Criterion II: Indicators for conservation and maintenance of plant and animal resources on rangelands (Chapter 3)

Five criteria were established by the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable to be used to assess rangeland sustainability on a national scale. One of those criteria is the conservation and maintenance of plant and animal resources. Within this criterion, 10 indicators were developed through the expert opinions of rangeland scientists, rangeland management agency personnel, non-governmental organization representatives, practitioners, and other interested stakeholders. These indicators are not inclusive but provide a suite of variables that, when complemented with indicators from the other four criteria, produce a viable system to monitor the biophysical, social, and economic characteristics of rangeland sustainability at the national level.