State-and-transition models, thresholds, and rangeland health: A synthesis of ecological concepts and perspectives

Rangeland Ecology and Management

Volumn 58, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 1-10

  Briske, D D ^a   Fuhlendorf, S D ^b   Smeins, F E ^a  

^a TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Ecological thresholds; Multiple stable states; Range condition; Rangeland ecology; Rangeland evaluation and monitoring

Indexed keywords

RANGELAND;

EID: 22744441364     PISSN: 15507424     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2111/1551-5028(2005)58<1:SMTARH>2.0.CO;2     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. ARCHER, S. 1994. Woody plant encroachment into southwestern grasslands and savannas: Rates, patterns and proximate causes. In: M. Vavra, W. Laycock, and R. Pieper [eds.]. Ecological implications of livestock herbivory in the West. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. p 13-68.
2. ARCHER, S., T. W. BOUTTON, AND K. A. HIBBARD. 2001. Trees in grasslands: biogeochemical consequences of woody plant expansion. In: E.-D. Schulze, S. P. Harrison, M. Heimann, E. A. Holland, J. Lloyd, I. C. Prentice, and D. Schimel [eds.]. Global biogeochemical cycles in the climate system. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. p 115-137.
3. ARCHER, S., AND F. E. SMEINS. 1991. Ecosystem-level processes. In: R. K. Heitschmidt and J. W. Stuth [eds.]. Grazing management: an ecological perspective. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p 109-139.
4. ARCHER, S., AND C. STOKES. 2000. Stress, disturbance and change in rangeland ecosystems. In: O. Arnalds and S. Archer [eds.]. Rangeland desertification. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. p 17-38.
5. BESTELMEYER, B. T., J. R. BROWN, K. M. HAVSTAD, R. ALEXANDER, G. CHAVEZ, AND J. E. HERRICK. 2003. Development and use of state-and-transition models for rangelands. Journal of Range Management 56:114-126.
6. BESTELMEYER, B. T., J. E. HERRICK, J. R. BROWN, D. A. TRUJILLD, AND K. M. HAVSTAD. 2004. Land management in the American southwest: a state-and-transition approach to ecosystem complexity. Environmental Management 34:38-51.
7. BRIGGS, J. M., G. A. HOCH, AND L. C. JOHNSON. 2002. Assessing the rate, mechanisms, and consequences of the conversion of tallgrass prairie to Juniperus virginiana forest. Ecosystems 5:578-586.
8. BRISKE, D. D., S. D. FUHLENDORF, AND F. E. SMEINS. 2003. Vegetation dynamics on rangelands: a critique of the current paradigms. Journal of Applied Ecology 40:601-614.
9. BROWN, J. R., AND S. ARCHER. 1989. Woody plant invasion of grasslands: establishment of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) on sites differing in herbaceous biomass and grazing history. Oecologia 80:19-26.
10. BROWN, J. R., AND S. ARCHER. 1999. Shrub invasion of grasslands: recruitment is continuous and not regulated by herbaceous density or biomass. Ecology 80:2385-2396.
11. CHAPIN, F. S., B. H. WALKER, R. J. HOBBS. D. U. HOOPER, J. H. LAWTON, O. E. SALA, AND D. TILMAN. 1997. Biotic control over the functioning of ecosystems. Science 277:500-504.
12. CHASE, J. M. 2003. Community assembly: when should history matter? Oecologia 136:489-498.
13. CLEMENTS, F. E. 1916. Plant succession: an analysis of the development of vegetation. Washington, DC: Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publication 242. 512 p.
14. DEANGELIS, D. L., AND J. C. WATERHOUSE. 1987. Equilibrium and nonequilibrium concepts in ecological models. Ecological Monographs 57:1-21.
15. DÍAZ, S., D. D. BRISKE, AND S. MCINTYRE. 2002. Range management and plant functional types. In: A. C. Grice and K. C. Hodgkinson [eds.]. Global rangelands: Progress and prospects. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. p 81-100.
16. DYKSTERHUIS, E. J. 1949. Condition and management of rangeland based on quantitative ecology. Journal of Range Management 2:104-105.
17. ELLIS, J. E., AND D. M. SWIFT. 1988. Stability of African pastoral ecosystems: alternate paradigms and implications for development. Journal of Range Management 41:450-459.
18. ELLISON, L. 1949. The ecological basis for judging condition and trend on mountain rangeland. Journal of Forestry 47:787-795.
19. FERNANDEZ-GIMENEZ, M. E., AND B. ALLEN-DIAZ. 1999. Testing a non-equilibrium model of rangeland vegetation dynamics in Mongolia. Journal of Applied Ecology 36:871-885.
20. FRIEDEL, M. H. 1991. Range condition assessment and the concept of thresholds: a viewpoint. Journal of Range Management 44:422-426.
21. FUHLENDORF, S. D., D. D. BRISKE, AND F. E. SMEINS. 2001. Herbaceous vegetation change in variable rangeland environments: the relative contribution of grazing and climatic variability. Applied Vegetation Science 4:177-188.
22. FUHLENDORF, S. D., AND F. E. SMEINS. 1996. Spatial scale influence on long-term temporal patterns of a semi-arid grassland. Landscape Ecology 11:107-113.
23. FUHLENDORF, S. D., AND F. E. SMEINS. 1997. Long-term vegetation dynamics mediated by herbivores, weather and fire in a Juniperus-Quercus savanna. Journal of Vegetation Science 8:819-828.
24. FUHLENDORF, S. D., AND F. E. SMEINS. 1998. The influence of soil depth on plant species response to grazing within a semi-arid savanna. Plant Ecology 138:89-96.
25. FUHLENDORF, S. D., AND F. E. SMEINS. 1999. Scaling effects of grazing in a semi-arid savanna. Journal of Vegetation Science 10:731-738.
26. FUHLENDORF, S. D., F. E. SMEINS, AND W. E. GRANT. 1996. Simulation of a fire-sensitive ecological threshold: a case study of Ashe juniper on the Edwards Plateau of Texas, USA. Ecological Modelling 90:245-255.
27. HAVSTAD, K. M., AND J. E. HERRICK. 2003. Long-term ecological monitoring. Arid Land Research and Management 17:389-400.
28. HEISLER, J. L., J. M. BRIGGS, AND A. K. KNAPP. 2003. Long-term patterns of shrub expansion in a C4-dominated grassland: fire frequency and the dynamics of shrub cover and abundance. American Journal of Botany 90:423-428.
29. HIBBARD, K. A., D. S. SCHIMEL, S. ARCHER, D. S. OJIMA, AND W. PARTON. 2003. Grassland to woodland transitions: integrating changes in landscape structure and biogeochemistry. Ecological Applications 13:911-926.
30. HOLLING, C. S. 1973. Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 4:1-23.
31. HUENNEKE, L. F., J. P. ANDERSON, M. REMMENGA, AND W. H. SCHLESINGER. 2002. Desertification alters patterns of aboveground net primary production in Chihuahuan ecosystems. Global Change Biology 8:247-264.
32. ILLIUS, A. W., AND T. G. O'CONNOR. 1999. On the relevance of non-equilibrium concepts to arid and semi-arid grazing systems. Ecological Applications 9:798-813.
33. JOYCE, L. A. 1993. The life cycle of the range condition concept. Journal of Range Management 46:132-138.
34. LANDSBERG, J., C. D. JAMES, J. MACONOCHIE, A. O. NICHOLLS, J. STOL, AND R. TYNAN. 2002. Scale-related effects of grazing on native plant communities in an arid rangeland region of South Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 39:427-444.
35. LAYCOCK, W. A. 1989. Secondary succession and range condition criteria: introduction to the problem. In: W. K. Lauenroth and W. A. Laycock [eds.]. Secondary succession and the evaluation of rangeland condition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p 1-15.
36. LAYCOCK, W. A. 1991. Stable states and thresholds of range condition on North American rangelands: a viewpoint. Journal of Range Management 44:427-433.
37. LAYCOCK, W. A. 2003. Lessons from the past: have we learned from our mistakes? Arid Land Research and Management 17:359-367.
38. LUDWIG, J. A., AND D. J. TONGWAY. 2000. Viewing rangelands as landscape systems. In: O. Arnalds and S. Archer [eds.]. Rangeland desertification. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. p 39-52.
39. LUDWIG, J. A., J. A., WIENS, AND D. J. TDNGWAY. 2000. A scaling rule for landscape patches and how it applies to conserving soil resources in savannas. Ecosystems 3:84-97.
40. MAY, R. M. 1977. Thresholds and breakpoints in ecosystems with a multiplicity of stable states. Nature 269:471-477.
41. NORRIS, M. D., J. M. BLAIR, L. C. JOHNSON, AND R. B. MCKANE. 2001. Assessing changes in biomass, productivity, and C and N stores following Juniperus virginiana forest expansion into tallgrass prairie. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 31:1940-1946.
42. NRC (NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL) 1994. Rangeland health: New methods to classify, inventory, and monitor rangelands. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 180 p.
43. PENDLETON, D. T. 1989. Range condition as used in the Soil Conservation Service. In: W. K. Lauenroth and W. A. Laycock [eds.]. Secondary succession and the evaluation of rangeland condition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p 17-34.
44. PETERSON, G., C. R. ALLEN, AND C. S. HOLLING. 1998. Ecological resilience, biodiversity, and scale. Ecosystems 1:6-18.
45. PROVENZA, F. D. 1991. Viewpoint: range science and range management are complementary but distinct endeavors. Journal of Range Management 44:181-183.
46. PYKE, D. A., J. E. HERRICK, P. SHAVER, AND M. PELLANT. 2002. Rangeland health attributes and indicators for qualitative assessment. Journal of Range Management 55:584-597.
47. RODRIGUEZ IGLESIAS, R. M., AND M. M. KOTHMANN. 1997. Structure and causes of vegetation change in state and transition model applications. Journal of Range Management 50:399-408.
48. RYERSON, D. E., AND R. R. PARMENTER. 2001. Vegetation change following removal of keystone herbivores from desert grasslands in New Mexico. Journal of Vegetation Science 12:167-180.
49. SAMPSON, A. W. 1917. Succession as a factor in range management. Journal of Forestry 15:593-596.
50. SAMPSON, A. W. 1919. Plant succession in relation to range management. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 791.
51. SCHEFFER, M., S. CARPENTER, J. A. FOLEY, C. FOLKE, AND B. WALKER. 2001. Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems. Nature 413:591-596.
52. SCHLESINGER, W. H., J. F. REYNOLDS, G. L. CUNNINGHAM, L. F. HUENNEKE, W. M. JARRELL, R. A. VIRGINIA, AND W. G. WHITFORD. 1990. Biological feedbacks in global desertification. Science 247:1043-1084.
53. SMITH, E. L. 1988. Successional concepts in relation to range condition assessment. In: P. T. Tueller [ed.]. Vegetation science applications for rangeland analysis and management. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. p 113-133.
54. SMITH, E. L. 1989. Range condition and secondary succession: a critique. In: W. K. Lauenroth and W. A. Laycock [eds.]. Secondary succession and the evaluation of rangeland condition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p 103-141.
55. SMITH, E. L. 2003. The struggle for a uniform monitoring system. Arid Land Research and Management 17:347-358.
56. SRM TASK GROUP (SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT TASK GROUP ON UNITY IN CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY COMMITTEE, SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT). 1995. New concepts for assessment of rangeland condition. Journal of Range Management 48:271-282.
57. STAFFORD SMITH, M. 1996. Management of rangelands: paradigms at their limits. In: J. Hodgson and A.W. Illius [eds.]. The ecology and management of grazing systems. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. p 325-357.
58. STRINGHAM, T. K., W. C. KRUEGER, AND P. L. SHAVER. 2003. State and transition modeling: an ecological process approach. Journal of Range Management 56:106-113.
59. SUDING, K. N., K. L. GROSS, AND G. R. HOUSEMAN. 2004. Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 19:46-53.
60. USDA, NRCS. 1997. National range and pasture handbook. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Grazing Lands Technology Institute. 190-vi-NRPH.
61. USDA, SCS. 1975. National range handbook. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.
62. VALONE, T. J., M. MEYER, J. H. BROWN, AND R. M. CHEW. 2002. Timescale of perennial grass recovery in desertified arid grasslands following livestock removal. Conservation Biology 16:995-1002.
63. VAN DE KOPPEL, J., M. RIETKERK, F. VAN LANGEVELDE, L. KUMAR, C. A. KLAUSMEIER, J. M. FRYXELL, J. W. HEARNE, J. VAN ANDEL, N. DE RIDDER, A. SKIDMORE, L. STROOSNIJDER, AND H. H. T. PRINS. 2002. Spatial heterogeneity and irreversible vegetation change in semiarid grazing systems. American Naturalist 159:209-218.
64. WALKER, B. 1995. Conserving biological diversity through ecosystem resilience. Conservation Biology 9:747-752.
65. WATSON, I. W., D. G. BURNSIDE, AND A. MCR. HOLM. 1996. Event-driven or continuous; which is the better model for managers? Australian Rangeland Journal 18:351-369.
66. WEST, N. E. 2003. Theoretical underpinnings of rangeland monitoring. Arid Land Research and Management 17:333-346.
67. WEST, N. E., AND T. P. YORKS. 2002. Vegetation responses following wildfire on grazed and ungrazed sagebrush semi-desert. Journal of Range Management 55:171-181.
68. WESTOBY, M., B. H. WALKER, AND I. NOY-MEIR. 1989. Opportunistic management for rangelands not at equilibrium. Journal of Range Management 42:266-274.
69. WHISENANT, S. G. 1999. Repairing damaged wildlands: A process-oriented, landscape-scale approach. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 312 p.
70. WIENS, J. A. 1984. On understanding a nonequilibrium world: myth and reality in community patterns and processes. In: O. R. Strong, D. Simberloff, L. Abele, and A. B. Thistle [eds.]. Ecological communities: Conceptual issues and the evidence. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p 439-458.
71. WU, J., AND O. L. LOUCKS. 1995. From balance of nature to hierarchical patch dynamics: a paradigm shift in ecology. Quarterly Review of Biology 70: 439-466.