Part 6: Choosing Where to Monitor

Time for Monitoring and Other Considerations

Time: Limit the number of designated monitoring areas so the entire process can be completed within your time constraints -- for minimal monitoring this is about 2 days/year.

Other considerations: Since your selection of key areas is so important, we present a few additional guidelines when designating these sites:

Consider the following when selecting a key area:

• While you want a monitoring site that is easy to access, you don’t necessarily want a site close to the road. These areas are not necessarily representative of the ranch as a whole and may be impacted by a variety of uses.
• Consider if your objectives include monitoring sites that are regularly used by or accessible to livestock
• Try to select key areas that are similar distances from a water source.
• If forage for livestock or wildlife is of interest, select key areas that produce large amounts of forage that are accessible to grazing.
• At least one desired forage species should be present on each key area
• Stay away from areas with heavy brush and weed encroachment.
• It is important to use the same site year after year.
• Undesired areas are those within 1/4 mile of a water source.