Monitoring on U.S. Pasture and Rangelands: Highlighting the Value of Informal Approaches for Practical Use

Abstract

Formal monitoring is widely promoted by scientists, range professionals, Extension services, and conservation organizations in the U.S. as a tool for ranchers to develop knowledge about the condition of pasture and rangelands and to improve management decisions. Despite extensive scientific literature on formal monitoring, informal monitoring—such as visual assessments, systematic observations, and photography—has received limited attention. Through qualitative interviews with ranchers (n = 63) across three U.S. ecoregions (MI, OK/TX, WY/CO), this study explores how ranchers define and utilize both formal and informal monitoring methods. We found that formal, “scientific,” monitoring methods are often underutilized due to time constraints, labor demands, perceived irrelevance, and the inadequacy of data to capture localized variability that ranchers observe and manage. Conversely, ranchers predominantly use informal monitoring methods to develop local knowledge, track changes, and make management decisions tailored to their specific conditions. Considering our findings, we urge scientists and professionals to acknowledge and engage with the informal monitoring methods ranchers use, which may be outside of the scientific paradigm. We discuss future research and collaboration opportunities to integrate ranchers' informal monitoring approaches with formal methods to develop monitoring programs that are both useful and used, enhancing decision-making and outcomes on pasture and rangelands.