Rangeland Systems - David D. Briske

This
book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of
scientific and management knowledge regarding
global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has
been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the
conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The
second addresses the implications of these conceptual
advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major
challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21^st century.
This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by
describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland
profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad
audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy
makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge
and commitment of 80 authors who have worked
in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions
indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the
complex challenges confronting global rangelands.
Rangelands represent
adaptive social-ecological systems, in which
societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance
to, and interact with, those of ecological processes.
A more
comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management
agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations
to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate
solutions.