Master of Environmental Science and Management: Master's Group Project
(2023)
Impacts of Regenerative Land Management at White Buffalo Land Trust: Measuring Ecosystem Indicators for Regenerative Agriculture Certifications
Elijah Baker, Thomas (Tommy) King, Sophia Leiker, Patrick Pelegri-O'Day, Sarah-Anne Rohlfing, Eva Wilson
White Buffalo Land Trust, Terra Genesis
Deliverables:
Description
The White Buffalo Land Trust (WBLT) is a 501(c)3 that practices, promotes, and develops systems of regenerative agriculture for local, regional, and global impact. WBLT’s recent acquisition of the 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch (JCR) near Point Conception, CA provides a unique opportunity to assess the impacts of regenerative grazing on degraded rangelands. This project will help WBLT identify and measure indicators of ecological change, which will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of regenerative agriculture. Our objectives are as follows: (1) identify scientifically vetted ecological indicators for watershed health, carbon sequestration, and soil health on regeneratively managed rangelands; (2) ground truth indicator selection with data testing to determine best methodologies for quantifying impact; (3) propose protocols for ongoing impact assessments of watershed health, carbon sequestration, and soil health at JCR; and finally (4) identify opportunities to increase farmer adoption of regenerative agricultural practices across the ecoregion.
Client Contacts: Ann Close, Tim Tensen
