Grazing lands are complex socio-ecological systems that provide vegetation for livestock consumption and a host of other ecosystem services including clean water, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Grazing managers often adjust the timing and intensity of grazing, length of graze and rest periods, and livestock distribution to achieve production and environmental goals. Adaptive management that achieves ecosystem health and profitability goals typically involves a basic understanding of rangeland dynamics, consideration of diverse constraints including spatial and temporal variability, and determination of appropriate short- and long-term indicators and responses. This study was designed to evaluate the short-term impacts of transitioning from a continuous grazing system to management-intensive planned rest-rotation system.