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Rangeland Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation:
Chapter Outline

This is not an index to every page in this section, but most of the higher-level ones. It is designed to give an overview of the subject matter the chapter covers and access to most parts.

Introduction

This is the top-level page of the chapter, with an overview of rangeland inventory and monitoring and links to the 5 main sections below.

General Principles of Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring

• Site Selection
  • Range Sites
  • Key Areas
  • Comparison Areas
  • Critical Areas
• Selection of Attributes
  • Key Species
  • Species Groups
• Time of Sampling
• How Often to Sample

Sampling Concepts

• Sampling Terminology and Theory
• Sample Units
  • Sample Unit Size
  • Sample Unit Shape
  • Sample Size
• Allocation of Sample Units - Sampling Designs
  • Random Sampling
  • Systematic Sampling
  • Selected Sampling
  • Stratified Sampling

Vegetation Attributes

• Biomass
  • Biomass Property
  • Dry Matter Content
  • Sampling Date
  • Separation of Dead and Live Material
  • Methods to Determine Biomass
    • Direct Methods to Determine Biomass
      • Harvesting to Determine Biomass
      • Estimation Approaches to Determine Biomass
      • Sample Units for Direct Methods to Determine Biomass
    • Indirect Methods to Determine Biomass
      • Climatic Records
      • Plant Dimensions
      • Reference Unit Method
  • Statistical Analysis of Biomass Data
• Cover
  • Methods to Determine Cover
    • Point Sampling to Determine Cover
    • Line Sampling to Determine Cover
    • Sampling in Quadrats to Determine Cover
    • Plotless Sampling to Determine Cover
  • Statistical Analysis of Cover Data
• Density
  • Boundary Decisions
  • Identification of Individuals
  • Influence of Spatial Patterns
  • Rooted or Canopy Dimensions
  • Species Groups
  • Methods to Determine Density
    • Counting Individual Plants
      • Sample Units for Counting Individual Plants to Determine Density
      • Data Recording and Calculations when Counting Individual Plants to Determine Density
    • Distance Methods
  • Statistical Analysis of Density Data
• Frequency
  • Nested Quadrats
  • Rooted or Canopy Dimensions
  • Species Groups
  • Specific Guidelines on Sample Unit Size to Determine Frequency
  • Sources of Sampling Error
  • Methods to Determine Frequency
    • Data Recording and Calculations to Determine Frequency
  • Statistical Analysis of Frequency Data
• Species Composition
  • Species Groups
  • Dry Weight Rank Method
  • Species Data from Other Attributes

Rangeland Evaluation

• Range Sites
• Range Condition
• Range Trend
• Recent Proposals for Evaluating the Status of Rangeland Resources
  • Desired Plant Community
  • Rangeland Health
  • Resource Value Rating
  • Site Conservation Rating

Management Applications

• Carrying Capacity
  • Methods to Determine Carrying Capacity
    • Matching Forage Supply and Animal Demand
    • Range Sites
• Utilization
  • Methods to Determine Utilization
    • Grazed and Ungrazed Comparisons
    • Grazed Class Method
    • Grazed Plant Method
    • Height-Weight Method
    • Utilization Zones