To hold the current projected rise in temperatures below 1.5°C, the IPCC urges a 50% cut in the world's current emissions. And while curbing the current rate of deforestation and restoring forests are critically important steps, we must also include grasslands conservation and restoration, especially in the United States, as part of the solution.
Tilling grasslands immediately reduces soil organic carbon stocks by 30% on average, releasing a vast amount of carbon into the atmosphere. As abandoned croplands are restored, it can take 350 years for carbon stocks to recover to levels comparable to the soil found in native prairies, though up to 50% recovery has been observed in the first few decades. The optimal solution is to avoid conversion in the first place, particularly if we are to successfully meet the IPCC emissions targets and slow the process of the climate crisis before the end of the century.
This year, in response to concerns over continuing grasslands loss and ways that it impacts biodiversity and people, several North American grasslands conservation initiatives have launched to help protect this vital ecosystem. These include the Central Grasslands Roadmap, NRCS Great Plains Framework, JV8 Conservation Initiative, and a coalition of organizations—including WWF—in support of a new North American Grasslands Conservation Act to allocate resources toward voluntary efforts to conserve America's grasslands and sagebrush.
WWF has also launched a partnership with Cargill, the Walmart Foundation, and McDonald's known as the Ranch Systems and Viability Planning (RSVP) network, to support ranchers across the ecoregion—focusing primarily on Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota—with technical expertise, training, and tools to help advance grazing practices that improve the health of the land. By improving the management of 1 million acres over five years and avoiding plow-up, this effort will result in increased carbon storage and sequestration, improved water infiltration, and better outcomes for biodiversity.
If these efforts are successful, they could make real progress toward preserving what remains of North America's intact grasslands and improve and restore those which were previously degraded or plowed.
To read the full report, please visit www.plowprint.org.
