Rangeland Manager Resources

UC Cooperative Extension hosted an Annual Rangeland Management Workshop on Thursday, May 31, 2018 in collaboration with Chico State and UC Rangelands. In California, there is over 34 million acres of grazed rangeland. The complexities associated with rangeland management are increasing due to a growing body of scientific research, an expanding public stakeholder base and evolving government policies. The workshop equipped ranchers, land managers, technical resources providers and college students with scientifically based management practices, resources and network to support sustainable livestock grazing enterprises on California’s rangelands. Attendees received resource below in a technical binder. 

Technical Resource Guide

The technical resources below have been provided by the Cal-Pac section Society for Range Management, Certified Rangeland Manager (CRM) panel in April 2018. Documents included are from which CRM exam questions will be drawn. For more information on the California CRM Program click here. 

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Ecological Sites

Bestelmeyer, B. T., K. Moseley, P. Shaver, H. Sanchez, D. Briske, M. E. Fernandez-Gimenez. 2010. Practical Guidance for Developing State-and-Transition Models. Rangelands. 32(6):23-30.

Bonham, C. D. 1983. Range Vegetation Classification. Rangelands. 5(1):19-21.

Briske, D.D., S.D. Fuhlendorf, and F.E. Smeins. 2005. State-and-transition models, thresholds, and rangeland health: A synthesis of Ecological Concepts and Perspectives. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 58(1):1-10.

Stringham, T. K., J. P. Repp. 2010. Ecological Site Descriptions: Consideration for Riparian Systems. Rangelands. 32(6):43-48.

Ecological Types

WOODLANDS/SAVANNAS - Hardwood Rangelands

Bartolome, J.W., B.H. Allen-Diaz, and W.J. Tietje. 1994. The effect of Quercus douglasii removal on understory yield and composition. J. Range Manage. 47:151-154.

Dahlgren, RA, WR Horwath, KW Tate, and TJ Camping. 2003. Blue oak enhance soil quality in California oak woodlands. California Agriculture 57:42-47.

Duncan, DA, NK McDougald and SE Westfall. 1987. Long-term changes from different uses of foothill hardwood rangelands. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-100, USDA Forest Service, Berkeley, CA.

McClaran, M. P. and Bartolome, J. W. 1990. Comparison of actual and predicted blue oak age structures. J. Range Manage. 43:61-63.

McCreary, Douglas D. 2001. Regenerating Rangeland Oaks in California. Publication 21601, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Oakland, CA.

GRASSLANDS - Annual Grasslands

George, Mel, Jim Bartolome, Neil McDougald, Mike Connor, Charles Vaughn and Gary Markegard. 2001. Annual Range Forage Production. ANR Publ. 8018, Div. of Agric. And Nat. Res., Univ. of Calif., Oakland, Calif. 9 pgs. **The updated version printed in 2016.

George, M. R. , W. A. Williams, N. K. McDougald, W. J. Clawson and A. H. Murphy. 1989. Predicting peak standing crop on annual range using weather variables. J. Range Manage. 42(6):508-513.

Gordon, A. and A.W. Sampson. 1939. Composition of common California foothill plants as a factor in range management. Calif. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 627. 

Riparian Areas

Ward, T.A., K.W. Tate, and E.R. Atwill. 2003. Guidelines for Monitoring the Establishment of Riparian Grazing Systems. ANR Publ. No. 8094. Div. of Agric. And Nat. Res., Univ. of Calif., Oakland, Calif. 37 pgs.

Ward, T.A., K.W. Tate, and E.R. Atwill. 2003. Visual Assessment of Riparian Health. ANR Publ. No. 8089. Div. of Agric. And Nat. Res., Univ. of Calif., Oakland, Calif. 23 pgs.

ASSESSMENT/MONITORING

Vegetation Measurement

Coulloudon, B., Eshelman, K., Gianola, J., Habich, N., Hughes, L., Johnson, C., Pellant, M., Podborny,  P., Rasmussen, A., Robles, B., Shaver, P., Spehar, J., Willoughby, J. 1999. Sampling Vegetation Attributes, Technical Reference 1734-4. Bureau of Land Management. Denver, Colorado.

Pelland, Mike, Patrick Shaver, David A. Pyke, and Jeffrey E. Herrick. 2005. Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health-Version 4. Technical Reference 1734-6, National Science and Technology Center, USDI Bureau of Land Management, Denver, CO 25047.

Residual Dry Matter

Bartolome J.W., W.E. Frost, N.K. McDougald and J.M. Connor. 2002. California Guidelines for Residual Dry Matter (RDM) Management on Coastal and Foothill Annual Rangelands. Rangeland Monitoring Series, University of California Ag and Nat Res Pub 8092. Oakland, CA. 8 p.

Bartolome, J.W., Stroud, M., Heady, H.F. 1980. Influence of natural mulch on forage production of differing California annual range sites. Journal of range management 33(1): 4-8

Harris, N. R., W. E. Frost, N. K. McDougald, M. R. George, and D. L. Nielsen. 2002. Long-term residual dry matter mapping for monitoring California hardwood rangelands. p. 87–96. In: R.B.

Hedrick, D.W. 1948. The Mulch Layer of California Annual Ranges. Journal of Range Management. Vol. 1(1). pp. 22-25.

Water Quality

Tate, K.W., R.A. Dahlgren, M.J. Singer, B. Allen-Diaz and E.R. Atwill. 1999. Monitoring Water Quality on California Rangeland Watersheds: Timing is Everything. California Agriculture. 53:44-48.

Lewis, D.J., K.W. Tate, and J.M. Harper. 2000. Sediment delivery monitoring: A water quality tool for California Rangeland watersheds. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 8014. Davis, California.

Livestock/Grazing Management

George, M R., G. Nader, N. McDougald, M. Connor and W. E. Frost. Annual Rangeland Forage Quality. 2001. ANR Publ. 8022, Div. of Agric. And Nat. Res., Univ. of Calif., Oakland, Calif.

Lile, D.F., K.W. Tate, D.L. Lancaster, and B.M. Karle. 2003. Stubble Height Standards for Sierra Nevada Meadows can be Difficult to Meet. California Agriculture. 57:60-64

McDougald, N. K., W. E. Frost, and R. L. Phillips. 2001. Livestock Management During Drought. ANR Publ. 8034, Div. of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Calif., Oakland, Calif.

*Launchbaugh, K.L., J.W. Walker, R. Danes, editors. 2006. Targeted Grazing: A Natural Approach to Vegetation Management and Landscape Enhancement. Centennial (CO): American Sheep Industry Association.

LAWS and LAND MANAGEMENT POLICIES

Council on Environmental Quality, 2007. The Citizen's Guide to the National Environmental Policy Act.