Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 20, 2003
Publication Date: July 28, 2003
Citation: Sanderson, M.A. 2003. Assessing pastureland sustainability [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings. p. 50. Technical Abstract: Pasturelands occupy nearly 120 million acres in the USA. These lands are critical to profitable forage-livestock production systems. Recent developments in grassland-based livestock production systems have created a need for new information on pasture and forage ecology and management. The USDA-NRCS has estimated that 75 million acres of pastureland were in need of some conservation treatment. Dependable technologies are needed to monitor pasturelands, to restore damaged systems, and to identify management practices that increase or maintain economic return while safeguarding the productive potential of grazed ecosystems. This presentation will discuss sustainability issues related to pasturelands, the use of the Pasture Condition Score system for assessing pasturelands, and the use of plant species diversity as an indicator of pastureland sustainability.