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Rangeland
Management
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definition:
the
manipulation of rangeland components to obtain the optimum combination
of goods and services for society on a sustained basis. Rangeland
management has two basic components: (1) protection and enhancement
of the soil and vegetation complex, and (2) maintaining or improving
the output of consumable range products, such as red meat, fiber,
wood, water, and wildlife.
Rangeland
management is based on five basic concepts:
- Rangeland
is a renewable resource.
- Energy
from the sun can be captured by green plants that can only be
harvested by the grazing animal.
- Rangelands
supply humans with food and fiber at very low energy costs compared
to those associated with cultivated lands. Ruminant animals
are best adapted to use range plants. Unlike human beings, ruminants
have microbes in their digestive systems that efficiently break
down fiber, which is quite high in most range plants.
- Rangeland
productivity is determined by soil, topographic, and climatic
characteristics.
- A
variety of "products" including food, fiber, water,
recreation, wildlife, minerals, and timber are harvested from
rangelands.
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