ARS | Publication request: Rangeland assessment and monitoring methods guide - an interactive tool for selecting methods for assessment and monitoring

Submitted to: Rangelands
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 24, 2011
Publication Date: August 22, 2011
Citation: Karl, J.W., Colson, K., Swartz, H. 2011. Rangeland assessment and monitoring methods suide - an interactive tool for selecting methods for assessment and monitoring. Rangelands. 33(4):48-54.

Interpretive Summary: The Methods Guide is a web-based tool and resource that provides researchers and managers information necessary to make informed decisions about which field and remote-sensing method or combination of methods could be most useful and cost effective for their management needs. The Methods Guide consists of two parts. First, it offers a discovery tool that provides recommended field and remote-sensing methods for user-defined management questions or objectives. The second part is a wiki devoted to describing rangeland applications of each of the methods. The Methods Guide is intended to be the users’ first step to selecting assessment and monitoring protocols by providing enough information on strengths, limitations, and rangeland applications that users can seek additional, more specific how-to information on the recommended techniques. Each of these parts is described in detail below. The Methods Guide helps users make more informed decisions about which method or combination of methods best fits their individual assessment and monitoring information needs.

Technical Abstract: A common concern expressed by land managers and biologists is that they do not know enough about the strengths and weaknesses of different field and remote-sensing methods for rangeland assessment and monitoring. The Methods Guide is a web-based tool and resource that provides researchers and managers information necessary to make informed decisions about which field and remote-sensing method or combination of methods could be most useful and cost effective for their management needs. The Methods Guide helps users make more informed decisions about which method or combination of methods best fits their individual assessment and monitoring information needs.