Get reliable rangeland science

Successional management is an ecologically-based way of organizing known and hypothetical causes of succession. The successional management model proposes three general causes of succession�site availability, species availability, and species performance�ecological processes primarily responsible for controlling the general causes, and factors that modify those processes. Pickett et al. (1987) proposed the ecological bases for a theoretical framework.� Sheley et al. (1996) reconstructed and proposed an improved model for invasive plant management that addresses the underlying cause of invasion.� This hierarchical model includes the general causes of succession, controlling ecological processes and mechanism, and their modifying factors. This model has been fine-tuned and readily applies to cheatgrass/medusahead infested rangeland. Since then, Sheley et al. (2006) tested the model for its ability to enhance the success of invasive plant management and restoration in small plots. In 2 of 3 cases, using this framework dramatically improved the outcome of management. This mechanistic and process-based model was incorporated into the state and transition models to provide an ecologically based decision-making framework for rangeland management. The combination of the two models are being used to make decisions about site-specific management. In addition to testing site-specific management treatments, this model provides an ecological framework for large-scale planning and implementation.�