On North American rangelands lower successional stable states occur in sagebrush and other shrub-dominated vegetation types in the Great Plains, the short-grass steppe, the Southwestern desert grasslands, and communities dominated by annual grasses in California and southern Idaho. Laycock notes that recognition of these stable states and models describing them are needed to develop new concepts about range condition. The model presently used assumes a single stable state (climax) and that the stages of secondary succession on improving rangelands are the reverse of the stages of retrogression. While much theoretical work needs to be done before most of the models presented can be incorporated into range condition standards, it is important for managers to recognize that multiple steady states do exist on many rangelands. One assumption of the current range condition model is that a reduction in grazing management will result in range improvement. If a vegetation type is in a stable lower successional state, it normally will not respond to change in grazing or even removal of grazing. Managers need to recognize this situation when it occurs so that false expectations of improvement are not fostered.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.