Protecting Carbon Stored in Western Rangelands

“In rangeland systems, current and relevant science shows that protecting stored carbon rather than focusing on sequestering new carbon should be the focus of management efforts.”
from “Storing Carbon in Sagebrush Rangelands” Report

Western rangelands and grasslands are being recognized for their ability to protect stored carbon long into the future. Rangelands are vast and store over 25% of carbon found in western ecosystems. As the climate warms and the west experiences more extreme weather events like drought and fire, as well as landscape-scale changes like conifer expansion and land-use conversion, it is more important than ever to promote management practices that protect existing carbon stored in rangelands.

In order to get this important science into the hands of managers and decision-makers, the Intermountain West Joint Venture has produced several resources to help individuals across the west understand how management actions affect carbon sequestration and stored carbon. Resources included are the full “Storing Carbon in Western Rangelands” report, a 2-page synthesized version, and a 1-page visual resource.