Global rangelands: progress and prospects. VI International Rangeland Congress on 'People and Rangelands: Building the Future', Townsville, Australia, 1999

Although traditionally defined as areas where natural vegetation is exploited for grazing by domestic and native herbivores, rangelands are used by many different people for a host of purposes. As well as livestock products, rangelands provide fuels, minerals and water, and are used for ecotourism, recreation, nature conservation and as carbon sinks. More than half of the earth's land surface is rangeland and millions of people, both within and outside the rangelands, depend on them. This book addresses the important issues confronting the rangelands and presents new concepts and approaches for the management of rangeland resources. It is relevant to the people who live in or depend on the rangelands, and to the institutions and organizations that support them.