This paper reviews the predictions and management implications of two current paradigms in the ecology and management of arid and semi-arid rangelands. The equilibrium model stresses the importance of biotic feedbacks such as density-dependent regulation of livestock populations and the feedback of livestock density on vegetation composition, cover and productivity. Range management under this ...

The encroachment of agricultural practices into traditional rangeland areas of north-eastern Morocco is considered by some to have negative impacts in both the agro-pastoral communities that utilise these ranges and the surrounding physical environment. Indicating the extent and location of such land use changes provides resource managers with valuable information on which more sustainable deve...

Ecological sites are the basic entity used in rangeland health assessment. This study evaluates the synergistic use of multiand hyper-spectral satellite imagery for sub-pixel classification of ecological sites in semiarid rangelands. Hyperion and Landsat enhanced thematic mapper (ETM) data are included in a two-step procedure to mapping ecological sites in Patagonian rangelands of Argentina. Fi...

the “Three-River Headwaters” region (TRHR) rangeland ecosystem is extremely sensitive and fragile, and in recent years has undergone continuous degradation. The vast area and severe nature conditions inhibit data acquisition and field experiments, resulting in different understandings about the spatial characteristics and dynamics of rangeland degradation in the region. Therefore, reliable moni...

Extensive livestock grazing even in unsuitable land has increasingly grown in most parts of semi-arid rangeland. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to identify suitable land for livestock grazing for optimum utilization while causing minimum impact to the environment. This paper adapted the schematic model based on the concepts presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of suitabi...

introduction the complexity of natural ecosystem, as the rangelands, is caused to propose the different approaches toevaluatethe ecosystem on the basis of sustainable and systematic management. study on the interaction connectionsbetween plants and biotic and abiotic factors in the rangeland ecosystem can be achieved by relationsofmanagerial strategies in order to conduct the rangeland health. ...

Evaluation of range conditions and plant diversity circumstances can help to rangeland managers who establish their managerial approaches on the basis of ecological capabilities of rangeland ecosystems. Hence, surveying of rangelands was done in four sites of northern Alborz Mt. including western Alborz (Masooleh site), west to middle Alborz (Javaherdeh site), central area (Polour site), and ea...

There have been few attempts to develop, test or apply sustainability indicators for natural resource management at a farm-level, and even fewer have fully consulted land users from the initiation of this process. While environmental sustainability indicators need to be accurate and reliable, land users also need them to be rapid, cost-effective and easy to use, in addition to being linked to m...

Rangeland monitoring services require the capability to investigate vegetation condition and to assess biomass production, especially in areas where local livelihood depends on rangeland status. Remote sensing solutions are strongly recommended, where the systematic acquisition of field data is not feasible and does not guarantee properly describing the spatio-temporal dynamics of wide areas. R...