comanche creek · Maps & Monitoring

The primary purpose of monitoring is to detect CHANGE over time. Detecting change in riparian and upland environments is the best way to provide answers to questions that will help landowners/managers make informed decisions about the future of the land under their care. On public land, it is the best way to inform citizens of the current conditions and trends of their land, and to build trust.

Additionally, independently gathered, scientifically credible monitoring data will fill in the “blank spots” in the often contentious debate about the effects of cattle grazing in the West. Too much of this debate is being argued without reliable data, with many sides relying on testimonials or hearsay to make their point.

The monitoring objective is to quantify over time the effects of management treatments in a variety of habitats. This means, principally, quantifying ecosystem function, resistance to degradation, and capacity to recover following degradation. Monitoring measurements are used to generate a suite of basic indicators which are directly related to three fundamental attributes of ecosystem function: hydrology, soil/site stability, and biotic integrity.

• Soil/site stability (Soil): the ability to resist erosion by wind and water


• Hydrology (Water): the ability to capture, store, and safely release water from rain or run-off


• Biotic integrity (Grass): the ability to support functional communities and resist disturbance.