Great Plains ranchers have dealt with severe drought challenges over the past decade, and face increasing climate risks and uncertainty in future decades. The decisions that they make before, during, and after a drought event shape how the event affects the long-term health and resilience of natural, financial, and social resources of the ranch operation. This presentation will explore what we know about how ranchers make these critical decisions, and the role of having a drought contingency plan on their decision-making processes. Tonya will share results of social science research on ranchers’ coping and adaptation to climate risks such as drought.

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