POSITION STATEMENT:Use of Forage Utilization and Residue Measurements
The Society for Range Management recognizes and
endorses forage utilization and residue measurements as useful tools in
rangeland monitoring, and acknowledges their value in land management. When
used with other monitoring information, utilization can be employed to
design and evaluate management decisions. These measurements, when properly
timed and conducted using appropriate methods and sampling procedures, can
be used as an aid in:
- Analyzing distribution of animal use on a
management unit.
- Interpreting cause and effect relationships for
observed changes in resource attributes such as soil
cover, species composition, residual cover, etc.
- Adjusting stocking rates and/or timing of grazing
when used in conjunction with other monitoring
information including: long term vegetation or habitat data,
current and historical stocking records, precipitation
records, etc.
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Utilization and residue measurements are not
management objectives. They are tools to be used with other information in
evaluating whether desired resource conditions are being achieved.
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