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<br />f-4 <br />C1:l <br />~.; <br />o <br /> <br />With severe over-grazing, plant density and plant cover are diminished, <br />runoff increases and soil losses accelerate because of exposure of the soil <br />surface. Sediments produced are carried to streams and lakes causing <br />turbidity and sedimentation and general degradation of the aquatic habitat. <br />Much of the semi-arid rangeland in Region VIII has shallow, poorly developed <br />soil. If this thin topsoil is lost, serious deterioration of the land and <br />reduced productivity occur. Much of the native rangeland in the West has been <br />damaged to some extent. But most rangelands have not deteriorated to the <br />point where improved grazing management, modern revegetation technology, and <br />land treatment for erosion control can not restore them to a semblance of <br />their original productivity. Much progress has been made during the last half <br />century in improving vegetative cover and stabilizing soil conditions on <br />western rangelands, but efforts need to be expanded and accelerated for the <br />accrual of greatest benefits to watershed stability and water quality <br />improvement and to the individuals dependent on these lands for their <br />li veli hood. <br /> <br />The technology for revegetating depleted rangeland and controlling <br />excessive runoff and erosion is well-established, but application of these <br />measures is costly. By far the most cost effective alternative is a <br />preventative program of maintaining rangelands in good or improving condition <br />by good grazing management. <br /> <br />Range condition is commonly considered to be the state and health of <br />rangeland canpared to what that rangeland is naturally capable of producing, <br />taking into account existing climate, physiography and soils. Stated another <br />way, it is an estimate of the degree to which the present vegetation and <br />ground cover depart from that which is presumed to be the natural potenti a1 <br />for the site, discounting natural catastrophies and man's impacts. <br /> <br />Range condition classification is based principally on density and <br />quality of plant cover and the degree of soil stability. A range in good <br />condition is producing all or nearly all of the high value perennial plants <br />that it is capable of producing and the soil is stable and fully productive, <br />showing little or no evidence of erosion. A range in poor condition has lost <br />much of its vegetative cover and erosion is active because of the exposed soil <br />surface. Much topsoil has been lost, rills and gullies are evident, and very <br />few high value perennial plants remain. Low value annuals and perennial are <br />dominant on the area. Even ranges in fair condition have begun to lose some <br />vegetative cover and some active erosion is occurring. Only good condition <br />rangelands are essentially free of serious erosion. <br /> <br />- 7 - <br /> <br />