What is Rangeland?. What is rangeland? Uncultivated land dominated by native plants: grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs. All land that is not.

What is Rangeland?

What is rangeland?

• Uncultivated land dominated by native plants: grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs.

• All land that is not farmland, dense forest, barren desert or land covered by solid rock, concrete, or glaciers

How much rangeland is there?

• How much of the earth’s surface is rangeland?– 25% = Dense Forest– 10% = Cropland– 3% = Urban– 15% = Ice, rock, and barren desert– 47% = Rangeland

How much rangeland is there?

47% of the EARTH is rangeland

36% of the US is rangeland

53% of Western States is rangeland

Rangelands of the World

Tundra

Deserts

Savannas

Woodlands

Shrubland

Prairie

Grassland

Wetlands

How much of these are Rangelands?

Deserts?Tundra?Wetlands?Savannas?Shrublands?Forests?Grasslands?Forage pasture?

All deserts except barren desertsAll tundraVegetation around wetlandsAll savannasAll shrublandsOnly open forestsAll grasslandsNot highly managed pastures

Multiple Use

• Because rangelands have many important uses, most rangelands are managed under principles of multiple-use

• Several uses or values of rangeland are managed simultaneously with care to avoid overuse or destruction of natural resources.

What is rangeland good for?

• Livestock production• Wildlife habitat• Water• Minerals (oil, coal, sulfur)• Native plant products• Recreation• Open space• Western Heritage

Livestock Production Livestock production on rangeland is very important

to supply meat for American and World populations and also for leather, wool, mohair, and other products that livestock yield.

• Range livestock production is Texas’ major agricultural activity in terms of land used and cash receipts

Wildlife Habitat

• Rangelands provide habitat for countless mammals, birds, amphibians, fishes, and insects.

• Of the total number of animal species found in the United States – 84% of the mammals, – 74% of the birds, – 58% of the amphibians and – 38% of the fishes are represented in

rangeland ecosystems.

Water Most of the water in the streams and river of Texas fell

initially on rangeland or forests. Therefore, proper management of rangeland requires careful attention to the amount & quality of water that flows off rangeland

Minerals• Although they are overshadowed by the

petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas liquids that are produced in the state, many of the nonpetroleum minerals are, nonetheless, important to the economy.

UI Special Collections

BLM/Idaho

• In 2012, nonfuel minerals were valued at an estimated $3.39 billion, representing 4.43 percent of the total U.S. production and ranking Texas eighth among the states in overall U.S. production. In 2011, nonfuel minerals produced in Texas were valued at an estimated $2.81 billion.

• The leading mineral commodities produced in the Texas are portland cement, crushed stone, and construction sand and gravel. These three, together with salt, industrial sand and gravel, lime, and masonry cement, account for more that 95 percent of the state's nonfuel mineral value.

Native Plant Products

- Sources of renewable oil, fuel, food pharmaceuticals, and more.

They are our vital link to life and they are our most important resource for our future

William & Wilma Follette @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Recreation

• Rangelands are increasingly important for recreational uses such as:– Hiking– Wildlife observation– Camping– Mountain biking– Fishing– Hunting

Open Space

People in the west value open space Livestock ranches are becoming “working

wilderness” to maintain biodiversity and wildlife habitat quality

Environmentally concerned citizens have paid ranchers to maintain open space through scenic easements

Western Heritage

• Legacy of the Cowboy• Long-history of ranching

families in Texas

What is rangeland management?

• The careful use and management of rangeland resources (plants, animals, soil, and water) to meet the needs and desires of society

Range Management Concepts

1. Rangeland is a renewable resource2. Energy from the sun can be

captured by plants and used by animals

3. Rangelands supply food and fiber to humans at low energy costs

Range Management Concepts

4. Rangeland productivity is determined by soil, topographic, and climate characteristics

5. Rangelands produce a variety of “products”

6. Rangeland must be managed to maintain soil and water quality

Who owns rangeland?

• In Texas, 97% of the rangeland is privately owned, leaving only 3% as public land.

• “Public Land” is owned and managed by federal and state governments

Tools of Rangeland Management

• Fences• Number of livestock• Species of livestock• Weed control• Fire

Range Management Example

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb8WX0P4OvA

Texas Rangeland

Rangelands, they constitute nearly one-half of the world’s land mass, and 59% of the state of Texas.

Are all rangelands grazed?

• Grazing is an important ecological process in all rangeland, but not all rangeland are grazed by livestock

• Everyone thinks of beef cattle when they think of rangelands, and remember the historic cattle drives across Texas.

• Remember - rangeland is a type of land, not a land use. Beef cattle grazing is a land use.