Framework / Assessment Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Rangeland Management Summary The importance of this indicator lies in its relation to watershed conditions and natural biological diversity. To estimate rangeland condition and trend in condition, plant composition existing at a given moment in time is compared with the plant composition that the given area is capable of supporting at its potential. Downward trends in rangeland condition can also be associated with declines in water quality, aquatic and riparian habitats, and the ability of aquatic habitats to support native biota. These changes can cause aquatic native biota assemblages to shift away from that which would be expected to occur under natural, unimpaired hydrologic conditions.
