Challenges and advances toward sustained utilization of arid USA systems

Title	Challenges and advances toward sustained utilization of arid USA systems
Publication Type	Conference Paper
Year of Publication	2005
Authors	Havstad K, McClaran M.P.
Conference Name	The Summaries for International Symposium: Sustainable Utilization of Indigenous Plant and Animal Genetic Resources in the Mediterranean Region
Date Published	October 14-16, 2
Conference Location	Bosnia and Herzegovina
ARIS Log Number	173137
Keywords	indigenous, mediterranean, renewable, sustainable, vegetation
Abstract	Sustainable use of renewable resources in arid USA systems requires large amounts of land because productivity is generally very low. As a result, there are a great variety of soil types, vegetation, and land tenure within any land use enterprise. The sensitivity of soils and vegetation to overuse and their ability to recover when use levels are reduced varies among different types of soil and vegetation. In addition, land use goals and legal restrictions differ among the private, state, federal, and tribal tenure types. This spatial variation presents significant challenges to the planning, implementation and monitoring efforts needed to achieve sustainable use of these resources. General principles and conceptual models are now being developed and employed to address these challenges and to highlight areas that require additional research. These principles and models need to be applied at site and landscape spatial scales and should be based on realistic characterizations and predictions. One important principle is the need to incorporate local indigenous knowledge into these characterizations for effective management. On-the-ground application of these models will maximize chances of sustainable use through closer and more effective interactions among scientists, stewards, and producers.