Rangeland Science Research Articles

Future Directions for Usable Rangeland Science: From Plant Communities to Landscapes

On the Ground The profession of rangeland ecology and management has been built, to a large extent, on vegetation ecology. Community ecology has been the source of advances in scientific understanding of rangeland behavior and improving management. An increased use of the principles of landscape and regional ecology could greatly improve the utility of rangeland science for researchers and managers.

Informal Rangeland Monitoring and Its Importance to Conservation in a U.S. Ranching Community

Effective natural resource management relies on accurate and timely information on the natural environment, which may be obtained by formal (“scientific”) or informal (“local” or “traditional”) methods. Formal monitoring methods are well documented and widely accepted among the rangeland science community, yet adoption by U.S. ranchers is inconsistent. In contrast, informal monitoring appears to be widely used by ranchers, but its practice and importance have rarely been documented or assessed. By interviewing ranchers and government agency personnel, we evaluated informal monitoring in and around the Altar Valley, Arizona, United States. Informal monitoring techniques included qualitative visual appraisals of forage quantity, indicator species and erosion, and incorporated local environmental history. The environmental knowledge embedded in informal monitoring was generally compatible with natural science. Informal monitoring was conducted continuously throughout the year and provided near real-time assessments that integrated observations of most land in individual pastures and ranches. In contrast, formal monitoring was generally performed only once per year, in a limited number of areas and with a delay of a few months between observation and completion of analysis. Thus informal monitoring had higher spatial coverage and temporal resolution and provided assessments faster than formal monitoring. Consequently, ranchers generally considered informal monitoring to be more relevant than formal monitoring to formulating yearly grazing plans and responding rapidly to unpredictable changes in the natural environment. Ranchers incorporated informal monitoring into assessments of rangeland trends and outcomes of conservation measures and thereby into choices of grazing system and planning of brush management and erosion control. Thus informal monitoring was foundational to long-term conservation, annual rangeland management planning, and adaptive natural resource management on subyearly timescales. If informal monitoring is of comparable utility in other rural communities, it would appear advantageous to document and evaluate informal approaches and to incorporate them into formal conservation planning.

Communal institutions for the management of rangeland resources and dairy production in Taleghan Valley, Northern Iran

Mutual help among pastoralists plays a key role in herding in rural Iran where pastoralists share a rich knowledge of dairy production. Nariyan village, located in the Taleghan region in Northern Iran, was chosen for this study on local traditions of the dairy production chain because it is still largely based on reciprocal sharing of labour and milk and local traditions of social cohesion. The results reveal that an elaborate network of communal institutions, based on seasonal cooperation, exists among pastoralists that regulate the use and management of milk and milk products. Different social roles, such as those of owners of herds of different sizes, herd manager and shepherds, are organised in a traditional co-operative institution, called Shirvâreh, a summer seasonal cooperative that strengthens social ties among the pastoralists and guarantees an efficient dairy production chain for subsistence and marketing. Precise data on milk-sharing reciprocity, such as are provided in this paper, seem to be rare for this geographical region if there are any at all, and this fills a gap in empirical rangeland science as it adds to the theory of traditional knowledge being a means to harmonise societal inequalities.

A Management Framework for the Transition from Livestock Production toward Biodiversity Conservation on Great Plains Rangelands

Management for biodiversity and other ecosystem services from North America’s rangelands has received increasing attention as recognition of the societal value of those services and payment mechanisms for them have grown. This, combined with adverse effects of livestock management on North American rangeland biodiversity and predictions of a warmer and drier climate reducing rangeland productivity, has led some rangeland scientists to call for a paradigm shift from utilitarian-driven management to biodiversity conservation management. A challenge for rangeland science is to describe management changes required for this shift and to elucidate consequent ecological and economic tradeoffs. On the basis of two criteria, direct alteration of biodiversity and alteration of one or more drivers of biodiversity, a framework of ten ecological conditions is proposed for making the transition from livestock-centered management toward biodiversity-centered management on Great Plains rangelands: (1) composition and productivity of plant communities; (2) herbivory patterns; (3) fire regimes; (4) habitat contiguity; (5) stream hydrology; (6) temporal ecological variability; (7) herbivorous mammal communities; (8) fate of ungulate production; (9) apex predators; and (10) size of management units. Reflecting trends in rangelands elsewhere around the world, a shift toward management for biodiversity on the Great Plains may be facilitated by changes underway in land ownership and by a potentially increasing number of landowners for whom livestock production is of secondary importance to lifestyle and natural amenity benefits from the land.

Monitoring of Livestock Grazing Effects on Bureau of Land Management Land

Public land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are charged with managing rangelands throughout the western United States for multiple uses, such as livestock grazing and conservation of sensitive species and their habitats. Monitoring of condition and trends of these rangelands, particularly with respect to effects of livestock grazing, provides critical information for effective management of these multiuse landscapes. We therefore investigated the availability of livestock grazing-related quantitative monitoring data and qualitative region-specific Land Health Standards (LHS) data across BLM grazing allotments in the western United States. We then queried university and federal rangeland science experts about how best to prioritize rangeland monitoring activities. We found that the most commonly available monitoring data were permittee-reported livestock numbers and season-of-use data (71% of allotments) followed by repeat photo points (58%), estimates of forage utilization (52%), and, finally, quantitative vegetation measurements (37%). Of the 57% of allotments in which LHS had been evaluated as of 2007, the BLM indicated 15% had failed to meet LHS due to livestock grazing. A full complement of all types of monitoring data, however, existed for only 27% of those 15%. Our data inspections, as well as conversations with rangeland experts, indicated a need for greater emphasis on collection of grazing-related monitoring data, particularly ground cover. Prioritization of where monitoring activities should be focused, along with creation of regional monitoring teams, may help improve monitoring. Overall, increased emphasis on monitoring of BLM rangelands will require commitment at multiple institutional levels.

Incorporating Women’s Voices Into Wyoming Rangeland Research and Extension

• The field of rangeland science and management is working to incorporate women’s voices and a better understanding of women’s decision-making roles into our research priorities and Extension practices. • The Wyoming Women in Range program offers a success story of Extension programming designed to encourage women’s participation and engagement in rangeland management. • Further research is needed to understand ranching women’s needs and responsibilities as business operators, natural resource managers, wives, mothers, and off-farm wage earners. Perspectiva desde el campo: • El campo de la ciencia y manejo de los pastizales y tierras silvestres está trabajando para incorporar las voces de las mujeres y lograr un mejor entendimiento de los roles con capacidad de toma de decisiones de las mujeres en nuestras prioridades de investigación y prácticas de Extensionismo. • El programa de Mujeres de Wyoming en el Pastoreo ofrece una historia de éxito en la programación del Extensionismo diseñada para alentar la participación y compromiso de las mujeres en el manejo de pastizales y tierras silvestres. • Es necesaria una mayor investigación para entender las necesidades y responsabilidades de las mujeres rancheras como operadoras empresariales, administradoras de recursos naturales, esposas, madres y asalariadas fuera del sector agropecuario.

Celebrating diversity: people, place and purpose. A synthesis of the 17th biennial conference of the Australian Rangeland Society

Eight overarching impressions drawn from the 17 th biennial conference are presented which are generally compatiblewithviewsonfuturechallengesanddirectionsforrangelandscienceandmanagementexpressedindependently in a recent international forum. These impressions relate to (1) loss of research capacity, especially in the southern rangelandsofAustralia, (2) aneedforgreatercollaborationandrole clarityinrangelandsresearch anddevelopment,(3)the importance of scaling issues in the conduct and application of research, (4) widespread understanding of rangelands as social-ecological systems, (5) complementarity of production and biodiversity conservation, (6) progress in regional planning, (7) policy as a legitimate field of research endeavour, and (8) a need to question the 'traditional' perspective on rangeland science.

Celebrating diversity: people, place and purpose. A Special Issue from the 17th Biennial Conference of the Australian Rangeland Society

Eight overarching impressions drawn from the 17 th biennial conference are presented which are generally compatiblewithviewsonfuturechallengesanddirectionsforrangelandscienceandmanagementexpressedindependently in a recent international forum. These impressions relate to (1) loss of research capacity, especially in the southern rangelandsofAustralia, (2) aneedforgreatercollaborationandrole clarityinrangelandsresearch anddevelopment,(3)the importance of scaling issues in the conduct and application of research, (4) widespread understanding of rangelands as social-ecological systems, (5) complementarity of production and biodiversity conservation, (6) progress in regional planning, (7) policy as a legitimate field of research endeavour, and (8) a need to question the 'traditional' perspective on rangeland science.

Rangeland Degradation, Poverty, and Conflict: How Can Rangeland Scientists Contribute to Effective Responses and Solutions?

In many developing countries where rangelands are a dominant land type and critically important in livelihoods of a significant portion of the population, severe rangeland degradation and/or conflicts over rangeland use can create significant social, economic, and environmental problems. In this paper, we review rangeland degradation in the developing world, its impacts and causes, discuss problems in applying rangeland science to improve rangeland conditions, discuss the role of rangeland scientists, and discuss our approach for enhancing rangeland science in international development. We suggest range scientists can provide valuable input and direction on issues of rangeland degradation (including state changes and impacts on ecosystem goods and services), provide guidance in methods and realistic opportunities for rangeland improvement to local users, government, and development organizations, and work to provide pastoralists with adaptive management in variable ecosystems. Conflict and poverty can create situations where a long-term goal of sustainable rangeland use is overwhelmed by short-term needs of safety and food security; however, providing science and training on sustainable management can make a difference where conflicts are not too severe and can help promote societal stability. Negative perceptions about aid are widespread, but the needs for improved conditions associated with multiple values of rangelands, and the needs of people utilizing these areas, are great. Conducting planning and projects with transparency and accountability will help promote more inclusive participation and successful projects. To be effective, a project needs to consider the needs of the people utilizing the project area but also provide to these communities information on values of the rangelands to other stakeholders (ecosystem services). Sustainable projects will require accountability and enhance self-reliance to allow community empowerment and adaptability to changes.

Range Education in the 21st Century: Striking the Balance to Maintain a Relevant Profession

Range science education programs strive to keep pace with the changing needs of the range profession and to ensure that range graduates are knowledgeable, skilled, and able to address contemporary, complex problems unique to rangelands. Today, range education programs face many challenges in our ability to meet the demands and needs of our profession and society. First, our capacity to meet the demands for range science graduates has been diminished by 1) elimination or restructuring of academic rangeland science programs, 2) reduced numbers of range-trained faculty teaching rangeland courses, and 3) limited public awareness of degrees and careers in rangeland science and management. Second, range education programs are challenged to strike a balance between retaining traditional basics and modernizing curriculum to include contemporary concepts and technologies. Third, range science graduates need to understand the current social, political, and economic context of resource management, including global change issues that are of paramount concern to society. We propose multiple approaches to meet these challenges: 1) perform needs assessments with diverse stakeholders to ensure that range education programs are relevant to society’s needs and address the future of the profession; 2) find innovative approaches to strike the educational balance between fundamental concepts, practical field experiences, and mastery of technical and interpersonal skills; 3) collaborate across institutional boundaries to share educational resources and incorporate course formats that meet the diverse needs of today’s students; 4) examine and align professional qualifications, educational standards, and curriculum by defining learning outcomes and core competencies needed by well-trained range professionals; and 5) communicate the unique features of the rangeland profession that solidify its position among the disciplinary pillars of natural resource science and management.

“The Range Problem” After a Century of Rangeland Science: New Research Themes for Altered Landscapes

The rangeland science profession in the United States has its roots in the widespread overgrazing and concurrent severe droughts of the late 19th century. These drivers contributed to rangeland resource degradation especially in the American Southwest— what E. O. Wooton (1908) called the ‘‘Range Problem.’’ Although logical for the time, the scientific activities and resulting policies that arose out of this catastrophe were based on reductionist experimentation and productionist emphases on food and fiber. After a century of science and policy, there are two additional perspectives that shape our vision for the emphases of the future. First, rangeland landscapes are extremely heterogeneous; general principles derived from scientific experimentation cannot be easily or generally applied without adjusting to the distinct societal and ecological characteristics of a location. Second, rangeland management occurs at spatial scales considerably larger than those that have typically been addressed in range science. Scaling up science results is not a simple, additive process. The leading features of the emerging science are 1) research at landscape scales and 2) over longer time spans that 3) approaches conservation and management practices as treatments requiring scientific evaluation, 4) incorporates local knowledge, 5) is explicitly applied in nature, and 6) is transparent in its practice. We strongly argue for a science that supports resource management by testing hypotheses relevant to actual conservation practices and iteratively applying its findings in partnership with managers in an ongoing, adaptive fashion.

Revolutionary Land Use Change in the 21st Century: Is (Rangeland) Science Relevant?

Rapidly increasing demand for food, fiber, and fuel together with new technologies and the mobility of global capital are driving revolutionary changes in land use throughout the world. Efforts to increase land productivity include conversion of millions of hectares of rangelands to crop production, including many marginal lands with low resistance and resilience to degradation. Sustaining the productivity of these lands requires careful land use planning and innovative management systems. Historically, this responsibility has been left to agronomists and others with expertise in crop production. In this article, we argue that the revolutionary land use changes necessary to support national and global food security potentially make rangeland science more relevant now than ever. Maintaining and increasing relevance will require a revolutionary change in range science from a discipline that focuses on a particular land use or land cover to one that addresses the challenge of managing all lands that, at one time, were considered to be marginal for crop production. We propose four strategies to increase the relevance of rangeland science to global land management: 1) expand our awareness and understanding of local to global economic, social, and technological trends in order to anticipate and identify drivers and patterns of conversion; 2) emphasize empirical studies and modeling that anticipate the biophysical (ecosystem services) and societal consequences of large-scale changes in land cover and use; 3) significantly increase communication and collaboration with the disciplines and sectors of society currently responsible for managing the new land uses; and 4) develop and adopt a dynamic and flexible resilience-based land classification system and data-supported conceptual models (e.g., state-and-transition models) that represent all lands, regardless of use and the consequences of land conversion to various uses instead of changes in state or condition that are focused on a single land use. La creciente demanda de alimentos, fibras y combustibles de manera simultánea con las nuevas tecnologías y la movilidad global del capital están ocasionando cambios revolucionados en el uso de la tierra en todo el mundo. Los esfuerzos para incrementar la productividad de la tierra incluyen la conversión de millones de hectáreas de pastizales a la producción de granos, incluyendo tierras marginales con bajo resistencia y resilencia a la degradación. Sostener la productividad de estas tierras requiere planeación cuidadosa del uso de la tierra y sistemas de manejo innovadores. Históricamente, esta responsabilidad se ha dejado a agrónomos y otros expertos en producción de granos. En este articulo, discutimos que los revolucionados cambios en uso de la tierra necesarios para sostener la seguridad alimentaria nacional y mundial potencialmente hacen a la ciencia del pastizal más relevante ahora que nunca. Mantener e incrementar esa relevancia requerirá de cambios revolucionarios en la ciencia del pastizal de una disciplina que se enfoca en un uso particular de la tierra o cubierta vegetal a una que considere el reto de manejar todas las tierras que en algún tiempo fueron consideradas marginales para la producción de granos. Proponemos cuatro estrategias para aumentar la relevancia de la ciencia del pastizal a un manejo global de la tierra: 1) extender nuestra conocimiento y concientización del ámbito local a tendencias globales económicas, sociales y tecnológicas con el fin de anticipar e identificar conductores y patrones de conversión, 2) enfatizar en estudios empíricos y modelaje que anticipe las consecuencias biofísicas (servicios de los ecosistemas) y sociales de cambios en la cobertura y uso de la tierra en gran escala, 3) aumentar significativamente la comunicación y colaboración con las disciplinas y sectores de la sociedad actualmente responsables en el manejo del nuevo uso de la tierra, y 4) desarrollar y adoptar un sistema de clasificación dinámica y flexible basado en la resilencia de la tierra y modelos conceptuales apoyados en datos (ejm. Modelos de Estado y Transición) que representan todas las tierras, independientemente del uso y las consecuencias en la conversión de tierras para varios usos el lugar de cambios en el estado y condición que se enfocan en un solo uso de la tierra.

Big Questions Emerging from a Century of Rangeland Science and Management

“This special issue commemorates the centennial of the Jornada Experimental Range. …We use the Jornada centennial as an opportunity to reflect on the history of rangeland science and how it prepares us to answer the big questions of our time. We asked 56 researchers from seven countries to discuss a set of questions conveyed in the titles and main themes of the papers in this special issue…”

How Can Science Be General, Yet Specific? The Conundrum of Rangeland Science in the 21st Century

A critical challenge for range scientists is to provide input to management decisions for land units where little or no data exist. The disciplines of range science, basic ecology, and global ecology use different perspectives and approaches with different levels of detail to extrapolate information and understanding from well-studied locations to other land units. However, these traditional approaches are expected to be insufficient in the future as both human and climatic drivers change in magnitude and direction, spatial heterogeneity in land cover and its use increases, and rangelands become increasingly connected at local to global scales by flows of materials, people, and information. Here we argue that to overcome limitations of each individual discipline, and to address future rangeland problems effectively, scientists will need to integrate these disciplines successfully and in novel ways. The objectives of this article are 1) to describe the background, historical development, and limitations of current approaches employed by these disciplines; 2) to describe an integrated approach that takes advantage of the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of these individual approaches; and 3) to discuss the challenges and implications of this integrated approach to the future of range science when climate and human drivers are nonstationary. This integration will be critical for applying range science to the management of specific land units; will contribute to and benefit from the development of general ecological principles; and will assist in addressing problems facing society at regional, continental, and global scales.

Rangeland Assessment and Monitoring Methods Guide: An interactive tool for selecting methods for assessment and monitoring

A common concern expressed by land managers and biologists is that they do not know enough about the strengths and weaknesses of different fi eld and remote-sensing methods for rangeland assessment and monitoring. Many are uncertain about which method or combination of methods are most useful for collecting rangeland data to meet their specifi c monitoring or assessment objectives, or they rely on methods that they have used previously without evaluating whether or not they provide the most appropriate information for their specifi c objective. Rapid technological developments, limited experience with only a few methods, or the scattered nature of detailed information pertaining to different methods (especially fi eld versus remote-sensing methods) are just some of the reasons for this discomfort. The Rangeland Assessment and Monitoring Methods Guide (Methods Guide for short; available at http://www.rangelandmethods.org) was developed to address these needs and as a resource to synthesize and interpret information on a wide diversity of techniques for collecting data on the condition and trend of rangeland resources. The Methods Guide is a Web-based resource that provides researchers and managers with information necessary to make informed decisions about which fi eld and remotesensing method or combination of methods could be most useful and cost-effective for their individual needs. Originally developed by The Nature Conservancy’s Idaho Chapter Landscape Toolbox projecti and Oregon Chapter Sagebrush Cooperative,ii the Methods Guide is now being maintained and further developed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Jornada Experimental Range. The Methods Guide project benefi ted from the advice and contributions of over 20 rangeland scientists and managers in both the design and content-creation phases of the project. The Methods Guide consists of two parts (Fig. 1) described in greater detail in the following sections. First, it offers a discovery tool that provides information on fi eld and remote-sensing methods relevant to user-defi ned management questions or objectives. The second part is a wiki devoted to describing rangeland applications of each of the methods. The Methods Guide is intended to be the users’ fi rst step in selecting assessment and monitoring protocols by providing information on strengths, limitations, and rangeland applications. This information helps focus further inquiry on a more limited range of techniques.

Effects of large herbivore exclusion on southern Mongolian desert steppes

Large areas of Mongolia have been subject to semi-nomadic pastoralism for centuries, but recently increasing livestock numbers have raised concerns about possible degradation effects. We assessed the impact of grazing in southern Mongolian desert steppes (mean precipitation <150 mm) over eight years in order to capture the high interannual variation, as well as possible medium-term trends in the management regime. We assessed whether the impact of varying precipitation levels (coefficient of variation >30%) exceeds the effects of grazing on vegetation composition, species richness, plant flowering activity, biomass production, and soil nutrient content. The data presented here originate from a set of nine fenced exclosures established in 1999. Plant community composition and species richness showed interannual changes over years of varying precipitation levels: mean species numbers on ungrazed plots ranged between 8 and 19 per 100 m 2. Grazing effects were apparent but light, as grazed plots had, on average, 1–2 species fewer than ungrazed plots. There was also no evidence of directed succession under grazing exclusion. Mean numbers of flowering species on ungrazed plots ranged between 2 and 14 over the years while numbers on grazed plots were slightly lower (range 1–12). In one moist year, mean biomass production in previously ungrazed plots was higher than in previously grazed plots (ca. 800 kg/ha vs. 250 kg/ha), but differences in a subsequent drier year were negligible. This was paralleled by soil phosphorus content, which tended to be higher inside the exclosures. The overriding effects of precipitation variability are in line with the non-equilibrium theory of rangeland science and imply that the risk of direct degradation is low in southern Mongolian drylands. However, small but statistically significant differences between grazed and ungrazed sites suggest that herbivore impact is apparent and can alter plant reproduction and, ultimately, soil conditions and productivity.

Cooperative Permittee Monitoring: The Sublette County, Wyoming Experience

Rangeland monitoring is certainly not new. Land management agencies have been monitoring for decades. Universities have offered rangeland assessment and analysis classes as prerequisites for rangeland science majors for nearly as long. Extension too has sponsored workshops and seminars on rangeland monitoring for many years. However, the notion of encour aging permittee involvement in monitoring federal grazing lands?as an active partner with agency rangeland manage ment specialists?is a newer phenomenon. Here we will share the story of what has been happening with Cooperative Permittee Monitoring in the Green River valley of western Wyoming. It is just one story. There are many other indi viduals and groups who could share their success stories about permittee monitoring within Wyoming, and indeed, across the West.

Role of aerial photos in compiling a long-term remote sensing data set

Long-term data sets are important in the fields of ecology, hydrology, rangeland science, and geography. Remote sensing is an especially important component of such studies when spatial and temporal capabilities are important considerations. In many cases, satellite remote sensing is not adequate because of resolution or length of observation drawbacks. However, aerial photography, which extends back into the mid 1930s, is often overlooked. In order to find relevant imagery, considerable effort needs to be expended because the aerial photos over a particular study area can be scattered in a large number of archives across the country. Once the photos are assembled, digital scanning, proper documentation, storage, and a searchable data base are necessary to make easy and effective use of the aerial photos. The aerial photo data are of immense value to researchers, natural resource managers, students, and the general public.

One Hundred Years of Separation: The Historical Ecology of a South African ‘Coloured Reserve’

During the twentieth century, the 20,000 hectares commons surrounding the village of Paulshoek as well as the neighbouring privately-owned farms have been significantly influenced by evolving land-use practices driven largely by socio-economic and political change in the broader Namaqualand and South African region. Land-use practices in the communal lands of Namaqualand were based initially on transhumant pastoralism, then on extensive dryland cropping associated with livestock production under restricted mobility, and more recently on a sedentarized labour reserve where agricultural production now forms a minor part of the local economy. For the first half of the twentieth century, farmers on communal and privately-owned farms shared similar transhumant pastoral practices and both moved across unfenced farm boundaries. By the middle of the century, however, fence-lines were established and commercial farming on privately-owned farms was increasingly managed according to rangeland science principles. As the population grew in the communal areas, families gravitated to new ‘service’ villages such as Paulshoek and became increasingly dependent on migrant labour and state welfare. While the majority of former croplands are now fallow, many of them for decades or more, communal livestock populations have remained relatively high, fluctuating with rainfall. The impact of this history of land use can be compared with that of neighbouring privately-owned farms where low stocking rates, coupled with a variety of state subsidies, have had a very different environmental outcome. This article charts the environmental transformations that have occurred in the area of Paulshoek as a direct result of the region's political history and the evolution of the regional economy. We present a variety of evidence drawn from archival sources, oral history, repeat aerial and ground photography, and detailed climate, cropping and livestock records to show that events far beyond the borders of Namaqualand's communal areas have had a profound influence on their environments.

Impacts of grazing and rainfall variability on the dynamics of a Sahelian rangeland revisited ( )—new insights from old data

Understanding the dynamics of semi-arid rangelands is a prerequisite for their proper management and long-term enclosure experiments are an important tool to investigate grazing impact. Hein [2006. The impacts of grazing and rainfall variability on the dynamics of a Sahelian rangeland. Journal of Arid Environments 64, 488–504] presents findings from a 10 year enclosure experiment in the semi-arid Ferlo, Senegal. His main conclusion is that current high-grazing pressure (0.15–0.20 TLU/h) negatively affects rain use efficiency and productivity especially in dry years because differences between treatments are significant for the whole period as well as for dry years only. A re-analysis under the framework of non-equilibrium theory of rangeland science leads to an alternative interpretation of the data. The vegetation on the more intensively grazed site possesses a remarkable resilience after the drought of 1983 and 1984. Standing crop recovers fast and for 2 years is even higher on the “high grazing” treatment than on the less intensively grazed treatment. Statistical analysis confirms this: a general linear model for standing crop against effective precipitation and grazing treatment finds a significant contribution of precipitation only ( p < 0.0001 ) . Thus, vegetation dynamics in the semi-arid Ferlo largely follows a non-equilibrium dynamic as it is rather driven by precipitation dynamics than by grazing. This also leads to different policy implications: droughts reduce livestock density and thus are important to allow the vegetation to rest for 1 or 2 years.