Part 4: Why Monitor?

There is an important time and resource commitment necessary to conduct a monitoring program.

This sub-module offers a series of questions you may have about your ranch and its condition. Answers to these questions are then provided describing how information collected from monitoring can assist you in making management decisions that can improve or maintain the condition of your ranch.

I want to know…

How does monitoring help me accomplish goals set for my ranch? Answer
Is the vegetation providing (or making progress toward providing) adequate cover to protect the soil or stream banks from excessive erosion, considering site capacity? Answer
Is the vegetation meeting (or making progress toward meeting) the objectives established for desired plant communities? Answer
Are there any indicators of possible reversal of satisfactory conditions? Answer
If management objectives are not being met or there is not clear progress toward meeting the desired objectives, what is the cause? Answer
Is the forage resource responding favorably to current management practices? Answer
What are the frequency of use and the intensity of use by livestock, and are these appropriate? Am I grazing too long, too many head or at the wrong time of year? Can I justify stocking rate adjustments? Are the rest periods adequate? Answer
Do I know which plants my livestock prefer and which they tend to leave under-grazed? Answer
Has forage had an opportunity to grow or re-grow? Answer
Do I have solid, documented information to assist in making management decisions or to identify trends? Answer
Do I know the impact of changes I have made in range management? Answer
What is the effect of livestock grazing on key areas of the ranch? Answer
Are my management practices effective? How should I manage my ranch in the future? Answer
Are there potential problems in my current management practices? Answer
Can I defend my grazing practices to lessor, owners, etc.? Answer
Do I have a good understanding of the natural systems affecting the range? Answer
Do I have at least an idea of the populations of endangered wildlife, and invasive or endangered species of plants? Answer
Have I documented compliance with grazing permits? Answer
How does vegetation respond to grazing? Answer