What are rangelands? Rangelands are lands that are not: farmed, dense forest, entirely barren, or covered with solid rock, concrete, or ice. Rangelands are: grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and deserts. Rangelands are usually characterized by limited precipitation, often sparse vegetation, sharp climatic extremes, highly variable soils, frequent salinity, and diverse topography. From the wide open spaces of western North America to the vast plains of Africa, rangelands are found all over the world, encompassing almost half of the earth’s land surface. Because rangeland landscapes are diverse and complex, they are called by various names around the world including prairies, plains, grasslands, swards, steppes, pampas, shrublands, scrublands, woodlands, savannahs, deserts, semiâ€deserts, and arid lands.
Articles, citations, reports, websites, and multimedia resources focused on rangeland ecology, management, restoration, and other issues on American rangelands.