Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is based on qualitative indicators that provides a preliminary evaluation of soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity (at the ecological site level). The product of this assessment is not a single rating of rangeland health, rather a qualitative assessment of these three components which are referred to as attributes. A suite of 17 key indicators are used to describe the three attributes mentioned above. Ecological processes are described relative to referece states for the ecological sites being evaluated, requiring a reference sheet describing the range of spatial and temporal variability expected for soils and plant communities in the reference state within each ecological site.

This protocol provides users with a qualitative assessment of rangeland health that provides land managers and resource specialists with an effective tool to communicate fundamental ecological concepts to a wide variety of audiences. It is also a useful tool to help select monitoring sites when developing monitoring programs. Finally, this protocol is used to provide early warning signs of potential problems and opportunities by helping land managers identify areas that are potentially at risk of degradation or where resource problems currently exist.

It is important to note that this protocol is NOT to be used to identify the cause(s) of resource problems, independently make grazing and other management decisions, monitor land to determine trend, or independently generate national or regional assessments of rangeland health.

This protocol was developed to be used by experienced, knowledgeable land managers and technical specialists, requiring a strong understanding of the ecological sites that are being evaluated and the associated ecological processes, vegetation, and soils for each site. It is intended to be used by a team of at least two or more individuals (e.g., an ecologist and soil scientist) working together. Because assessment protocol requires reference information for the ecological sites being evaluated, reference sheets are required. Reference sheets are currently being developed and incorporated into the ecological site descriptions, however if they do not exist for a particular site, additional expertise is required to develop a reference sheet.

This protocol is a qualitative assessment that provides a preliminary evaluation of soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity and is NOT intended to be used to identify the cause(s) of resource problems, independently make management decisions, or determine trend. It can be useful when combined with other quantitative methods. A limitation to using this protocol, however is that it requires a high level of expertise and should be used by experienced, knowledgeable land managers and technical specialists with a strong understanding of the ecological sites being evaluated and the associated ecological processes, vegetation, and soils for each site. In addition, if reference sheets are not available for the area being evaluated, additional expertise is required to develop a reference sheet.

• Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, VERSION 4 (Herrick et al) ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/GLTI/technical/publications/IIRH_v4_8-15-05.pdf.