inland Mediterranean grassland. The mission of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy (Conservancy) is to preserve, enhance, and restore the native biodiversity of Tejon Ranch. In 2009, the Conservancy partnered with the University of California Range Ecology Lab led by James Bartolome to describe the grasslands on the ranch, in order to build the understanding required for management planning. As a doctoral researcher and co-leader of the study from 2010 to 2014, my objective was to develop a scientific framework to inform reliable predictions about the distribution of plant species over space and time in the ranch's grasslands. I investigated three basic questions: 1. Does species composition correlate with geologic, topographic, and edaphic landscape composition, at differing spatial scales?2. What are the drivers of inter-annual community change at the ecological site scale?3. What are the alternative states of the ecological sites?Chapter 1 is a description of how I investigated the first question in the western Mojave Desert landscape of the ranch. I collected topographic, edaphic, and ground cover data at 35 small (0.25 m2) plots across a 64 km2 (6.4 x 107 m2) extent in the spring of 2010. Fortuitously, the timing and amount of rainfall in 2009-2010 resulted in high diversity and abundance of native annual forbs and grasse

The purpose of this brief is to provide updated information about the Grazing Improvement Program and the Watershed Restoration Program. The document includes programs description, identifies major similarities and differences, provides funding flowchart, and includes areas where the two programs have worked jointly.

The purpose of this brief is to provide updated information about the Grazing Improvement Program and the Watershed Restoration Program. The document includes programs description, identifies major similarities and differences, provides funding flowchart, and includes areas where the two programs have worked jointly.

Woody encroachment and proliferation within dryland ecosystems is potentially the second largest portion of the North American carbon sink and one of the largest areas of uncertainty. This dissertation examines a semi-arid grassland located in southeastern Arizona to better understand woody encroachment, agents of change, and the resultant carbon storage from 1984-2008. The objectives were to quantify changes in woody cover, rank agent importance, estimate carbon density, and calculate voluntary market value. The first objective of mapping changes in woody cover was addressed using a Landsat time-series to measure woody cover and calculate the change, rate of change, and change relative to initial cover over the 25-year time period. Results show the change in woody cover varies spatially and ranges from approximately -2 to 11% with most areas experiencing a 5% increase and 92% relative increase over initial cover, indicating woody cover nearly doubled in the region. The second objective of ranking the importance of agents was achieved using an ensemble classifier. Agents examined included grazing, number of times burned, soil texture, soil productivity, elevation, slope, aspect, and initial woody cover. Initial woody cover, number of times burned, elevation, and grazing were ranked as the most important agents of woody encroachment, indicating the importance of historical land management and disturbance, frequent fire, topography and correlated precipitation, and land use. The third objective of producing carbon estimates and calculating economic opportunity in the voluntary carbon markets was accomplished by applying cover to biomass, root:shoot, and carbon equations to the final woody plant cover maps to calculate carbon stocks, carbon density, and voluntary market value. Results show very low carbon density in the study area relative to similar ecosystems and other ecosystems in general. Given the insignificant annual accumulation of carbon on the small ownership

• Patch-burn grazing is a range management strategy that might be able to simultaneously optimize livestock production objectives and wildlife habitat objectives. • We compared patch-burn grazing to a traditional range management strategy in multiple pastures, representing a variety of land ownership and management histories, dispersed across a relatively large geographic area. Our results likely represent what land managers could expect if they adopted patch-burn grazing in similar situations. • We found that cattle performance in pastures managed with patch-burn grazing did not differ from that found in pastures managed with a traditional range management strategy. This suggests that land managers who adopt patch-burn grazing in our study region might be able to maintain levels of cattle performance they are accustomed to. Simultaneously, they might also be able to achieve wildlife habitat objectives that might not have been possible with the application of traditional range management strategies. • More research and trials of patch-burn grazing in other regions and vegetation types will further help land mangers determine if patch-burn grazing is a range management strategy that could be useful when applied to their unique circumstances.

Re-introducing heterogeneity to native North American rangelands is imperative to maintaining grassland biodiversity, and it has been suggested that using a variety of cattle grazing intensities on the landscape could accomplish this. I used generalized linear mixed models to describe the effects of grazing intensity on vegetation structure, plant species diversity and plant communities over four years. I used the Mantel test and non-metric multidimensional scaling to illustrate changes in plant communities with varying grazing intensities and over time. Effects of grazing were cumulative and changed over time, upland and lowland habitats responded differently to grazing intensity, and heterogeneity was maximized at the landscape scale under a variety of grazing intensities. When conservation is the primary goal, a variety of grazing intensities on the landscape can be used to increase heterogeneity, and therefore grassland biodiversity.

The County Seat TV program travels to a Rich County cattle ranch to see first hand how grazing benefits the land, wildlife and ranchers.