Note that the data published in the 2002 State of the Nation’s Ecosystems Report as well as the 2003 and 2005 Web-Only Updates have been superseded by the 2008 Report and thus should be used with caution. For the most recent data, purchase the 2008 Report from Island Press.

Review the indicators at a glance

Grasslands and shrublands cover vast tracts of the United States, especially in the West. The sagebrush steppes of the Intermountain West, the prairies of the Midwest and the Great Plains, and the deserts of the Southwest and the intermountain West are all part of this system, as are the Alaskan tundra and shrublands, and the scrublands of Florida. Pastures and haylands, which are also part of this system, are often treated as part of the farmlands landscape. From bare-rock desert to lush coastal meadows, the diversity of grasslands and shrublands is staggering, but their value—ecological, economic, and social—is often overlooked.

Lands dominated by grasses and shrubs are also widely referred to as “rangelands.” The definition of rangeland has evolved slowly over the past half-century, from one tied closely to livestock production, to definitions that focus on the natural vegetation found on the land—grasses, grasslike plants, other small broadleaf plants, or shrubs—and on the lack of intensive agricultural management, regardless of how the land is used. Therefore, even though the terms “rangelands” and “grasslands and shrublands” are nearly synonymous, the latter may be less open to misinterpretation by those who continue to associate the term “rangelands” with livestock grazing.

What can we say about the condition and use of grasslands and shrublands?

Fourteen indicators describe the condition and use of grasslands and shrublands in the United States. Partial or complete data are available for six of these indicators, four of which have a long enough data record to enable reporting on trends. Of the eight indicators for which data are not reported, seven have inadequate data for national reporting, while one indicator requires additional development before it will be possible to determine whether data are available.

After the following brief summaries of the findings and data availability for each indicator, the remainder of this chapter consists of the indicators themselves. Each indicator page offers a graphic representation of the available data, defines the indicator and explains why it is important, and describes either the available data or the gaps in those data.

System Dimensions

Three indicators describe the dimensions of the grassland and shrubland system. The first reports the acreage of the major types of land cover: grasslands, shrublands, pasture, and tundra. The second tracks such major land uses as livestock raising, intensive recreation, or rural residences. The third indicator reports the fraction of grassland area and shrubland area that is in patches of different sizes.

• How much land is covered by grasslands and shrublands? There are 683 million acres of grasslands and shrublands in the lower 48 states, or about 36% of the total land area. In addition, there are 178 million acres of pastures, some of which—especially if they are not cultivated—have many of the qualities of more “natural” grasslands. There are about 200 million acres of shrubland and tundra in Alaska. It is clear that substantial areas of grassland and shrubland have been converted to other uses since European settlement: in fact, from 1982 to 1997 alone, the net amount of non-federal grasslands and shrublands converted to other uses was 11 million acres.
• How are grasslands and shrublands used? Data are not available to report on the acreage used for livestock grazing; oil, gas, and mineral development; rural residences; “protected areas”; and intensive recreation. About 30 million acres, or about 4% of all grasslands/shrublands in the lower 48 states (excluding pastures), are under Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts involving planting to grassland/shrubland cover types.