Rangeland Ecology & Management

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DECISION-SUPPORT FOR SITE-SPECIFIC RANGELAND MANAGEMENT: MANAGING FOR MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
Author
Becchetti, Theresa
Eviner, Valerie
Barry, Sheila
Doran, Morgan
Davy, Josh
Harper, John
George, Mel
Ingram, Roger
Larsen, Royce
Lile, David
Rivers, Carrissa
Tate, Kenneth W.
Lewis, David
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

Effective rangeland management and restoration are limited by our inability to account for site-specific effects of management on multiple goals. California's rangelands cover 57% of the state, and are the target of local, state and national funding to support conservation of species and ecosystem services. However, over 80% of conservation projects fail due to lack of site-specific recommendations. This project is compiling data from many of the UC/UCCE research projects on ecosystem services, along with data from thousands of management trials across California's grasslands, oak woodlands, and riparian systems to determine how environment by management interactions affect the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services. A searchable database of management effects on multiple ecosystem services has been developed. The searchable database provides land managers with knowledge of successes and failures of management projects in similar sites, and with similar goals. We are analyzing case studies to provide site-specific recommendations of which goals are most feasible, and which management approaches are most promising to achieve those goals. A focus on the impacts of drought on ecosystem services, and how these vary by site conditions (e.g. soil type, aspect) and management (e.g. burning, grazing, etc.) has been a priority with California's on-going drought. This project will improve our site-specific management for multiple ecosystem services by compiling thousands of management trials and research studies, resulting in: (1) Improved tools for science-based decision making and (2) Improve science-based regulatory and incentive programs. California programs such as climate change mitigation measures, and water quality programs will benefit from the synthesis of these case studies, and we have actively worked with California Climate and Agriculture Network on developing educational programs for legislators and land managers on the potential for management to improve ecosystem services.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX