Search for: All records

The world's rangelands and drylands are undergoing rapid change, and consequently are becoming more difficult to manage. Big data and digital technologies (digital tools) provide land managers with a means to understand and adaptively manage change. An assortment of tools—including standardized field ecosystem monitoring databases; web‐accessible maps of vegetation change, production forecasts, and climate risk; sensor networks and virtual fencing; mobile applications to collect and access a variety of data; and new models, interpretive tools, and tool libraries—together provide unprecedented opportunities to detect and direct rangeland change. Accessibility to and manager trust in and knowledge of these tools, however, have failed to keep pace with technological advances. Collaborative adaptive management that involves multiple stakeholders and scientists who learn from management actions is ideally suited to capitalize on an integrated suite of digital tools. Embedding science professionals and experienced technology users in social networks can enhance peer‐to‐peer learning about digital tools and fulfill their considerable promise. 

Abstract A primary challenge in advancing sustainability in rangelands and drylands is the lack of governance systems that are linked to information about highly variable ecosystem conditions. Here, we describe the national‐scale implementation of a resilience‐based management system in the rangelands of Mongolia. The system comprises several interacting elements. Land type‐specific information about rangeland conditions was captured in vegetation state‐and‐transition models (STMs) that allow interpretation of monitoring data and locally tailored restoration recommendations. Rangeland monitoring systems based on standardized protocols were developed and have been adopted by national government agencies, which provide annual, high‐quality data on rangeland conditions on which to base and adjust management decisions. Rangeland use agreements between local governments and herders' collective organizations, called Pasture Users' Groups, define their respective rights and responsibilities and introduce economic and policy incentives for management changes. Pasture Users' Groups also provide a platform for information sharing and collective action. Rangeland condition data and other indicators are linked to the Responsible Nomads product traceability system that provides consumers and industry a means to associate products with sustainable rangeland management practices. The collaboration between national agencies, international donors, scientists, and herders has been essential to initial success, but longer term support and monitoring will be needed to assess whether the adoption of resilience‐based management leads to positive social and ecological outcomes. We draw generalizations and lessons learned from this effort, which can lead to the successful implementation of new management systems across global rangelands.