VIEWPOINT - CONCEPT DESIGN IN RANGE MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

This paper is an analysis of general principles involved in designing concepts for range science, It discusses the diversity of conceptualit y in range science, from dimensional units to variables to simple mode ls to more complex decision-aiding models. It examines how considerati ons of abstraction, confounding, and generalization allow development of multi-objective concepts needed in a range management science of ma ny variables, interactions, and models. Examples related to each princ iple are provided, The paper discusses the importance of avoiding inte rnal confounding within concepts and the necessity that such confoundi ng be avoided in order to allow clear analyses, Ad hoc indices are cha racterized as inadequate substitutes for explicit models of more compl ex concepts such as preference and diet selection, Design efforts emph asizing multiple objectives will produce concepts of general use in ra nge management science.