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The Importance of Monitoring

The monitoring of vegetation and other natural resources has become an important part of range management on both private and public lands. Rangeland monitoring identifies and documents changes in the resource over time providing information upon which to evaluate management practices in relation to natural influences such as weather. Today many ranchers and other land managers are choosing to collect data and keep their own records on the status of the rangeland resources they manage.

What You Will Find at This Site

The purpose of this website is to provide authoritative information regarding rangeland monitoring programs and tools for learning about the monitoring process. Whether you are just beginning to think about your monitoring program or you are a seasoned veteran of data collection, this site will have something to offer. We have assembled the resources from the latest agency technical manuals, the monitoring programs at universities across the West, and the on-the-ground experiences of site and region-specific monitoring efforts.

• Getting Started with Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring
  These links introduce the concepts of inventory and monitoring and offer some guidance for those taking the first steps toward creating a monitoring program.
• Technical Resources for Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring
  Looking for information on a specific technique? These links point to comprehensive technical manuals, on-line learning modules and resources organized by attribute.
• Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring in Action
  Want to see some examples? These links point to the pages of established monitoring programs and region or site-specific efforts.
• Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring Workshops, Products, and Services
  Need some extra help? These links describe training opportunities, consultants to contact, and companies that sell different kinds of monitoring equipment.

= AZ Rangelands Website resources = Western Rangelands resources
= Outside resources