Social science for climate-resilient grasslands: Strategies to support individual and systemic adaptation

Climate change interacts with existing stressors and contributes to the degradation and transformation of grassland ecosystems in the Great Plains of the United States, posing challenges for human communities in the region. Understanding the human dimensions of grassland systems is essential for developing adaptation responses that sustain grassland ecosystems and rural livelihoods. To address this need, we conducted a narrative-style review of social science research in the Great Plains, including anthropology, economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and communication studies. We present a novel application of a behavioral economics framework to grassland management, identifying nine social-science-backed strategies that conservation professionals can apply to advance climate adaptation through individual (i-frame) and systemic (s-frame) levels. We also highlight the need for a third, group-level (g-frame) dimension to be further theorized to present opportunities for future research to generate strategies that will address the needs of all grassland stewards.