Criterion IV: Social and economic indicators of rangeland sustainability

Social and economic systems provide the context and rationale for rangeland management. Sustaining rangeland ecosystems requires attention to the social and economic conditions that accompany the functioning of those systems. We present and discuss economic and social indicators for rangeland sustainability. A brief conceptual basis for each indicator is offered, describing its potential relationship to rangelands. Authors are 1Economist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA; 2Vice Provost for Outreach and Strategic Partnerships, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523; 3Professor and Head, Dept of Renewable Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA; 4Professor, Dept of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA; 5Sociologist, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA; 6 Professor, Dept of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA; 7Economist (retired), U.S. Department of the Interior and Council on Environmental Quality, Washington, DC, 20503, USA. The listed authors comprise the core of the Social and Economic Working Group of the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable. Other participants engaged in discussion from time to time, including Charles Curtin, Ralph Crawford, Marty Beutler, James Cash, Neil Rimbey, and Tom Bartlett. Their contributions to the discussion and process resulting in these indicators are gratefully acknowledged. Keith Owens and Neil Rimbey, the Editor and Associate Editor of Rangeland Ecology & Management, along with two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments and suggestions that improved the clarity and relevance of this chapter. Finally, Olivia Salmon provided editorial suggestions that improved the clarity and readability of this chapter. Correspondence: Daniel W. McCollum, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA; email: dmccollum@fs.fed.us