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Delivering
on the promise of ecological science to improve land management: Ecological site
descriptions
Endorsed
by the ESA Rangeland Section and the Society for Range Management
Wednesday,
August 10, 1:30 PM - 5 PM, Meeting Rooms 210a-b-e-f, Level 2, Palais des congrès
de Montréal
Organizers:
Joel Brown (joelbrow@nmsu.edu),
Jeff Herrick
Description:
Ecological sites are groupings of soil and landform units that have similar
potential to support plant communities and respond similarly to disturbances.
For each site, a unique Ecological Site Description (ESD) is developed that
includes: (1) a description of ecological processes affecting critical aspects
of soil/vegetation relationships; (2) a synthesis of research results and
management knowledge to predict site responses; and (3) a discussion of
ecosystem services associated with potential stable states. This special session
will bring together academic and agency research scientists and technical
leaders from the major federal action agencies charged with the management of
private and public lands. The primary objective is to provide ESA members with
an opportunity to see how ESDs are currently being used to identify critical
research questions and to organize, communicate, and apply research results,
including vegetation classification systems. A second objective is to identify
challenges in resolving key questions of site-scale behavior and in improving
cross-scale linkages to extend information to landscapes and regions.
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