IGN 11

Future Directions of Usable Science for Sustainable Rangelands

This session will focus on future directions of usable science for sustainable rangelands, as identified in a national workshop convened by the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable (SRR) and Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO) at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Recommendations cover soil health, water resources, vegetation, animals, and socio-economic aspects of sustainable rangelands, in terms of usable science. Session speakers will address workshop outcomes, following an introduction to usable science concepts. A final speaker will provide context for the importance of these recommended research foci. Part of this session’s appeal will be equal emphasis on multiple fields of rangeland ecology. Motivation stemmed from a desire for researchers and funding organizations to ensure that needs of land managers are incorporated into the research process. Coupled with rangeland research funding limitations are ever-expanding environmental, financial, and societal pressures on land managers. Organizers felt that great value could be gained by aligning on-the-ground scientific information needs with topics considered by rangeland researchers and funding organizations. Usable science involves end-users in all aspects of knowledge co-creation, from project design through analysis of results. With this goal in mind, university and agency researchers, public and private land managers and producers, and representatives of funding organizations gathered to chart a research agenda of usable science for rangeland sustainability. ESA Ignite offers an excellent opportunity to share summaries of workshop resource groups’ insights for soil health, water, plants, animals, and socio-economic aspects of rangeland sustainability with a broader audience of interested scientists, researchers, and managers.