Drought is an adaptive challenge where management strategies and practices that work today might not work tomorrow. Adaptive challenges facing management may require thinking systemically to determine leverage points.

Systems thinking can be an effective way to see the big picture, deal with complex situations, and create effective long-term management alternatives for the ranch.

Successful management alternatives will provide flexibility to protect the core business (i.e., cow herd), be enterprise-diverse to spread risk, and allow management for the good of the whole, not simplyto maximize the pieces.

It is important to evaluate your own ranching system to identify the appropriate enterprises or practices, there is no best mix.

Optimum forage utilization on animal-dominated landscapes can only occur when stocking rate (SR) and stocking density (SD) are considered and managed simultaneously.

Landscapes with foraging animals contain vegetation ranging from unused to over-used even under a proper SR.

The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology has catapulted our understanding of spatial–temporal management of free-ranging livestock into a 24/7 opportunity.

Location-specific data will improve management of stocked landscapes, both ecologically and economically.

GNSS data from instrumented animals provides an opportunity to understand when and where a landscape is used to improve animal distribution.

A proper SR and management of animal distribution (i.e., SD) will facilitate adaptive management of animal dominated landscapes.

Depletion of conventional oil and natural gas reserves coupled to rising world demand for fossil fuels will have major impacts on US rangelands and ranches over the next 30 years.

Shale oil and gas are unconventional fossil fuels now being aggressively developed on US rangelands. Their development involves a larger physical footprint in terms of roads, drill pads, mining pits, and water disposal ponds than conventional oil and gas development, but their development techniques are improving in terms of extraction efficiency and reduction of adverse environmental impacts. Groundwater contamination is the biggest potential threat to ranchers from shale oil and gas development.

US ranchers will likely experience continued rising prices for their livestock due to world farmland loss, increased human population, and rising affluency in Asian countries, but their production costs will also rise due to higher energy costs. Implementing management practices involving risk aversion and minimization of fossil fuel use will be important for their future success.

Basic principles of range management such as control of grazing intensity, grazing timing, animal distribution, and mix of animal species can be modified for management of energy developments on rangelands.