MOF Range Reference Areas

Range Reference Areas are permanent installations designed to monitor the impact of livestock, wildlife and other disturbances on rangelands throughout British Columbia. As rangelands and open grasslands closely overlap across the province, many of these monitoring sites are situated on natural grasslands. Range Reference Areas consist of fenced exclosures combined with permanent vegetation monitoring plots, but may also include abandoned grazing areas and sites which have never been grazed.

Range Reference Areas have been established across BC in different grassland and open dry forest environments to help develop knowledge of potential natural (climax) communities (PNCs) in different range types. Reference Areas are important because they can be used to evaluate the efficacy of range management practices and aid in the description of desired plant communities (DPC) which are required in Ministry of Forests Range Use Plans (RUPs). These Areas also serve as crucial benchmarks with which to monitor (albeit on a small scale) natural grassland function and seral stage development in a relatively undisturbed setting.

More information about Range Reference Areas, including information relating to each forest district, at the Ministry of Forests' Range Reference site:

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/rSi/range/RRA/intro.htm