GlossARy 



*Key plant species: (1) Forage species whose use serves as an indicator to the degree of use of associated species. (2) Those 

 species that must, because of their importance, be considered in the management program. 



* Management area: An area for which a single management plan is developed and applied. ■ ■ 



Physiology: The organic processes of an organism, such as a plant; the functions that allow it to live, grow, and reproduce. 

 ' Prescribed grazing: The controlled harvest of plants by grazing or browsing animals managed to achieve specific objectives. 



* Range condition: Historically, has usually been defined in one of two ways: (a) a generic term relating to present status of 

 a unit of range in terms of specific values or potentials. Specific values or potentials must be stated, (b) the present state of 

 vegetation of a range site in relation to the climax (natural potential) plant community for that site. It is an expression of 

 the relative degree to which the kinds, proportions, and amounts of plants in a plant community resemble that of the cli- 

 max plant community for the site. 



* Range trend: The direction of change in a characteristic of the range as observed over time. 



* Riparian: Referring to or relating to areas adjacent to water or influenced by free water associated with streams or rivers. 



■^'Riparian ecosystems: (1) Those assemblages of plants, animals, and aquatic communities whose presence can be either 

 ( directly or indirectly attributed to factors that are water-influenced or related. (2) Interacting system between aquatic and 



terrestrial situations identified by soil characteristics, and distinctive vegetation that requires or tolerates free or unbound 



water. 



*Use: (!) the proportion of current year's forage production that is consumed or destroyed by grazing animals (wildlife, 

 livestock, insects, etc.). May refer either to a single species or to the vegetation as a whole. Syn. degree of use. (2) Apply- 



* ing the range to a purpose such as grazing, bedding, shelter, trailing, watering, watershed, recreation, forestry, etc. 



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* per the DRAFT Society for Range Management "Qlossary of Terms used in Range Management. 



