Rangeland Ecology and Management

With a graduate degree in rangeland ecology and management, you’ll understand how to apply ecological concepts to help private organizations and government agencies accomplish critical range management goals, such as developing beautiful recreational scenery or producing sustainable and productive livestock forage.

The Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management is home to some of the nation’s top teachers, researches and ecologists in the profession. 

Rangelands make up nearly half of the total land area of Idaho, varying from the drier salt-desert shrub and sagebrush-grass communities to mountain brush, Pacific bunchgrass and mountain meadow grasslands. This makes the University of Idaho the perfect place for the advanced study of rangeland use and management.

As a student in the program, you will examine how dynamic ecological relationships function in rangelands. You’ll learn validated land management and conservation practices that you can apply in the professional world to ensure the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems for generations.

Prepare for Success

If you are passionate about efforts to properly manage and restore our western landscapes, and you like the idea of working outside, a career in rangeland ecology management may be for you.

Entrance into the College of Graduate Studies program is highly competitive. Admission normally requires completion of undergraduate course work in the area of natural and social sciences. If you don’t have an undergraduate degree in one of these areas, you may be required to make up deficiencies as determined by their advisory committees.

Your First Year

Below is a list of the graduate courses you may take: 

• Landscape Ecology of Forests and Rangelands (REM 527)
• Rangeland Vegetation Ecology (REM 551)
• Foraging Behavior of Herbivores (REM 556)
• Plant Ecophysiology (REM 560)

What You Can Do

As a rangeland ecology and management professional, you’ll be tasked with integrating and balancing the needs people have of our natural resources, including watershed and soil management, monitoring vegetation and managing wildlife. With a master's degree in rangeland ecology and management, you may become a:

• Range conservationist
• Rangeland economist
• Range livestock manager
• Restoration ecologist
• Facilitator to negotiate fair and balanced rangeland uses
• Forest scientist
• Wildland fire manager or soil specialist

Opportunities

There is significant demand for ecologists and rangeland managers in the western United States with federal or state government agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service or the U.S. Geological Survey. There’s also opportunity to work in private industry, specifically in environmental consulting, disturbed land reclamation, resource surveying, agricultural lending and appraisal firms, and ranches and preserves.

Our graduates have an excellent track record of landing high quality jobs with the following organizations:

• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• National Park Service
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Tribal Organizations
• State land departments
  

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a master's degree, your starting salary could be approximately $45,000. Range managers in the federal government are likely to earn close to $50,000.

Current Research

Our faculty members are active in range ecology and management research. Many are currently managing projects throughout the West. This broad exposure and high level of support give you extensive opportunities to apply your theoretical knowledge outside the classroom. Current faculty research projects are exploring topics such as:

• Plant-soil, plant-plant and plant-animal interactions.
• Rangeland communities and ecosystems.
• Biological soil crust to river basins.
• Landscape patterns.
• Rangeland plant communities, including the study of fire, grazing, and invasive plants.
• Plant restoration after disturbances such as highway construction, wildfire or weed invasion.

Cooperative research programs are funded by:

• College of Agriculture
• Agricultural Research Service
• U.S.D.A. Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Idaho Park Studies Unit
• Timber companies
• The livestock industry

Activities

The University of Idaho Range Club promotes the recognition and greater understanding of rangeland resources. Club members participate in a variety of community-based activities. They also travel to professional meetings held by the Society for Range Management (SRM).

Hands-On Experience

Graduate students are incredibly active in the area of research. Here are highlights of some of their projects:

• Research around plant-herbivore interactions in riparian-floodplain environments
• Research in creating and publishing a comprehensive booklet on invasive weed management for the horse owner and breeder in an effort to help avoid weed toxicity in horses

Facilities

Check out our complete list of College of Natural Resources Research and Facilities.

Faculty Involvement

An extremely diverse group of faculty challenges students both in and out of the classroom. Lab and field facilities are used both on and off campus.

Beth Newingham
Assistant Professor
My research focuses on the processes that affect restoration of natural ecosystems.
» Beth Newingham - profile

Eva Strand
Research Assistant Professor; Director of the Geospatial Learning Center; Adjunct Professor, Department of Fish & Wildlife
Research Specialty: Spatial ecology; Applied Landscape Ecology; GIS applications in natural resources
» evas@uidaho.edu

Jim Kingery
Associate Professor
Research Specialty: Forest Grazing; Range Management; Forest Range Relationships; Rangeland Restoration
» jkingery@uidaho.edu

Karen Launchbaugh
Associate Professor
Research Specialty: Plant-animal interactions; Grazing management; Animal behavior
» klaunchb@uidaho.edu

Kenneth D. Sanders
Professor & Range Extension Specialist
Research Specialty: Range management extension; Grazing management
» ksanders@uidaho.edu

Lee Vierling
Assistant Professor
Research Specialty: Remote Sensing; Spatial Ecology; Biogeochemistry; Global Change; Interdisciplinary Science Education
» leev@uidaho.edu

R. Robberecht
Professor
Research Specialty: Physiological plant ecology(Ecophysiology); Guided independent learning (use of information technology in science education); Scientific visualization and modeling (integration of ecological processes, molecule to globe)
» View R. Robberecht's Site

Stephen Bunting
Professor
Research Specialty: Community & Landscape Ecology; Fire Ecology & Behavior
» sbunting@uidaho.edu