Abstract
Monitoring is a critical component of adaptive management but often weak or missing in practice. We examined grazing allotment files to identify patterns in monitoring and management practices on the Coronado National Forest from 1927 to 2007, and conducted interviews with key informants to understand the mechanisms behind those patterns. Standardized, documented monitoring occurred on a near-annual basis on all allotments until 1978; ceased abruptly from 1978 to 1998; then resumed. Before 1978, monitoring frequently indicated excessive stocking, but reductions often did not occur. Interviews revealed that monitoring ceased for this reason, as agency employees turned to more informal methods in hopes of affecting management. Monitoring resumed in response to litigation by environmental groups. Curiously, more effective adaptive management of grazing allotments appears to have begun during the period when standardized monitoring was not occurring. [AUTHOR ABSTRACT]
Reports and other documents about Sonoran Desert ecology, management, and conservation. Curated by the not-for-profit Altar Valley Conservation Alliance (AVCA) located outside Tucson, AZ.