Ecological Site Description Workshop Series 2014
Society for Range Management: “Annual Meeting, Technical Training and Tradeshow”
Orlando, FL,
February 8-13, 2014
As a joint effort between SRM and our partner agencies: BLM, USFS and NRCS, the ESD Workshop series presented in Orlando, Florida at the SRM Annual Technical Conference were streamed live and recorded for archived use. SRM recognizes the tight travel and budgetary restrictions faced by many in the field of natural resources today; the ESD Workshop series in delivered in this new format to offer access to these trainings and information no matter your location. The ESD Workshops are now merely a click away!
Below you will find the links to each of the four workshops presented in Orlando. You will note that the first two workshops are available to the general public free of charge. In order to access the last two workshops of the series you must be a member of SRM.roductory Workshops Free of Charge:
Introductory Workshops Free of Charge
2/10/14 - Workshop 1: ESD Uses and Users, provides examples of ESD uses in diverse ecosystems throughout the United States. This workshop is a showcase of the increasing development and use of ESDs for all land types.
2/11/14 - Workshop 2: Unifying Concepts for Riparian Ecological Sites, focuses on advancing ESD concepts for riparian ecosystems, which differ from upland systems in the degree to which hydrology drives ecosystem dynamics. This riparian ESD workshop is part of a larger effort to advance the conceptual framework of ESDs in riparian systems, and will present the current state of RCESD concepts and provide opportunities for input from a broad audience.
Advanced Workshops Require SRM Membership
2/12/14 (AM) Workshop 3: Emerging Technologies for ESD Development, showcases several emerging technologies with direct applications to ESD development. This workshop focuses on tools and methods to improve information capture, organization, and delivery using the Ecological Site framework.
Click here to join SRM and gain access to this workshop.
2/12/14 (PM) Workshop 4: Integrating Ecological Sites Into a Spatial Hierarchy to Improve Predictions, examines the concepts behind cross-scale evaluation of changes in ecological processes, the influence of management, and the effects on the production of goods and services.
Click here to join SRM and gain access to this workshop.
Again, for those who are already SRM members, simply log-in with your password and you will immediately have access to the third and fourth presentations. If you are not a member of SRM, we urge you to consider joining the Society in order to gain access to all of the SRM membership benefits: trainings, updates from the range community, networking opportunities, SRM Publications: REM, Rangelands and Stewardship, as well as a platform by which to further your professional development and continue your education in the field of rangelands.
Please direct any questions regarding the ESD Workshop series to SRM Washington, D.C. Liaison Kelly Fogarty at kelly@wssdc.com or by phone at (202) 870-3342. |
Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshop Series
The Interagency Rangeland Ecological Site Description (ESD) workshop series is an interagency effort, facilitated by the Society for Range Management, and driven by the interagency Training Coordination Committee (TCC). The TCC is made up of more than 20 representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Society for Range Management (SRM). The committee has worked together to expand upon successful collaborative efforts that have resulted from the Rangeland Interagency Ecological Site Manual (RIESM) and the draft handbook (under review). Click here to view a summary of the state of the ESD policy and interagency adoption.
SRM and agency partners have been moving forward with the planning of regional ESD training workshops following the successful Pilot Interagency Rangeland ESD Workshop in November 2010. The Pilot Workshop convened agency leadership to establish common ground for the ESD training program, identify training needs and to share information on the background, status and future of the multi-agency approach to ESD classification, mapping and management interpretation systems. Training Coordination Committee meetings and conference calls to continue building the ESD workshop program and training protocol are ongoing.
Regional ESD training workshops embrace a broad audience of attendees representing a diversity of federal, state and other agencies, the private sector and others. The workshops encompass three days (including time in the field each day) with content tailored to take advantage of local conditions and issues. The workshop objectives are:
- Enhance foundational knowledge, skills and understanding of Ecological Site concepts, state-and-transition models, and their interpretations through and Ecological Site Description (ESD) product
- Provide the framework for moving from first to second generation Ecological Site Descriptions
- Showcase the utility of Ecological Site Descriptions as a working and dynamic tool used to document ecological knowledge and assist in applied conservation and management
The workshop content includes instruction on how to determine ecological sites and ecological states in the field and the framework for understanding and participating in the move from first to second generation ESDs. The workshop curriculum also aims to establish a basis for collaboration among participants and introduce them to the local experts who will be able to assist them in the future when developing projects and working with ESDs. Workshop content illustrates the current state of ESD development and implementation in the local area as well as act as a launching pad for additional collaborative efforts.
SRM and the interagency Training Coordination Committee are enthusiastic about the ESD program and hope that other partners will continue to participate and contribute to the program's development. SRM would particularly like to thank the sponsoring agencies, which have supported the ESD workshop program and made the effort possible. Sponsoring partners are: the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
ESD Fact Sheets
ESD Special Issue of Rangelands
ARS Jornada ESD Site
ESD Suggested Reading
Using Web Soil Survey Instructions
Using the Soil Web Application for iPhone Instructions
SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming ESD Workshops
Locations and dates for the next regional Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshops in 2012 and 2013 will be identified in the near future. Upcoming planned workshops include:
Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshops - February 2 - 8, 2013, Oklahoma City, OK
Resources: Past ESD Workshops
- Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshop June 2012 in Winnemucca, Nevada
- Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshop January 30 - February 2, 2012, Spokane, Washington
- Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshop November 15 - 17, 2011,
Venus, Florida
- Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshop August 23 - 25, 2011, Cheyenne, Wyoming/Nunn, Colorado
- Interagency Rangeland Ecological Site Descriptions Pilot Workshop November 16 - 18, 2010, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Society for Range Management
