On the Ground • There are as many as 170 vertebrate wildlife species throughout the western United States and Canada that are associated with and sometimes dependent on sagebrush habitats and can be negatively affected by conversion of sagebrush ecosystems to non-native perennial or annual grassland. • We briefly summarize the mechanisms responsible for this conversion and synthesize its effects on wildlife species that are not often in the spotlight, as well as potential effects on management efforts. • Conversion to non-native annual grasslands is especially difficult for sagebrush obligates because annual grass dominance of former sagebrush sites increases fire frequency, effectively eliminating the ability of functioning sagebrush communities to re-establish following burning. • Conversion to non-native perennial grasslands also negatively affects sagebrush obligates, because non-native perennial grasses are able to grow in monocultures that compete with native plants and prevent their re-establishment in areas that are dominated by non-native perennials.

On the Ground • About eight decades ago, The Society for Range Managements founders began to shape and refine their collective vision to create a science-based professional society that would serve as a platform for learning and collaboration on all aspects of rangeland management. • The inaugural meeting in 1948 led to the founding of the American Society of Range Management (ASRM), a new journal dedicated to range science and management (The Journal of Range Management), an initial ASRM committee structure, and decentralization of ASRM through the formation of local sections. • ASRM (now known as The Society for Range Management or SRM) has achieved many milestones and accomplishments since its founding. Although todays issues are different and morecomplex than in 1948, the basic leadership principles espoused by the founders provide a template for addressing the challenges that the rangeland profession faces in the 21st century.

On the Ground • Turkey is a country with many urban centers (Istanbul has 15 million people) and with a high gross national product (16th in the world). More than one-third of the country is rangeland and livestock production accounts for at least 30% of agricultural income. • Rangelands and livestock production on rangelands historically have been at the center of Turkish society, economy, and culture. Roots of many Turkish range management practices can be traced back to the steppes culture of central Asia in 2500 BC. • The government established strict policies and regulations on the communal rangelands allocated to each community by the central government. The grazing management regulations were based on strategies to ensure that 1) stocking rates did not exceed carrying capacity, 2) timing of grazing was in balance with seasonal conditions, and 3) grazing units were periodically deferred. • The composition and productivity of Turkeys rangelands have degraded considerably since the early 1900s with an increasing density of humans and their livestock on grazing lands and an abandonment of the traditional policies and structure regulating grazing of rangelands. • The Rangeland Act of 1998 gave the Turkish government authority to regulate the grazing season, carrying capacity, and rangeland development and use. Consideration of agrarian reform measures is at the center of revitalizing the publicly owned rangelands in Turkey.

On the Ground • Evaluation of range/habitat projects for sage-grouse require careful monitoring to measure their impact. • Daubenmire canopy cover and line-point intercept did not yield similar results. • As herbaceous canopy cover increased, the differences between the cover estimates increased. • Adoption of both techniques by both groups may be the only feasible solution since institutional constraints limit either group from changing monitoring techniques.