Rangelands

Rangelands support multiple ecosystem services including grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed health and recreational opportunities. Livestock grazing is the most common economic use of rangelands, and also the principal management tool. Maintaining forage production and soil health is key to meeting ecological and economic objectives under changing climate conditions, and will be essential for sustaining livestock grazing in the future. Conservative stocking rates, varied season of grazing, optimizing herd size and composition, identifying reserve forage, strategic distribution of water, proactive vegetation and soil management and changes in enterprise structure are examples of sustainable rangeland management practices that can help livestock producers adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. More information on these practices is contained in the resources below.

Flexible Stocking Summit Report: A Peer-to-Peer Discussion and Learning Event

09/19/17 Flexible Stocking Summit Report

The Flexible Stocking Summit brought ranchers together from…

Adapting for the Future

Researchers in the Northern Plains have been studying how changes in the atmosphere might impact rangelands throughout…

SARE Resource: Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches

Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches outlines the new challenges that changing weather patterns pose in…

Drought and Rangelands: Effects and Management Responses

Droughts can result in reduced growth rates, defoliation, and increased stress on vegetation, with accompanying…

Responding to Ecological Drought in the Intermountain Region

In March 2017, the Forest Service Intermountain Region held a drought adaptation workshop to share state-of-science…

Dealing with Drought in Forests, Grasslands, and Rangelands

Longleaf pine tree plantations that are approximately 25 years old have received their first commercial thinning on the…

Drought Effects on Forests and Rangelands in the US Caribbean

Water quality and scarcity are of great concern across the U.S. Caribbean. In recent years Puerto Rico and the U.S.…