Rangeland Livestock Production: Developing the Concept of Sustainability on the Santa Rita Experimental Range

George B. Ruyle is Professor and Extension Specialist, Range Management, in the School of Renewable Resources, University of Arizona; e-mail: [email protected]. He holds a B.S. degree from Arizona State University, an M.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Utah State University. He is a Fellow in the Society for Range Management. In: McClaran, Mitchel P.; Ffolliott, Peter F.; Edminster, Carleton B. tech. coords. Santa Rita Experimental Range: 100 years (1903 to 2003) of accomplishments and contributions; conference proceedings; 2003 October 30–November 1; Tucson, AZ. Proc. RMRS-P-30. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Abstract: The Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) was established in 1903 at the behest of concerned stockmen and researchers as the first facility in the United States set aside to study range livestock production. At the time, severe overgrazing of the public domain had seriously reduced carrying capacities of Southwestern rangelands. Researchers on the SRER developed and demonstrated the concepts that became the foundation for the art and science of range management. These included improved livestock husbandry methods and an initial understanding of how grazing behavior influenced patterns of vegetation response. The emphasis for range livestock production research, however, quickly focused on stocking levels and adjusting grazing and rest periods in order to maintain or improve the abundance and production of forage grasses. Subsequent research developed and demonstrated methods to achieve sustainable range livestock production based on limited herd flexibility and controlled forage utilization levels determined by stocking and monitoring histories. These concepts, conceived and tested on the SRER, contributed greatly to the foundation of modern range management.