Applying Ecological Site Concepts to Adaptive Conservation Management on an Iconic Californian Landscape

Abstract

• Managers of large landscapes with limited financialresources can use ecological sites and state-andtransition models to identify landscape divisions with the highest chances of responding favorably to management activities.
• This conceptual framework can help determine the optimal configuration of pastures and water developments so that conservation-focused grazing and response monitoring align with focal landscape divisions.
• As communication tools, these models can help conservation land managers and graziers to better understand how the variation in landscapes affects the distribution of conservation targets and the specific locations where management can be tailored to enhance biodiversity.

Keywords: ecological sites, state-and-transition models, conservation management planning, adaptive management, non-equilibrium.