**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THROUGHOUT THEIR WESTERN RANGE, PRAIRIE DOG POPULATIONS CYCLE THROUGH ALTERNATING PERIODS OF EXPANSION AND COLLAPSE, PRESENTING PRESSING AND COMPLEX CHALLENGES FOR RANGELAND MANAGEMENT. THE EXPANSION PHASE OF PRAIRIE DOG COLONIES INEVITABLY LEADS TO CONFLICTS WITH LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, WHILE THEIR COLLAPSE RAISES CONCERNS FOR THE ABUNDANCE AND PERSISTENCE OF PRAIRIE DOG-ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE. THE OPPOSING AND ALTERNATING EFFECTS OF THESE BOOM-BUST CYCLES RESULT IN ECONOMIC LOSSES, BIODIVERSITY LOSSES, AND PERSISTENT HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICTS. ENSURING THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF RANGELAND SYSTEMS REQUIRES DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING THESE BOOM-BUST CYCLES, YET THE SOCIAL, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS DRIVING THESE CYCLES AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THIS STUDY WILL ADDRESS KEY KNOWLEDGE GAPS RELATED TO THE DRIVERS OF PRAIRIE DOG BOOM-BUST CYCLES AND THE EFFECTS OF THESE CYCLES ON SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, BIODIVERSITY, AND RANGELAND HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL (1) INVESTIGATE HOW ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND CLIMATE VARIABLES DRIVE PRAIRIE DOG COLONY DYNAMICS OVER TIME AND SPACE; (2) DETERMINE HOW PRAIRIE DOG COLONY SIZE INTERACTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL COVARIATES TO AFFECT IMPORTANT RANGELAND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, SOIL HEALTH, AND BIODIVERSITY); AND (3) USE THIS INFORMATION TO DEVELOP A PREDICTIVE MODEL AND DECISION SUPPORT TOOL TO INFORM BEST PRACTICES FOR RANGELAND MANAGEMENT. UNDERSTANDING THE DRIVERS OF PRAIRIE DOG COLONY DYNAMICS AND THE MANY ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES THEY AFFECT WILL LEAD TO NOVEL AND TARGETED MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS THAT DAMPEN THESE HARMFUL BOOM-BUST CYCLES AND ULTIMATELY PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY, AND OVERALL RANGELAND HEALTH.