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UNION, Ore. - John Tanaka was named president of the Society for Range Management at the society's annual meeting recently in Vancouver, B.C.

Tanaka, an associate professor in Oregon State University's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, works at OSU's Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Union. His research focuses on how cattle ranches can become more profitable while changing their management to improve the environment.

Tanaka examines how grazing policies affect rangeland ranches, how ranches fit within rural communities, and the economics of restoring rangelands infested with undesirable plants.

Rangelands encompass about half of the landmass in the world and are used for a variety of purposes such as livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation and open space. The Society for Range Management, dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of rangelands, has about 3,800 members from some 30 countries.