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Incorporating Hydrologic Data and Ecohydrologic Relationships into Ecological Site Descriptions.
Williams C.J., Pierson F.B., Spaeth K.E., Brown J.R., Al-Hamdan O.Z., Weltz M.A., Nearing M.A., Herrick J.E., Boll J., Robichaud P.R., Goodrich D.C., Heilman P., Guertin D.P., Hernandez M., Wei H., Hardegree S.P., Strand E.K., Bates J.D., Metz L.J., Nichols, M.H. 2016.
Incorporating Hydrologic Data and Ecohydrologic Relationships into Ecological Site Descriptions.
Rangeland Ecology & Management 69(1), 4–19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2016.10.001
Keywords: adaptive management, ecological site, erosion, infiltration, monitoring, multiple stable states, rangeland, rangeland health, resilience, Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model, runoff, state-and-transition models
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Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to recommend a framework and methodology for incorporating hydrologic data and
ecohydrologic relationships in Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) and thereby enhance the utility of ESDs for
assessing rangelands and guiding resilience-based management strategies. Resilience-based strategies assess
and manage ecological state dynamics that affect state vulnerability and, therefore, provide opportunities to
adapt management. Many rangelands are spatially heterogeneous or sparsely vegetated where the vegetation
structure strongly influences infiltration and soil retention. Infiltration and soil retention further influence soil
water recharge, nutrient availability, and overall plant productivity. These key ecohydrologic relationships
govern the ecologic resilience of the various states and community phases on many rangeland ecological sites
(ESs) and are strongly affected by management practices, land use, and disturbances. However, ecohydrologic
data and relationships are often missing in ESDs and state-and-transition models (STMs). To address this void,
we used literature to determine the data required for inclusion of key ecohydrologic feedbacks into ESDs,
developed a framework and methodology for data integration within the current ESD structure, and applied the
framework to a select ES for demonstrative purposes. We also evaluated the utility of the Rangeland Hydrology
and Erosion Model (RHEM) for assessment and enhancement of ESDs based in part on hydrologic function. We
present the framework as a broadly applicable methodology for integrating ecohydrologic relationships and
feedbacks into ESDs and resilience-based management strategies. Our proposed framework increases the utility
of ESDs to assess rangelands, target conservation and restoration practices, and predict ecosystem responses to
management. The integration of RHEM technology and our suggested framework on ecohydrologic relations
expands the ecological foundation of the overall ESD concept for rangeland management and is well aligned
with resilience-based, adaptive management of US rangelands. The proposed enhancement of ESDs will improve
communication between private land owners and resource managers and researchers across multiple disciplines
in the field of rangeland management.
Moscow FSL publication no. 2016f
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