Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) and underlying state-and-transition models are part of a move toward a more dynamic platform of range management, but this movement is happening without evaluation of weaknesses or logical pitfalls in the ESD database.

We conducted a national-scale evaluation of the ESD database and in this paper summarize the results with particular attention on the implementation of the state-and-transition model concept within the ESD database.

We discuss the weaknesses and logical holes we identified and provide recommendations that can be used to organize efforts to improve, adapt, or discard certain elements of ESD state-and-transition models.