Monitoring

In the fall, after most native grasses have gone to seed, we head out to the back hills, canyons and pastures to perform a service known as rangeland monitoring. The purpose of rangeland monitoring is to measure the long term plant trends and diversity of a designated area in a scientific and unbiased way. The information obtained by monitoring is helpful to land or ranch managers to see if their management strategies are working.

 

Most of the time we are using pace - frequency monitoring.   In pace - frequency you go to a designated point, put down a 15 inch square and identify everything in it. Then the square is picked up and moved a step and put down. Again everything in the square is identified. All information is recorded on a chart and the procedure is repeated 100 to 200 times per area. It helps to have a good working knowledge of native species and a strong ability to perform redundant tasks when monitoring.

 

Jim Koweek is one of a very few private individuals, in the state of Arizona, who has been approved to do field monitoring for the U.S. Forest Service and other government agencies.  In 2019 he was given a state award for “Professional and Technical and Guidance” by the Arizona Section of the Society of Range Management.  If you need monitoring done on your ranch or property, please contact us for more information.