A MULTIOBJECTIVE,DISCRETE SYSTEM REPRESENTATION OF RANGELAND WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Resource utilization as practiced by humans is identified as the main cause of the degradation of rangeland watersheds, a process referred to as desertification. This paper introduces a multi-objective decision making methodology for the selection of a plan which if implemented should limit the desertification process. The evaluation objectives are measured by quantitative and qualitative criteria. The quantitative criteria provide the performance level for production and sediment yield, while the qualitative criteria give such information as public acceptance of a particular alternative or worth of an appropriate wildlife habitat. A system model is applied to describe the dynamics of a range site in response to climatic and human inputs. As such it provides the information required by the quantitative criteria as well as a range condition index that identifies the productivity of a given range site. A multiobjective selection procedure is presented that will lead to the appropriate technique from an available set, in this case ESAP, Environmental Sensitivity Analysis Package. Four individuals with diverse backgrounds in natural resource management participated as decision makers and decided on their preferred alternatives. Finally, ranked alternatives in agreement with all of the decision makers were obtained.