Definition of Rangelands and Forests

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Definition of Rangelandsand Forests

• Paul Geissler
• Alison Hill

2
We have a good conceptual definition of
rangelands
"Land on which the indigenous vegetation (climax
or natural potential) is predominantly grasses,
grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs and is
managed as a natural ecosystem. If plants are
introduced, they are managed similarly.
Rangelands included natural grasslands, savannas,
shrublands, many deserts, tundras, alpine
communities, marshes and meadows - Society for
Range Management
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• To collect data in the field and estimate the
  area of rangelands, we need agreement on an
  operational definition.
• What is the climax or natural potential
  vegetation?
• How much of what is predominantly?
• What species are included in grasses,
  grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs?

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• An agreement on a definition is important
• One of our proposed indicators is the area of
  rangelands, and we cannot measure it without a
  clear definition.
• For the other indicators to be meaningful, we
  need to define specifically what area we are
  talking about.
• Differences in the definitions of rangelands and
  forests are very long-standing and contentious
  issues.
• Different definitions of forests differ by 40 to
  60 million acres

5

• The Oregon Demonstration Project looked at
  differences between the Forest Inventory and
  Analysis (FIA, Forest Service USFS) definitions
  and the National Resources Inventory (NRI,
  Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS)
  definitions.
• USFS and NRCS agreed on at least a 10 stocking
  in trees to define forests, but operationally FIA
  uses 10 or more crown cover and NRI uses 25 or
  more.

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• FIA classifies oak woodland and juniper woodland
  as forests, whereas NRI classifies as rangeland
• FIA considers junipers as trees, whereas NRI
  considers them as shrubs
• There is a than 10 to 15 difference

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The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) can
help reach agreement on definitions.

• Chaired by the Secretary of the Interior
• Senior representatives of each department
• USDA - Mack Gray, Acting Deputy Under Secretary
  for Natural Resources and the Environment
• DOI - Dr. Charles Groat, Director, USGS
• Executive Order 12906
• OMB Circular A-16

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"The Federal Geographic Data Committee
coordinates the development of the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI
encompasses policies, standards, and procedures
for organizations to cooperatively produce and
share geographic data. The 17 federal agencies
that make up the FGDC are developing the NSDI in
cooperation with organizations from state, local
and tribal governments, the academic community,
and the private sector."
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• FGDC Standards Procedure
• Set up a project committee including all major
  stakeholders
• Extensive collaboration and review
• Includes a Federal Register notice
• Establishes a standard for the Federal
  Government

10

• Relevant FGDC subcommittees and working groups
• Sustainable Forest Data Working Group Paul
  Geissler (USGS) and Rich Guldin (USFS) cochairs
• Vegetation Subcommittee - Alison Hill (USFS)
  chair
• Sample Inventory and Monitoring of Natural
  Resources and the Environment (SIMNRE) Working
  Group - Jeff Goebel (NRCS) chair
• Earth Cover Working Group, Thomas Livari (NRCS)
  chair

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• Our request to SRR
• Participate in the process of defining rangeland
  and forests
• Appoint members to the FGDC Project Committee
• We hope to reach the range community through the
  SRR.

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• Products
• White paper describing the issues
• A collaborative process for defining rangelands
  and forests and their overlap (if any)
• Agreement on operational definitions

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• Current Participants
• Roundtable on Sustainable Forests
• Core Group expressed support and asked their
  Technical Work Group to participate in the
  Project Committee
• FGDC Sustainable Forest Data Working Group
• FGDC Vegetation Subcommittee
• FGDC Sample Inventory and Monitoring of Natural
  Resources and the Environment (SIMNRE) Working
  Group

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• FGDC Sustainable Forest Data Working Group
• Responsible for implementing the MOU signed by
• Cooperative State Research, Education and
  Extension Service
• Forest Service
• National Agricultural Statistics Service
• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Department of Defense
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Bureau of Land Management
• National Park Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Office of Policy Analysis, Department of the
  Interior
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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FGDC Sustainable Forest Data Working Group The
MOU states that "Agencies will work together to
resolve data issues that are beyond the means or
jurisdiction of any single agency, avoid future
inconsistencies and incompleteness in data
coverage, and otherwise coordinate data
activities as appropriate to their missions and
consistent with their statutory
responsibilities."
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• FGDC Sustainable Forest Data Working Group
• Is setting up project committees for
• Definition of rangeland and forests
• Fragmentation
• A National Strategy for Monitoring Human
  Community and Economic Indicators
• Taxonomy and measures for non-timber forest
  products and services
• Hope to have agreements in time for 2008 report.

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• FGDC Sample Inventory and Monitoring of Natural
  Resources and the Environment (SIMNRE) Working
  Group
• Coordinated the Oregon Demonstration Projects
• Developed a proposal for coordinating inventory
  efforts and definitions

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• FGDC SIMNRE Working Group
• Cooperating agencies
• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Forest Service
• National Agricultural Statistics Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Bureau of Land Management