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In 1980-1984, Nevada rangeland
managers recognized the importance of
monitoring for managing livestock grazing
and came together to create the Nevada
Rangeland Monitoring Handbook.
Published in 1984 by the Nevada Range
Studies Task Group of the Nevada Range
Committee, the Handbook united rangeland
managers behind an agreed upon set of
procedures. It helped many people agree
about monitoring methods and management
changes without resorting to confrontation
and courts. More importantly, progress in
the management of Nevada rangelands led
to better rangeland conditions in many areas.
The 1984 Nevada Rangeland Monitoring
Handbook recommended the following
studies to be conducted at key areas: 1)
Production – The NRCS Double Sampling
Method and the BLM Weight Estimate
Vegetation Inventory Method, 2) Quadrat
Frequency, and 3) The Modified Key Forage
Plant Method utilization transect.
Production data were compared with NRCS
ecological site descriptions to determine
ecological status. Frequency indicated
changes in plant composition. These
methods are still valid. The Modified Key
Forage Plant Method has been replaced by
the Key Species Method. Production data
may be interpreted differently as ecological
site descriptions are being revised to reflect
more recent ecological thought. Production
data compared with ecological site
descriptions help determine ecological state.
They may be compared with Desired Plant
Community (DPC) objectives. Frequency
studies emphasize nested plots to make data
more useable through time as communities
change.
While the first Handbook proved useful,
it is more than 20 years old. As monitoring
is a tool for learning from ongoing
management to adjust and improve
management, it is fitting that we learn from
our past experiences in monitoring to create
a new synthesis of current ideas.
The 1984 Handbook emphasized
monitoring techniques without emphasizing
the reasons for monitoring. Today,
management is based on goals and
objectives set in a planning process that
considers the best science and society’s mix
of values. Monitoring in the 1980s focused
almost exclusively on livestock grazing
management. Today, we recognize that, as
important as this is, herbivory is only one
aspect of land management, and that some
monitoring of vegetation change is needed
to track and manage problems such as
modified fire regimes and invasive weeds
that are not resolved with livestock
management alone. Riparian issues were
not addressed in the first handbook. Today,
we have learned the importance of riparian
monitoring for adjusting management.
State and federal agencies and range
consultants have come together again to
formulate this Second Edition. We asked
others for creative help and comment to
make it as useful as possible for the
management of Nevada rangelands.
Appropriate use of this handbook
assumes basic levels of professionalism,
common sense, objectivity, education,
experience, mentoring, and proper
application of techniques. Every rangeland
management and monitoring case is unique,
depending on the initial conditions, site
potential, objectives, level of management
capabilities (economics, personnel, logistics,
etc.), and the relationships among the
participants. Where differences (real or
imagined) between agency regulations,
policy, or guidance and the information
provided in this handbook arise, the relevant
regulation, policy, or guidance will be used.
However, it is intended that this Handbook
and the Ranchers’ Monitoring Guide will
meet agency requirements.

source: preface