Rangland Resource Science Reference Resources -- HSU Library

Reference materials serve a variety of purposes and can sometimes be used effectively in searching the scientific literature. Reference materials can be used to:

define terminology--dictionaries
locate accepted knowledge and topical overviews--encyclopedias, handbooks and reviews
find factual information--directories and statistical compilations
identify research on specific topics--reviews and bibliographies
locate standard methods and procedures--handbooks and manuals

Following are reference materials of interest to the range scientist and manager, arranged by category of reference material.

Guides to Reference Resources

In addition to this research guide the following sources discuss the organization of research literature in rangeland resource science and list reference materials.

"Animal Science and Livestock Production" (Kasasaki) In Using the Agricultural, Environmental and Food Literature (Hutchinson and Greider) 2002 (ref S 494.5 A39 U75 2002) pp. 135-156
Guide to Sources for Agricultural and Biological Research (Blanchard & Farrell) 1981 (ref S 493 G85) Includes sections on "Animal Sciences" and "Plant Sciences".
"Literature Review" IN Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat (Cooperider) 1986 (Docs I 53.2:IN8/3)
Range Science: A Guide to Information Sources (Vallentine) 1980 (ref SF 85 V35) An older guide on how to conduct a literature search in range management along with a selected list of key range literature.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

These resources provide definitions of discipline- specific terminology and/or general introductions to topics and concepts in rangeland resource science. Most encyclopedias include references to important references in the "primary" literature.

Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science (Arntzen) 1994 (ref S 411 E713) 5 volumes
Encyclopedia of American Forest and Conservation History (Davis) 1983 (ref SD 143 E53)
Glossary of Forage Terms (Oregon State University Forage Information System)
A Glossary of Terms Used in Range Management: a Defintion of Terms Commonly Used in Range Managment (Society for Range Management Glossary Update Task Group) 1998 (ref SF 85 G56)
Range Management Terms/Definitions (Frost & Ruyle)
Terminology for Grazing Lands and Grazing Animals (Oregon State University) (print copy available in ref SF 85 F67)

Directories

These are commonly alphabetical or subject listings of people, organizations, places, or animals. In addition to those listed below many of the Internet Directories/Portals/Gateways in Rangeland Resource Science list additional Internet-based directories.

Bureau of Land Management Directory (U.S. Bureau of Land Management) Directory of BLM national and state phone numbers and webpages.
Federal Regulatory Directory (Congressional Quarterly) Biennial (ref KF 5408 A15 F4) Comprehensive guide to federal regulatory agencies. Includes laws under which agencies derive their regulatory responsibilities.
U.S. Government Manual (US National Archives & Records Service) annual (print copy available in ref JK 421 A3) Directory of agencies in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal government.

Scientific Reviews

Scientific reviews or "state-of-the-art" papers critically survey a narrow topic in a discipline. Review papers identify and evaluate research which has appeared in the "primary" literature and include extensive bibliographies. Scientific reviews typically appear in annual publications entitled "Annual review of ..." or "Advances in ...", as well as in research journals, especially those which have "review" as part of the title. As part of a search strategy review papers are an excellent "research tool" to use since they pull together information on the existing state-of-knowledge on a specific topic.

There are several ways to locate scientific reviews:

Many annual review series have cumulative indexes.
Individual review papers are commonly indexed in databases listed in Articles and Databases: Rangeland Resource Science. Create a search that includes the keyword "review" as part of your search strategy.
The "Annual Review of ..." publication series has a cumulative index which searches all reviews published from 1930 to the present.

Annual reviews of interest in rangeland resource management include the following. Use the Journal and Newspaper Finder for determine format and location.

Advances in Agronomy
Advances in Ecological Research
Advances in Soil Science
Advances in the Study of Behavior
Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics
Annual Review of Plant Physiology

Bibliographies and Literature Databases

Annotated Bibliography of Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC.) (Basile) 1967 (USFS Research Paper INT-44) (print copy available in Docs A 13. 78: INT-44)
Annotated Bibliography of the Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem in the Intermountain West (Soil & Water Conservation Society, Utah Chapter)
Annotated Bibliography on Forest-Range Ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest (Nordstrom, Newman and Wikeem) 1985 (British Columbia Ministry of Foretry Land management report no. 38)
Annotated Bibliography on the Ecology and Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Areas (Czapowskyj) 1976 (US Forest Service General Technical Report NE-21) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:NE-21)
Annotated Bibliography on the Interaction of Range Management (Livestock Grazing, Brush Management, and Prescribed Burning) or Nonmanagement with Wildlife Habitat and Wildlife (Kozicky) 1991 (SF 85 K69 1991)
Annotated Bibliography on Mineral Requirements of Ungulates and Range Nutrition (Chemical Composition of Forage Plants) (Stanlake) 1978 (SF 98 M5 S73)
Bibliography of Surface-Mine Reclamation Research: 1976-1993 (Crews) 1999 (US Forest Service General Technical Report NE-262) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:NE-262)
Computerized Bibliography of Selected Sagebrush Species (Genus Artemisia) in Western North America (Harniss) 1981 (USFS General Technical Report INT-102) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88: INT-102)
FDA Poisonous Plant Database (US Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) Searchable database containing 50,000 references to scientific literature describing studies of the toxic properties and effects of plants and plant parts.
Great Basin Bibliography (Great Basin Research and Management Partnership) Includes papers from scientific journals, theses and dissertations, government publications, and articles from popular magazines and newspapers about the issues, activities, and research within the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau regions.
Managing for Enhancement of Riparian and Wetland Areas of the Western United States: An Annotated Bibliography (Koehler and Thomas) 2000 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88: RMRS-54) (USFS General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-54) Includes approximately 2000 references on riparian and wetland management.
Range Science Information System (RSIS) (Montana State University, University of Idaho and University of Wyoming) Ongoing bibliography with over 1,400 peer-reviewed bibliographic citations of professional journal articles and documents focused on: riparian, weeds, wildlife, vegetation, soils and rangeland management.
Rangeland Restoration Bibliography (Dyer and University of Montana) Bibliography of ecological and management literature on grasslands and rangelands of the western US. The citations are almost exclusively from recognized journals and cover a wide range of topics related to habitat restoration, revegetation, management, disturbance, and general ecology. Search by publication type, topic, region, and habitat.
Selected Annotated Bibliography on Grazing Hydrology (Gifford and Springer) 1980 (SF 85 S45) Includes 217 references on grazing hydrology with author and subject indexes.
Selected Bibliography on Management of Western Ranges (USDA Misc. Pub #281) (Renner) 1938 (print copy available in Docs A 1.38:281) Classified index to range research covering the late 1800s through 1935.
Selected Bibliography on Southern Range Management - range literature through 1962 (print copy available in Docs A 13.78:SO-2); 1962-1967 (Docs A 13.78:SO-38); 1968-1972 (Docs A 13.88:SO-3); 1973-1978 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:SO-31)
The Southwestern Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem: a Bibliography (Aldon) 1973 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-4) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:RM-4)
U.S.-Canadian Range Management: A Selected Bibliography on Ranges, Pastures, Wildlife, Livestock, and Ranching, 1935-1977 (Vallentine) 1978 (ref SF 85.2 V34) Contains 20,500 references found in government publications, and 50 core range journals. The 1978-1980 Supplement (ref SF 85.3 V342) includes 3,800 additional references.
Vegetation Monitoring: An Annotated Bibliography (Elzinga & Evenden) 1997 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-352) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:INT-352) Contains over 1,400 references on the design and implementation of vegetation monitoring. Subject index includes keywords for type of monitoring or method used.

Species and Natural Community Accounts

Species accounts include natural history and life history information on individual species. Topics typically covered include description, taxonomy, distribution, life history, habitat, status, and management considerations. Natural community or habitat accounts typically characterize their natural environment.

Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds (Sheley and Petroff) 1999 (SB 612 W47 B564) The first part contains chapters reviewing the current knowledge on rangeland weed ecology and management. This is followed by scholarly accounts on 29 of the most serious weeds in the western states. Accounts include information on weed identification; origin, history and distribution; invasion potentials; biology and ecology; and management options.
Common Western Range Plants: their Fundamental Structure, Growth, Value and Management (Stechman) 1986 (SB 193.3 U5 S73 1986) Practical guide to common range plants subdivided into natural groups--grasses, grass-like plants, legumes, forbs, poisonous plants, and shrubs and trees. Includes introductory material on rangelands, range plant growth and development, and forage value.
Fire Effects Information System (US Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Sciences Laboratory) Database containing synoptic descriptions of 900 plant species, 100 animal species, and 16 Kuchler plant communities found on the North American continent. The emphasis is on fire and how it affects each species. Background information on taxonomy, distribution, basic biology, and ecology of each species is also included along with references to literature.
Grass Manual on the Web (Utah State University) Extensive source of information derived from the Manual of Grasses for North America. Information for each grass species includes a map, illustration, treatment, and synonymy.
Invasivespecies.gov (National Agricultural Library and National Invasive Species Council) Gateway to federal and state invasive species programs and activities. Site includes species profiles and links to agencies and organizations dealing with invasive species issues.
NatureServe Explorer: an Online Encyclopedia of Life (NatureServe) Database containing conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada. Search by common or scientific name. Each species or community includes information on conservation status, distribution maps, life history, and other conservation information.
North American Wildland Plants: A Field Guide (Stubbendieck, Hatch, and Landholt) 2003 (SB 193.3 N67 S88 2003) Sixth edition of North American Range Plants. Includes descriptions of the 200 most important range, riparrian and wetlant plants of North America selected because of their abundance, desirability, or poisonous properties. The list of plant species was developed over the course of 50 years by faculty from colleges and universities with rangeland management and ecology programs and the contents are now serve as the Master List fo the International Range Plant Identification Contest sponsored by the Society for Range Management. Each plant species account includes characteristics for identification; an illustration of the plant, with enlarged parts; a general distribution map; nomenclature; life span; origin; season of growth; inflorescence characteristics; vegetative characteristics; and growth characteristics. Brief notes are also included on habitat; livestock losses; forage value; and historic, food, and medicinal uses.
Plants Database (U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) Provides standardized information about plants with a focus on vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. Includes names, checklists, images, identification information, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, legal status (threatened and endangered, noxious, or wetland indicator status) and literature references. For each entry includes links to sites withrelated information.
Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animals (Cornell University Department of Animal Science) Database of poisonous plants containing plant images and information on botany, chemistry, toxicology, and diagnosis. Search by scientific or common name and browse by toxic agent or affected species.
Plants Poisonous to Livestock in the Western States (James and others) 1980 (print copies available in Docs A 1.75:415) (USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin 415) Includes popular accounts for approximatley 30 major poisonous plants in the western states. Accounts include a color photo, range map, habitat, poisoning symptoms, toxic effect and methods to reduce losses. The online site includes an additional table for "Poisonous Plants By Toxic Syndrome".
Range Plant Handbook (Dayton) 1937 (print copy available in Docs A 13.2: R16/7) Early field guide prepared by the US Forest Service to 339 important native and exotic plants of the western ranges that are important for grazing, watershed protection, and recreation. Individual descriptions include an illustration, physical description, geographic distribution, habitat and forage value.
Range Types of North America (Rosiere) Author's personal classification of the range vegetation types of North America, arranged by grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands and forests. Descriptions include color photos. Also includes an extensive literature review of vegetation classification and typing and a 40 page bibliography.
Rangeland Cover Types of the United States (Shiflet) 1994 Using existing vegetation (vegetation type and vegetation cover) rangeland cover types of the United States (exclusive of Hawaii) are classified and described. Cover types are subdivided into nine geographic regions. Sponsored by the Society for Range Management.
Reference Handbook on the Deserts of North America (Bender) 1982 (GB 612 R43 1982) Includes chapters that characterize the natural environment of the following deserts: Great Basin, Northern Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Arctic.
Toxic Plants of North America (Burrows and Tyrl) 2000 (ref QK 100 N6 B87 2000) Includes 75 chapters organized by plant family that include infomation on plant morphology and distribution; associated disease problems; toxicants and their mechanisms of actions; clinical signs and pathologic changes of intoxications; and treatment approaches.

Handbooks and Manuals

Handbooks and manuals typically fall into two basic categories--1) works that contain data and descriptive information compiled from the "primary" literature and organized into tables or expository articles that can be used to answer many basic and factual questions; and 2) works that contain procedures for experimental analysis in the field or laboratory.

E-Answers: Your Extension Information Source (Agricultural Communicators in Education) Fulltext database of research-based agricutural information, including forestry and range, produced by land grant universities through the USDA Cooperative Extension program. Search by keyword or by region. See Access to Extension and Experimentation Station Publications for additional Internet sites. Includes many handbooks and other guides.
Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology (Mueller-Dombois & Ellenburg) 1974 (QK 901 M8)
Analysis in Behavioral Ecology: A Manual for Lab and Field (Brown) 1988 (QL 751 B727 1988)
Biological Monitoring of the Environment: A Manual of Methods (Salanki, Jeffrey, & Hughes) 1994 (QH 541.15 M64 B565 1994)
Biology Data Book (Altman) 1972-1974 (ref QH 301 A39)
Botanical Survey and Monitoring Methods for Grasslands (Smith, Wells, & Welsh) 1985 (QK 306 S55)
CRC Handbook of Census Methods for Terrestrial Vertebrates (Davis) 1982 (QL 752 C7 1982)
Ecological Diversity and its Measurement (Magurran) 1988 (QL 75 M32)
Environmental Biology (Altman) 1966 (ref QH 310 A395)
Field and Laboratory Methods for Grassland and Animal Production Research (Mannetje and Jones) 2000 (SB 199 F44 2000)
Forestry Handbook (Society of American Foresters) 1984 (ref SD 373 F58 1984)
Guidelines for Managing California's Hardwood Rangelands (Standiford, Tinnin and Adams) 1996 (HD 241 G85 1996)
Handbook of Animal Science (Putnam) 1991 (SF 65.2 H36 1991)
Handbook of Biological Techniques (Wyoming Game & Fish Department) 1982 (QH 352 W95 1982)
Handbook of Ecological Monitoring (Clarke) 1986 (QH 541.15 M64 H36 1986)
Handbook of Hydrology (Maidment) 1992 (ref GB 662.5 H35)
Handbook of Plant Ecophysiology Techniques (Reigosa Roger) 2001(QK 717 H36 2001)
Handbook of Reference Methods for Plant Analysis (Kalra) 1998 (QK 865 H26 1998)
Introduction to Vegetation Analysis: Principles, Practice, and Interpretation (Causton) 1988 (QK 901 C33 1988)
Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat (Cooperrider) 1986 (print copy available in Docs I 53.2:IN 8/3)
Laboratory Guide for Conducting Soil Tests and Plant Analysis (Jones) 2001 (S 593 J615 2001)
Manual of Vegetation Analysis (Cain & Castro) 1959 (QK 911 C3)
Measurements for Terrestrial Vegetation (Bonham) 1989 (QK 911 B57 1989)
Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations (Elzinga, Salzert, & Willoughby) 1998 (print copy available in Docs I 53.2: M46/2) (BLM Technical Reference 1730-1) Presents guidelines for monitoring single plant species, such as an indicator species, key species, or weed.
Methods for Evaluating Riparian Habitats with Applications to Management (USFS General Technical Report INT-221) (Platts) 1987 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:INT-221)
Methods for Vegetation Sampling and Analysis on Revegetated Mined Lands (Chambers & Brown) 1983 (USFS General Technical Report INT-151) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:INT-151)
Methods in Ecological and Agricultural Entomology (Dent & Walton) 1997 (SB 933.3 M47 1997)
Monitoring for Conservation and Ecology (Goldsmith) 1991 (QH 541.15 M64 M66 1991)
Monitoring Manual for Grassland, Shrubland and Savanna Ecosystems Vol 1 and Vol 2 (Herrick and others) 2005 (print copy available in A 13.36/2:G 76) Manual describes how to monitor three rangeland attributes: soil and site stability, watershed function and biotic integrity.
Monitoring Plant and Animal Populations (Elzinga, Salzer, Willoughby and Gibbs) 2001 (QH 541.15 M64 M72 2001)
Monitoring Primer for Rangeland Watersheds (Bedell and Buckhouse) 1994 (print copy available in Docs EP 1.2: M74/11) Guide to design and implementation of rangeland watershed projects which have improved water quality as a goal.
Monitoring the Vegetation Resources in Riparian Areas (Winward) 2000 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:RMRS-GTR-47) (USFS General Technical Report RMRS-47)
National Range and Pasture Handbook (U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1997. Contains basic policy and procedures for planning and applying resource conservation on non-Federal grazing lands by conservation districts; and serves as a general reference for grazing lands resource information.
Nevada Rangeland Monitoring Handbook (Swanson and others) 2006
New Ranch Handbook: a Guide to Restoring Western Rangelands (Sayre) 2001 (SF 85.35 S88 S29 2001) Focus of this handbook is on how livestock ranching and conservation values can be compatible and how ranchers and environmentalists can work together to benefit rangelands.
Pacific Northwest Weed Control Handbook (Oregon State University) annual (ref SB 611 P27)
Procedures for environmental monitoring in range and wildlife habitat management (British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and British Columbia Ministry of Forests. Habitat Monitoring Committee) 1996
Range Development and Improvements (Vallentine) 1989 (SB 193 V28 1989) Core textbook and reference manual that includes both principles and practices for range improvement. Includes over 50 pages of references.
Range Improvement Handbook (Bleier) 1987 (SF 85 B54)
Range Research: Basic Problems and Techniques (Cook and Stubbendieck) 1986 (SF 85.3 R35 1986) Reference guide for range research methodology, including problems inherent to range research; methodologies used in research; and descriptions of their use, limitations and suitabilities. Chapters cover habitat assessment, vegetation, root habits and development, herbage and browse utilization, livestock selectiona and management, hydrology, and economics.
Research and Management Techniques for Wildlife and Habitats (Bookhout) 1996 (SK 355 R47 1996) Revised edition of Wildlife Management Techniques Manual.
Restoring Western Ranges and Wildlands Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 (Monsen, Stevens and Shaw) 2004 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:RMRS-136) (USFS General Technical Report RMRS-136) Major work, 20 years in the making, that provides background on the philosophy, processes, plant materials selection, site preparation, and seed and seeding equipment for revegetating disturbed rangelands, The 29 chapters in three volumes include guidelines for planning, conducting, and managing rangeland revegetation to aid practitioners in reestablishing healthy communities using native species and curbing the spread of invasive species. Includes over 75 pages of references.
Sampling Design and Statistical Methods for Environmental Biologists (Green) 1979 (QH 541.15 S72 G73)
Stockman's Handbook (Ensminger) 1992 (SF 61 E53 1992)
Techniques for Wildlife Habitat Management of Uplands (Payne and Bryant) 1994 (SK 355 P39 1994) Compilation of techniques for natural and cultural habitat improvements to enhance wildlife biodiversity on forestlands, rangelands and farmlands.
US Bureau of Land Mangement Technical Reference Series

Inventory and Monitoring Coordination Series (print copies available in Docs I 53.35: 1734-#) Series of manuals relating to ecological site inventory.

Utilization studies and residual measurements (1734-3) Inter-agency manual that contains methods for the collection of utilization data and residual measurements that can be used in evaluating the effects of grazing and browsing on rangeland.
Sampling vegetation attributes (1734-4) Inter-agency manual that contains information on vegetation sampling techniques and monitoring studies.
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (1734-6) Inter-agency manual that includes tools for conducting a preliminary evaluation of soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and integrity of the biotic community on rangelands.
Ecological Site Inventory (1734-7)

Riparian Area Management Series (print copies available in Docs I 53.35: 1737-#) Series of manuals relating to management of riparian areas.
- Inventory and Monitoring of Riparian Areas (1737-3)
- Management Techniques in Riparian Areas (1737-6)
- Procedures for Ecological Site Inventory--with Special Reference to Riparian-Wetland Sites (1737-7)
- Process for Assessing Proper Functioning Condition (1737-9)
- Use of Aerial Photography to Manage Riparian-Wetland Areas (1737-10)
- Process for Assessing the Proper Functioning Condition for Lentic Riparian-Wetland Areas (1737-11)
- Using Aerial Photographs to Access the Proper Functioning Condition of Riparian-Wetland Areas (1737-12)
- Observing Physical and Biological Change through Historical Photographs (1737-13)
- Grazing Management for Riparian-Wetland Areas (1737-14)
- User Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas (1737-15)
- User Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lentic Areas (1737-16)
- Guide to Managing, Restoring, and Conserving Springs in the Western United States (1737-17)
- Riparian-wetland soils (1737-19)
- Grazing Management Processes and Strategies for Riparian-Wetland Areas (1737-20)
- Riparian and Wetland Classification (1737-21)
- Riparian Restoration (1737-22)

Vegetation Description and Analysis: A Practical Approach (Kent & Coker) 1992 (QK 901 K37 1992)
Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas (Tu, Hurd, & Randall) 2001
Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Improvement Handbook (Payne & Copes) 1988 (print copy available in Docs A 13.36/2:W64/6)

Laws and Regulations

For legal resources of interest to range scientists and managers see:

For federal and California statutory, case and administrative law resouces available in the HSU Library see Statutory, Case and Administrative Law: Federal and California.

Geospatial Resources: Atlases, Maps, GIS, Imagery, Telemetry

See the Geospatial Resources research guide for additional print and digital geospatial resources available in the HSU Library and on the Internet, including those for California.

BLM Maps (U.S. Bureau of Land Management) (Docs I 53.11) Collection of national, state, and resource area maps received as part of the the HSU federal depository.
Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas (GLiPHA) (FAO World Agriculture Information Centre) Interactive atlas provides a scaleable overview of the spatial and temporal variation of quantitative information related to animal production and health using the combination of maps, tables and charts.
Surface Management Status (US Bureau of Land Management) (Map G 3701 G51 s100 U5) Series of maps at a scale of 1:100,000 showing US land ownership by federal agency.
WeedMapper (Oregon State University. Department of Rangeland Resources) Interactive mapper that shows locations of noxious weeds throughout Oregon as collected by responsible federal, state, and local agencies. Maps can be generated at state, county, township, or section (square mile) level.

Images and Sounds

In addition to the following resources of interest to range scientists and managers one can use general Internet image search databases to find images on the web.

American Field Guide (Oregon Public Broadcasting and PBS) Includes over 1400 videos on the American environment produced by 30 PBS stations. Search by keyword or browse by one of the broad categories--animals, ecosystems, human history, livelihoods, earth and space, plants, public policy and recreation.
Bureau of Land Management Photo Library (US Bureau of Land Managment) Photo library of BLM contemporary and historical digital images. Includes more than 3,500 historical digital images that document the nation’s westward migration and highlight the activities of the General Land Office and the Grazing Service, which were later consolidated to form the BLM.
Forestry Images: The Source for Forest Health, Natural Resources and Silviculture Images (University of Georgia Bugwood Network) Containsf images related to forest health and silviculture, with particular emphasis on educational applications. The image categories are: Insects; Diseases; Other Damage Agents; Trees; Understory and Rangeland Plants; Silvicultural Practices; Wildlife; and People, Places, and Scenes.
Plant Image Gallery (Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation) Designed to assist botanists, ecologists, and natural resource managers with the identification of plants.
Rangeland Photographs (Society for Range Management) Contains links to other sites

Environmental Reviews, Assessments & Plans

Environmental reviews typicaly provide an analysis of environmental issues along with accompanying statistical data. For broader reviews see Environmental Reviews listed in the HSU Library Environmental Science research guide. Reviews, assessments, and plans of interest to the range scientist and manager include the following. For background information see Rangeland Health: New Methods to Classify, Inventory, and Monitor Rangelands (Committee on Rangeland Classification, Board on Agriculture, National Research Council) 1994 (print copy available in SF85.3 R36 1994

Assessment of Grassland Ecosystem Conditions in the Southwestern United States (Finch) 2004 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88: RM-135 (USFS General Technical Report RM-135) Two-volume ecological assessment of grassland ecosystems in Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, and western Oklahoma, with a focus on lands administered by the USFS.
Assessment of Rangeland Condition and Trend of the United States, 1989 (Society for Range Management) 1989 (SF 85.3 A88 1989)
Major Uses of Land in the United States (US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service) Most recent inventory of major land uses in the United States based on Census of Agriculture and other sources. The report summarizes cropland, forest, pasture and range, and miscellaneous and special uses such as urban, recreational, and parkland. The first inventory dates from 1945 and is updated at 5 year intervals. The entire time series is available as the Major Land Uses data set from the Economic Research Service.
A Synoptic Review of U.S. Rangelands: a Technical Document Supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment. ( Reeves and Mitchell) 2012 USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-288.
Rangelands (Box) IN Natural Resources for the 21st Century (Sampson and Hair) 1990, pp 101-120 (print copy available in HC 103.7 N296 1990) Assessment of rangelands prepared by a Utah State University professor and presented at a conference sponsored by the American Forestry Association with many co-sponsors, including the Society for Range Mangement.
Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended, requires periodic assessments that include "an analysis of present and anticipated use, demand for and supply of the renewable resources of forest, range, and other associated lands, with consideration of the international resource situation, and an emphasis of pertinent supply, demand, and price relationship trends." Major assessments were done in 1975, 1979, 1989, 2000 and 2010, each with supporting documents.

The Nation's Renewable Resources - An Assessment (USFS Forest Resource Report #21) 1975 (print copy available in Docs A 13.50:21) First assessment.
An Assessment of the Forest and Range Land Situation in the United States (USFS Forest Resources Report #22) 1981 (Docs A 13.50:22) Second assessment.
RPA Assessment of the Forest and Rangeland Situation in the United States (USFS Forest Resources Report #26) 1989 (print copy available in Docs A 13.50:26) Third assessment.
RPA Assessment of the Forest and Rangeland Situation in the United States, 1993 Update 1994 (USFS Forest Resource Report #27) (print copy available in Docs A 13.50:27)
2000 RPA Assessment of Forest and Rangeland 2000. Fourth Assessment.
Interim Update of the 2000 Renewable Resource Planning Act Assessment. 2007
Future of America�s Forest and Rangelands: Forest Service 2010 Resources Planning Act Assessment 2012 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-87)

State of the Land (US Natural Resources and Conservation Service) Provides analysis and data on land use and change, soil erosion and soil quality, water quality, wetlands, and other issues regarding the conservation and use of natural resources on non-Federal land in the United States. Based upon the Natural Resource Inventory conducted every 5 years.
Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources 1998 (US Geological Survey Biological Resources Division) (print copy available in Docs I 19.202 ST1 and cd-rom in Docs I 19:120:ST1 CD) Large-scale assessment of the health of plants, animals, and ecosystems in the United States. In the two-volume set Part 1 describes the major factors affecting biodiversity and biological resource health, e.g., land use, climate change, nonindigenous species; and Part 2 explores the condition and status of regional biological resource, e.g., Pacific Northwest. Updates Our Living Resources: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance, and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals and Ecosystems 1995 (US National Biological Service) (Docs I 49.2 R31/15)
United States Grasslands and Related Resources: An Economic and Biological Trends Assessment (Conner, Seidl, VanTassell and Wilkens) 2001. Detailed review of the ecological and economic importance of grasslands; general trends in grassland use and ownership; and regional trends for the states of Colorada, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Texas.
Western Range: Letter from the Secretary of Agriculture Transmitting in Response to Senate Resolution no. 289: a Report on the Western Range - a Great but Neglected Natural Resource (US Forest Service) 1936 (US Docs Serial Set 10005) (74th Congress, 2d sess. Senate Document no. 199) First national assessment of range conditions.

Statistical and Data Compilations

Sources that include range and livestock data and statistics are listed below.

Agricultural Statistics (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Annual (print copy available in Docs A 1.47) Annual compendium of national and state level agricultural statistics.
Census of Agriculture (US Census Bureau) Conducted every five years the Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of United States agriculture--U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Includes comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the United States.
Grazing Statistical Summary (US Forest Service) Annual (print copies available in Docs A 13.83) Contains national, regional, and state summaries from 1967 to the present.
Livestock and Grain Market News (USDA Agricultural Marketing Service)
Livestock Marketing Information Center
National Agricultural Statistics Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Includes current and historical statistics on cattle, sheep, and other agricultural commodities at national, state, and county levels.
Public Land Statistics (US Bureau of Land Management) annual (print copy available in Docs I 53.1/2) Compilation of statistics on land acres, revenue, horse numbers, fire acres, recreation use, and other information.
Rangeland Inventory, Monitoring, and Evaluation Report (US Bureau of Land Management) Annual. Contains 7 tables that present an ongoing inventory of grazing allotments, public rangeland conditions, trends and health.