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Introduction
Rangelands embody biological diversity of profound ecological and social significance, yet it is the
biological diversity of forests and wetlands that has
been the focus of research by scientists and concern
by the public. Recently, a broad array of people, from
ecologists and biologists to ranchers and recreationists,
have begun to realize the importance of rangeland
conservation and biological diversity. Although these
groups may not always share a common vision of
rangelands, they share a common interest in the land
that will foster a better understanding and appreciation of the value of diverse and healthy rangelands.
Ranchers have long practiced conservation of rangeland biological diversity. Most recognize the importance of both warm and cool season grasses to round
out their forage programs, and many have noticed
that in some years one grass will do poorly while
another will thrive, thus balancing the production.
Ranchers depend on native grasses coming back on
their own after drought or a bad grasshopper year;
some species will return quicker than others. Looking
toward the future, ranchers manage their grass for a
diverse rangeland community, not a monotypic one.
This is conservation of rangeland biological diversity
at the grass roots level.
Together, scientists and rangeland managers are
traveling to new levels of conservation of rangeland
biodiversity, but the journey has some formidable
challenges. Herbivory, fire, drought, and other natural events and processes historically shaped rangeland biodiversity and ecological processes long before human action. However, human influence on
the range has complicated and interrupted many
naturally occurring mechanisms. The use and control
of fire has altered its frequency and intensity. The
pattern, frequency, and intensity of herbivory by
large animals has been modified by the conversion
from free-ranging bison and other large ungulates to
confined domestic livestock and a proliferation of
livestock water developments. Cultivation has fragmented and isolated rangelands and often natural
processes no longer function. An insidious challenge
to rangeland biodiversity is the invasion of exotic
plants into native range often at the expense of native
biota.
The purpose of this symposium was to provide a
forum to discuss how elements of rangeland
biodiversity are being conserved today. We asked,
“How resilient and sustainable are rangeland systems to the increasing demands of a growing human
population and to extended periods of drought?”
One way to begin answering this question is to look
at our successes and failures in conserving all parts
of rangeland systems. Key programs and issues,
identified by a program committee, were addressed
by researchers and managers. Their papers, which
have received statistical and peer review, are presented here and provide research results, management findings, and describe management programs
currently used to conserve rangeland biodiversity.
The paper “Gap Analysis in the Great Plains: A
Large-Scale Geographic Strategy for Conservation
of Biodiversity” by Dennis Jelinski, Michael Jennings,
and James Merchant was withdrawn by the authors
before publication of this workshop proceedings.
This symposium was held concurrently with the
Annual Meeting of the Central Mountains and Plains
Section of The Wildlife Society. We thank the organizers of that event for suggesting this symposium. Thanks
are also extended for the well-attended field trip to
review northern swift fox management in southwestern South Dakota that concluded the workshop.