**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DROUGHT REDUCES FORAGE AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION ACROSS SOME PORTION OF RANGELANDS EVERY YEAR IN THE US, AND MORE EXTREME DROUGHTS, THOSETHAT LAST FOR SEVERAL YEARS, ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE COMMON IN THE FUTURE. BECAUSE RECOVERY OF RANGELANDSAFTER EXTREME DROUGHT MAY REQUIRE MANY YEARS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT DETERMINES HOW RAPIDLY RANGELANDS RECOVER AFTER DROUGHT IS NECESSARY TO BETTER MANAGE LIVESTOCK GRAZING DURING THE RECOVERY PERIOD. OUR RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING DROUGHT RECOVERY IN THE DRY GRASSLANDS OF THE CENTRAL US.TO INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING, WE WILL CONDUCT A DROUGHT RECOVERY EXPERIMENT IN WHICH WE STUDY HOW ALTERATIONS IN ECOSYSTEMS DURING DROUGHT AFFECT THEIR RECOVERY AFTER DROUGHT. WE WILL ALSO VARY RAINFALL IN THE YEARS AFTER DROUGHT TO DETERMINE HOW THE CLIMATE DURING RECOVERY AFFECTS RECOVERY.OUR RESEARCH MEETS AN IMPORTANT USDAGOAL OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON IMPROVEMENT OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY IN MANAGED SYSTEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLYUNDER STRESS. OVERALL, WE EXPECT TO PROVIDE NEW KNOWLEDGE THAT ISNECESSARY TO MANAGE FOR HEALTHY US RANGELANDS IN THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY IN RESPONSE TO MORE FREQUENT AND EXTREMEDROUGHT.