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rangeland

rangeland

2 6.6
Land with natural plants where animals like cattle graze
  • noun
  • /ˈreɪndʒˌlænd/
translation icon : pastizal
  • To ensure success when reseeding deteriorated rangelands, compatible symbiotic associations among fungi and seedlings must also be reestablished.
  • grazing rangeland
  • rangeland scientist
  • semiarid rangelands

Examples

  • The rancher uses the rangeland to graze his cattle throughout the summer.

  • Moreover, the potential productive capacity of the rangelands was fundamentally weakened.

    Academic text (2008)
  • One of the program's basic premises is that rangeland health is directly related to the distribution of soil resources.

    Academic text (1994)
  • A record 54 percent of pasture and rangeland is in poor or very poor condition.

    Blog text (6)
  • ARS scientists at 11 locations across western rangelands are doing just that.

    Academic text (1997)
  • To save forage and crops, the only option was to spray the rangeland with pesticides.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Seventy-five percent of the U.S. sheep industry relies on grazing rangeland, much of it publicly owned.

    Academic text (1995)
  • But arid and semiarid rangelands make up about 40 percent of the Earth's land surface.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The environmental consequence of these measures, namely the degradation of Tunisia's rangelands, has rarely been a central consideration, however.

    Academic text (1996)
  • PHOTOS (COLOR): Top photo: Completely covered with leafy spurge, this Montana rangeland was useless for cattle grazing.

    Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

pasture
vsrangeland
102 1.4

Land with grass where farm animals eat

is about land with wild vegetation used by grazing animals rather than feed
meadow
vsrangeland
85 1.0

A field of grass and wildflowers in the countryside

emphasizes natural grazing suitability rather than mowing or hay use
range
vsrangeland
  • US
69 3.5

A large open area of grass where animals graze

focuses more on naturally growing vegetation suitable for grazing
grassland
vsrangeland
20 2.7

An open area covered mainly with grass where animals live or graze

narrows use to grazing suitability and natural forage for animals
steppe
vsrangeland
8 7.5

A large flat area of grass with few or no trees

adds that suitability comes from natural vegetation rather than regional limits
grazing land
vsrangeland
3 2.5

Land with grass where animals like cows or sheep eat

specifies that the area contains natural plant growth rather than sown pasture
pastureland
vsrangeland
2 3.7

Land covered with grass where cows or sheep eat

highlights that the vegetation is natural rather than planted or improved
pasture land
vsrangeland
2 2.6

Land with grass where farm animals eat

stresses that this land is naturally vegetated and not necessarily maintained
ranchland
vsrangeland
  • US
2 3.5

Land used for keeping animals like cows and horses

is more about wild vegetation and natural grazing than managed stockyards
meadowland
vsrangeland
1 3.1

Open land with grass and wildflowers where animals graze

focuses more on functional grazing value than ornamental plant life
lea
vsrangeland
  • Archaic
1 8.1

An open field of grass where animals graze

stresses that plants grow naturally across a wider, less managed area

How Big

range
  • US
69 3.5
rangeland
2 6.6
potrero
  • US
1 9.9
pasture
102 1.4
paddock
8 3.4
yard
651 1.0

Surface Forms

rangeland singular
rangelands plural

Morphology

rangeland = range + land (transparent) = range + land

The meaning is directly derived from the clear combination 'range' + 'land' meaning land where animals range or graze.

Etymology

Rangeland comes from range, which meant 'an area for animals to roam', and land, which means 'ground'. So rangeland is ground where animals like cattle or sheep can graze and move freely.