One of the most important structural components of vegetation communities is the “bare soil gap” between individual plants. Land managers and researchers use the gap intercept method to quantify the size of gaps, measure spatial connectivity, and better understand the response of plant communities to environmental changes or disturbances. This review explores the importance of gaps between vegetation in rangelands and includes guidance on best practices for monitoring and interpretation. The authors discuss what is known about how gap intercept data can be used to assess wind and water erosion, plant community dynamics, wildlife habitat, and fuel connectivity and fire behavior. Overall, this synthesis paper demonstrates the value of the gap intercept method for supporting assessments of rangeland condition and vulnerability, and in planning future management actions.
McCord, S.E., Brehm, J.R., Dreesmann, L., Ellsworth, L.M., Germino, M.J., Herrick, J.E., Howard, B.K., Kachergis, E.J., Karl, J.W., Knight, A., Meadors, S., Nafus, A., Newingham, B.A., Olsoy, P.J., Pietrasiak, N., Pilliod, D.S., Schaefer, A., Webb, N.P., Wheeler, B., Williams, C.J., and Young, K.E., 2024, Evaluation of the gap intercept method to measure rangeland connectivity: Rangeland Ecology & Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.09.001
This United States Geological Survey news article "Evaluation of the gap intercept method to measure rangeland connectivity" was originally found on https://www.usgs.gov/news