Hardwood rangelands are becoming an endangered resource on the Central Coast of California. Straightforward inventory processes and management guidelines on which to base sound management decisions provide the landowner the tools to protect and utilize these important hardwood resources. Utilizing a WOODLAND INFORMATION STICK and a ZIG ZAG TRANSECT, landowners can inventory their hardwood range without formidable plot establishment procedures. Utilizing the D+X method of expressing woodland stocking, the inventory results can relate the size of the trees to the growing space available to them. The guideline of forty to sixty percent canopy cover optimizes woodland growth and understory forage productivity. These procedures and stocking guides will assist the landowner to properly manage dense stands of hardwoods to promote hardwood health and a sustained use of the resource for both livestock and wildlife.
Articles, citations, reports, websites, and multimedia resources focused on rangeland ecology, management, restoration, and other issues on American rangelands.