2011 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) To provide quantitative information and analytical tools that can be used to evaluate the impact of selected grazingland conservation practices on natural resource values. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) This objective will be achieved by field experiments on runoff and erosion in various states of ecological sites to obtain needed model parameters, by model simulation runs for data across the west, and by survey of the literature to develop parameter sets for models to evaluate effects of conservation practices. 3.Progress Report Data collected by the Rangeland National Resources Inventory (NRI) between 2003 and 2006 at over 10,000 sites across 17 western states were used to parameterize the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) and estimate hillslope scale soil loss. NRI sampling points were linked to NRCS soil survey databases and then to climate databases for this study. The NRCS PLANTS Database was consulted to determine the plant growth habitat at each NRI sampling point, and then the appropriate equations were utilized to estimate key model parameters. The data was analyzed to estimate the vulnerability of the site to accelerated soil loss. The data was used to create maps representing annual hillslope soil loss of the western United States in order to illustrate areas with accelerated soil loss (>2 ton/acre) that will likely lead to unsustainable plant communities and a loss of ecosystem goods and services. The findings of this study was reported in the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act report of the USDA in 2011. ADODR and/or ARS representatives meet in person or by conference call with NRCS collaborators and employees on at least a monthly basis to assess progress.