This semester, I am teaching Range Management at Santa Rosa Junior College.  I have asked my students to give their impressions of what they are learning in the form of a blog. This blog was written by student Brian Noyes.

Rangeland Management entails more than I expected when I began this course.  Rangeland itself actually includes many types of ecosystems with significantly different climates, biomes, and appropriate stewardship practices.  I thought it just meant grassland and shrubland.  While these are the quintessential rangeland types, the term includes all terrain with some vegetation but insufficient rainfall to support dense forest.  It seems to me the term “rangeland” is a kind of catch-all that only begins to describe the actual condition of the land, as putting livestock out on any land designated as rangeland is no assurance that the land is suitable, or that the livestock will even survive.

Despite the complications and many exceptions given by the broad designation, in essence, learning to manage rangeland is learning to manage grazing.  Although I knew the general natural history of the land, it didn't occur to me just how instrumental were the grazing and browsing herds of animals throughout the past in maintaining the landscape.  This opens up a very novel way of thinking about land management through animal husbandry.  At least it is novel to me, given my background in conservation and habitat restoration, with particular focus on riparian habitats.  Grazing livestock is anathema to riparian habitat, plain and simple; how ironic that proper grazing techniques practiced  upland of the stream channel are probably one of the most effective tools in preserving water quality through reducing erosion and improving groundwater retention.  I look forward to challenging more of my own conceptions in this field going forward.