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Managing a robust pasture ecosystem and optimizing available forage under sub-arctic conditions in interior Alaska is a challenge. The region is characterized by a short growing season, slow residue decomposition rates and undeveloped soils that are vulnerable to compaction and erosion. Current unmanaged grazing has resulted in a heterogeneous pattern of use; with animal feeding preferences creating patches of both over- and under-utilization, and degradation. The goal of this research was to evaluate the response of circumpolar pastures to an intensively managed rotational grazing (IMRG) regime and examine the role of herbivory, trampling, and dung/urine deposition on pasture productivity and ecosystem services. To evaluate the impacts of IMRG, a full factorial experiment of simulated trampling, muskox (Ovibos moschatus) dung/urine deposition, and forage clipping, mimicking IMRG timing and intensity, was conducted at the Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The simulations were conducted on 96-1 m2 plots in two established pastures with different soil types, over the 2014 and 2015 grazing seasons. Changes in soil biota, physical soil characteristics, plant biomass, and plant community were measured from one and two years of treatment applications to evaluate the potential suitability of IMRG for livestock farms in interior Alaska. Preliminary results of plant biomass have shown that the treatments have had a marked impact on biomass productivity (p<0.001). Data on microbial activity, soil organic matter content, and changes in plant species composition in response to simulated grazing treatments will be presented. This research provides a twofold benefit; it evaluates site-specific responses to IMRG and provides insight into the role of grazing disturbance mechanisms on sub-arctic soil and plant health.