Get reliable rangeland science

Increasing demand for the resources derived from rangelands (e.g. forage, conservation of water and biodiversity) coupled with the growing threat from climate change to the composition, extent and sustainability of rangelands to provide these resources compels ecologists, range mangers and others to swiftly adopt an unprecedented dualism in the practice of their profession. On the one hand, we need to dispassionately examine and when necessary revise, augment and even replace those range practices that current and future science-based research signals as ineffective, inappropriate or even detrimental. Emergence and timely implementation of best practices and policies will be dependent as never before on conducting a critical examination of long held tools and tenets of rangeland science. Accomplishing that multi-faceted goal will in itself daunting. Our task becomes even more challenging given the need to cogently report our research through frank discussion with all stakeholders (land owners, ranchers, elected and appointed officials and especially the general public). Such outreach will strengthen the argument for the public as to the need for sustained and adequately funded research for preserving functioning, productive rangelands. This new role will be time-consuming, undoubtedly frustrating at times and require that we become effective in speaking to all segments of society – a role for which many of us were not originally trained. Unschooled as we may be now, the stakes are too high to neglect the need to convey the results of our research as well as the necessity of this research to the public.