This open access book reviews the importance of ecological functioning within rangelands
considering the complex inter-relationships of production agriculture ecosystem services
biodiversity and wildlife habitat. More than half of all lands worldwide and up to 70% of the
western USA are classified as rangelands-uncultivated lands that often support grazing by
domestic livestock. The rangelands of North America provide a vast array of goods and services
including significant economic benefit to local communities while providing critical habitat
for hundreds of species of fish and wildlife. This book provides compendium of recent data and
synthesis from more than 100 experts in wildlife and rangeland ecology in Western North
America. It provides a current and in-depth synthesis of knowledge related to wildlife ecology
in rangeland ecosystems and the tools used to manage them to serve current and future
wildlife biologists and rangeland managers in the working landscapes of the West. The book also
identifies information gaps and serves as a jumping-off point for future research of wildlife
in rangeland ecosystems. While the content focuses on wildlife ecology and management in
rangelands of Western North America the material has important implications for rangeland
ecosystems worldwide.
