Viewpoint: The role of drought in range management

Drought is an ambiguous term, subject to expectation and the weight of emph asis on meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socio-economic dimen sions. Uncertainty associated with the identification of drought often resu lts in a lagged response in reducing stocking rates. This delay reduces veg etation cover, increasing the potential for accelerated erosion following t he drought, The long-term consequences of accelerated erosion are a reducti on of soil depth, a decline in soil structure and a decrease in infiltratio n rate and water storage capacity. Less water stored on a site hastens the onset of plant stress, effectively increasing the perceived frequency and c onsequences of drought, Management and policy tools must improve the integr ation of economic and ecological aspects of drought-induced de-stocking dec isions, especially by incorporating the long-term irreversible costs of ero sion.