ABSTRACT.- Aim:The intensification of livestock systems generates structural and functional changes in native grassland, which alter their capacity to respond to disturbances. Our objective was to evaluate the resilience to an extraordinary consecutive-droughts event, across an intensification gradient of livestock systems. Our prediction was that sites with more intensive management (less diverse) will have lower resilience (as resistance and/or recovery) to drought. Location:South-central region of Uruguay. Conclusion:Our research supports the insurance hypothesis by demonstrating that farms with greater biodiversity (less intensive management) have higher resistance to drought. We found that species richness is not enough to account for the effect of diversity on resilience. Our results emphasize the importance of preserving grassland biodiversity to maintain resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change. © 2023 International Association for Vegetation Science.