Classification and Inventory

To date, the Forest Service has classified approximately 35 percent of the rangelands in the United States. An even smaller area has actually been inventoried. The Forest Service has inventoried and classified native rangeland vegetation at several different scales. At the regional scale, each Region has classified some of their rangeland resource, but not all.

Many classification systems have been developed and implemented for rangeland vegetation. Practically all of the classification systems presently being used are based on "climax" or "potential" vegetation.

In 1994, the Society for Range Management published, "Rangeland Cover Types of the United States". This publication was intended to serve as a companion publication to the "Forest Types of the United States and Canada" (1980), published by the Society of American Foresters (SAF).

Last modified: Monday, 05-Dec-2005 12:18:58 EST