2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Rangelands provide an array of ecosystem services such as food, fiber, water, recreation, minerals, and are important to the livelihoods of people across the globe, especially in developing countries. Competing land uses, overgrazing, extreme climate events, and socioeconomic changes are resulting in rangeland degradation in many parts of the world. Given our reliance on rangelands, degradation of this resource can have far-reaching effects. In this chapter, causes of rangeland degradation are examined. Indicators that can be used to identify degradation and methods for assessing the degree of degradation in rangeland ecosystems are discussed. Options and considerations for restoring disturbed rangeland are presented, in addition to future directions in rangeland degradation monitoring and assessment.
