Get reliable rangeland science

Collaborative range monitoring on USFS lands between forest personnel, permittees, and personnel from other interested parties such as extension or sister agencies facilitates sustainable resource management. In Region III of the USFS, we have partnered with the University of Arizona to develop and promote rangeland monitoring techniques for over 20 years. Since 2008, we have worked with Dr Del Despain to field test his VGS - tablet computer system for collection, summarization, and presentation of monitoring data. This practical field tool expedites both pre-collection preparation and post-collection data summarization for USFS range managers. Actual field data collection time is similar to methods using traditional paper forms, but user fatigue and accuracy of data entry has been improved by using VGS. We have tested the system in a variety of ecosystems and with several field techniques. VGS has been used to inform typical range trend studies using methods such as ecological ground cover and pace-frequency transects, post-fire canopy cover using line intercept, and brush density using belt transects. The ability to see previous data collected from a given site and view it along with data just recorded while in the field facilitates discussions among forest resource managers and multiple users. These discussions can improve rangeland resource management.