Land managers and conservationists are exploring different payments structures for the ecosystem services that flow from private and public rangelands. To better understand the overall management of ecosystem services and benefits received, a statewide project was created to focus on soil health; as it relates to a functioning ecosystem services. A soil health toolkit was created to educate rangelands owners, and agency personnel how soil health benefits the ecosystem services received from rangelands. The toolkit demonstrated assessment tools, from the very inexpensive (shovels) to the expensive (penetrometers), on soil structure, crusts, compaction, aggregate stability and biological activity. The toolkit incorporated soil health assessment tools with rangelands management practices, to promote improved soil health on rangelands. A created worksheet categorized soil health qualities into: physical, chemical, and biological and were combined with Natural Resource Conservation Service approved practices. �Regional trainings were held in three different areas of California, covering a variety of ecological sites. These trainings increased awareness of practices that improve soil infiltration rates, water holding capacity, increased biodiversity, and forage production; promoting sustainable use of water resources. At each site, soil samples were taken with different soil analyses conducted. �Results and interpretations were discussed; increased understanding on when and how to use soil sampling, and what management practices could be implemented for improved soil health. �With emphases in California being placed on soil health, especially as it relates to climate change, drought, etc., trainings helped increased awareness of soil health, resulting in more resilient rangelands. �Using appropriate tools for assessment and monitoring soil health, will increase rangeland resilience.� The project will develop a framework that examines new ecosystem services payment structures. This will provide policy makers science based information for rangeland policy changes; and demonstrate to the public the importance rangelands in addressing climate change.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.