Project Grant 20226701937134

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IN THE WESTERN U.S., PUBLICLY-OWNED RANGELANDS ARE USED FOR LIVESTOCK GRAZING, WATER SUPPLY, WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND RECREATION. AS SUCH, THEY PROVIDE A WIDE ARRAY OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (ESS) OF ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIETAL IMPORTANCE. BALANCING THESE ESS TO EQUALLY SATISFY THE NEEDS OF PRODUCERS, LAND MANAGERS, AND THE PUBLIC IS CHALLENGING BUT NECESSARY TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE AGROECOSYSTEMS. INNOVATIVE LIVESTOCK GRAZING, HOWEVER, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS BY GENERATING ESS VALUED BY ALL. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR PROJECT TEAM PREVIOUSLY FOUND THAT THE LENGTH OF TIME (DURATION), AND THE TIME OF YEAR (TIMING), LIVESTOCK SPEND ON A SEMI-ARID RANGELAND AFFECTS WATER QUALITY, PLANT RECOVERY, AND SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE BUILD ON THESE FINDINGS BY ADDRESSING HOW GRAZING DURATION AND TIMING AFFECT FOUR OTHER ESS: SOIL HEALTH, SOIL CARBON (C) SEQUESTRATION, RIPARIAN STABILITY, AND HERBACEOUS PLANT DIVERSITY. FIRST, WE WILL EXAMINE HOW HISTORICAL GRAZING SYSTEMS THAT DIFFERED IN GRAZING DURATION (4-, 2-, AND 0-MONTHS) AND TIMING (EARLY- AND LATE-SEASON) AFFECTED ES GENERATION. SECOND, WE WILL TRACK HOW ES GENERATION CHANGES WHEN AN INNOVATIVE SHORT-DURATION VARIABLE-TIMING GRAZING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED. FINALLY, WE WILL DETERMINE IF PROFITS CAN BE GENERATED FROM SELLING THE EXPECTED ACCUMULATION OF SOIL C AS OFFSETS INTO THE NASCENT VOLUNTARY C MARKETS. SUCH AN OUTCOME HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT PRODUCER LIVELIHOODS, BENEFIT SOCIETY IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE, AND PRESENT A NEW MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT THAT CAN BE ADOPTED BY THE REST OF THE WESTERN U.S.