Oral Presentations
MANAGING LANDSCAPES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Comparing Perceptions of Riparian Function to Assessed Conditions: Implications for Management
Mimi Wagner, Iowa State University Department of Landscape Architecture, Stephanie Synder, USDA Forest Service
Contact Information: Mimi Wagner,
The extent and condition of many of riparian areas have been altered over the last century by our land use, development, and management choices. Biophysically, they function in several critical ways, including contributions to water quality, soil conservation, aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and flood storage. The productivity and juxtaposition of riparian areas makes them vulnerable for conversion and development, impacting their ability to function and provide environmental benefits.
Management, preservation, and restoration policies and actions are needed to safeguard their value and functions. Previous research identifies critical relationships between social perceptions and riparian planning. Specifically, individual’s values, beliefs, and technical understanding influence their riparian management decisions.
We examine the relationship between biophysical condition and local perceptions of riparian quality and function. We utilized Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (USDA NRCS) to evaluate riparian area functionality and condition, and then compared results with statistically representative survey findings of riparian condition perceptions from watershed residents. Respondents identified characteristics that they relate to streams in acceptable condition as well as their use of and expectations for the stream.
We found that people value streams for different reasons, which influenced their expectations for stream functionality. Characteristics associated with streams in acceptable conditions also varied widely. This information allows public land managers and conservation organizations to target technical assistance, incentive programs, restoration priorities, and educational materials to help landowners more effectively manage their lands to meet their riparian goals, and in particular, goals appropriate to the condition of their stream.
CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
SW:1.0 NM: CM: PM:
Total CEUs: 1.0
Flexible geomorphic field assessment and its implementation in watershed management systems
Dr. Alex Brunton, Geoscientist, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited
Contact Information: Dr. Alex Brunton, Geoscientist, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited
Several previous geomorphic field assessment techniques (including catchment baseline surveying; fluvial audit and bank erosion assessment; river habitat survey; Rosgen classification; river corridor survey; rapid geomorphic assessment) have been combined and modified to create a flexible geomorphic survey system for rivers and watersheds. In addition to providing standard baseline information, the system is modular, with specific components for urban rivers; wetlands; agricultural drainage systems; artificial channels; bedrock channels; large rivers and steep, ravine creeks. The system is optimized for Pocket PC and it is GIS-compliant.
The geomorphic field assessment system is designed to provide background data for river channel and watershed management initiatives. For example, qualitative sediment budgets can be constructed; banks erosion mechanisms can be identified and channel enhancement, mitigation and protection activities can be prioritized using this system. The system has now been tested on several watersheds in Canada and the USA, ranging in size from 100-15,000 km2. Feedback from watershed managers on the usefulness of the system for watershed management has been highly positive. The background to the development of the system is discussed, along with project results and future development initiatives.
Cost-Effective Targeting of Riparian Buffers in Agricultural Watersheds
Dr. Wanhong Yang, Department of Geography
Contact Information: Dr. Wanhong Yang, Department of Geography,
This paper develops an integrated economic, hydrologic, and GIS modeling framework to examine the cost-effective targeting of land retirement for establishing riparian buffers in agricultural watersheds. Previous studies have examined the efficiency of targeting large land parcels for retirement or targeting management practices such as conservation tillage but have not considered narrow variable buffer strips. An empirical application of the framework in the Canagagigue Creek watershed of Ontario in Canada shows that average and marginal costs of sediment abatement increase at an increasing rate as the environmental goal becomes more stringent. The locations of the buffer strips vary across the watershed and are not necessarily located on those sites with greatest slope or those adjacent to visible streams. Cost effectiveness is further increased if the targeting is extended to allow for the width of the buffer strip to vary by location rather than assume a uniform width. The modeling results have important policy implications for the design of conservation stewardship programs such as setting appropriate environmental health goals based on marginal abatement costs relative to marginal benefits, and setting physical characteristics of the riparian buffers for selection along the drainage network in targeted sub-catchments.
Effects of Forestry Streamside Management Zone Characteristics on Water Quality and Soil Movement.
William A. Lakel III, Instructor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, W. Michael Aust, Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, C. Andrew Dolloff, Associate Professor of Fisheries Science, Project Leader, USFS Southern Research Station Coldwater Fisheries Research Unit.
Contact Information: William A. Lakel III, Instructor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
Forested streamside management zones (SMZs) are widely recommended for the protection of water quality from sedimentation, nutrient inputs, thermal pollution, stream channel stabilizations and enhancement of in-stream and riparian habitat. Beginning in 2001, twenty forested watersheds and first order streams/riparian areas were monitored for baseline data prior to treatment installation. Five treatments were installed across four blocks during 2003-2004. Each of sixteen watersheds of approximately 100 acres were clearcut harvested, site prepared with prescribed burning, and planted with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Within the watersheds, the streamside management zone treatments were established as 100 feet width with no thinning, 50 feet width with thinning, 50 feet width with no thinning, and a 15 feet "stringer". Four watersheds were retained as non-harvested to serve as controls treatments. Each of the five treatments was conducted within one of four blocks (Randomized Complete Block Design). Currently, we are examining the influence of the SMZ treatments on stream water quality, sediment loading and movement and channel geomorphology.
Water quality parameters of particular interest are nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate concentrations as well as dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Stream geomorphology and sediment changes are being monitored with a combination of erosion rods and sediment traps. The study sites will be monitored through the 2006 calendar year.
Late Season Grazing with Early Season Wildlife Nesting Compatibility
John Klein, Project Manager – CRP Research and Demonstration Project
Contact Information: John Klein, CRP Research and Demonstration Project, USDA-NRCS, 2243 Loomis St. #2,
Typical livestock grazing practices preclude the probability of success for ground nesting wildlife, including game birds such as pheasants and quail. This is because of livestock trampling of nests, and lack of vegetative structure after grazing.
The Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee, Iowa State University, and NRCS are cooperating in a study in southern Iowa* that investigates a management change that would allow for splitting of the forage season using warm-season native grass pastures.
Wildlife nesting has priority for the first half of the growing season. By using bunch type warm season grasses, the earliest growth is later in the season, allowing for greater nesting opportunities. Pheasants will be the primary species example, because of their economic importance to landowners and rural communities.
Forage quality and harvest is the second half priority. Harvest can be direct grazing by livestock or haying. The warm season grasses forage is still useable by mid-July in Iowa when the primary wildlife nesting season ends.
This presentation will outline the growth cycles of warm season grass and the common Iowa upland grassland birds. Compatibility will be emphasized. Landscape management to create this dual function and multi-crop approach will be outlined.
This study is being watched by numerous interest groups, including agricultural policy planners as a method of developing a win-win formula that reaches a compromise of wildlife critical needs with the forage needs of livestock. Forage producers with wildlife interests (economic or quality of life), and wildlife enthusiasts will be interested in this study.
The Effects of Drought on the Health of Southeastern Colorado Rangelands
David A. Miller, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Contact Information: David A. Miller, District Conservationist, USDA-NRCS, 200 S. 10th Street, Rocky Ford, Colorado, 81067 Phone: 719-254-7672, ext. 109 Fax: 719-254-4541 Email: david.miller@co.usda.gov
In 2002, Colorado was in the grip of a multi-year drought—the worst and most widespread on record. It had severe effects on agriculture, tourism, recreation, commerce, water supplies, and wildlife.
Approximately 60% or 14.5 million of Colorado’s 24 million acres of privately-owned rangeland were severely impacted. Recovery has been slow.
In 2002, Colorado ranchers either sold or moved record livestock numbers to other states for grazing. Colorado saw a 60% decrease in the mother cow herd that year. The drought jeopardized the integrity of rangeland resources besides having negative economic impacts on Colorado ranches and rural communities.
Beginning in 2002, USDA-NRCS personnel began to help ranchers recover. To foster recovery, some ranchers have implemented improved grazing management and de-stocked their rangeland appropriately.
Ranchers who improved their grazing management are seeing perennial plants recover rapidly. Ranchers who continue to graze without management improvements won’t see recovery for 10 or more years.
Effects of a Restored Elk Population on Soils, Vegetation, and Water Quality in Eastern Kentucky
Julia M. Ter Beest, Christopher D. Barton, David S. Maehr, and Jeffery L. Larkin
Contact Information: Julia M. Ter Beest, University of Kentucky, Department of Forestry, T.P. Cooper Building, Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: (859) 257-5841 Fax: (859) 323-1031 Email: jmterb2@uky.edu
A restored elk (Cervus elaphus) population in eastern Kentucky may be altering ecosystem processes in the forest-surface mine landscape. Elk frequently use forested ridge-tops as resting and ruminating sites. These locations are characterized by sparse or absent leaf litter and vegetation, large dung deposits, and urine-saturated soils. Research objectives focused on determining elk effects on soil nutrients, vegetation, erosion potential, and water quality using a series of fenced exclosures, 8 on disturbed forested ridge-tops and 8 on reclaimed grasslands. Soil analyses included % moisture, pH, total nitrogen, total carbon, ammonium, and nitrate levels. Litter depths, % bare ground, % vegetation, and % woody debris were measured for each site. Sediment and water samples were collected monthly from sediment traps on 2 reference and 2 experimental ridge-tops. Means and standard errors were calculated for all response variables in exclosed, non-exclosed, and reference sites. Paired Student’s t-tests were used to determine significance (p ? 0.10). Disturbed ridge-tops (2.42 ± 0.81 mg/L outside exclosures) had higher levels of soil ammonium than reference sites (0.56 ± 0.14 mg/L) in spring 2004. Sediment from traps averaged 9.9 g/month inside exclosures, 13.2 g/month outside exclosures, and 4.6 g/month on reference ridge-tops. Simplified vegetative structure, reduced litter depths, higher sediments, and elevated ammonium levels on ridge-tops used by elk suggest that this reintroduced species is changing some attributes of the Cumberland Plateau landscape. Continued monitoring of these areas is recommended so that managers can fully understand the long-term impact of the return of this large, herding herbivore.
Management Of 12-Month, Two Crop Forage System For Safe Sustained Use Of Swine Effluent Spray Field.
Dr. Dennis E. Rowe, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Contact Information: Dr. Dennis E. Rowe, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Waste Management and Forage Lab, 810 Highway 12 East,
The swine lagoon effluent is repeatedly land applied via summer irrigation to the same nearby fields. The potential for nutrient pollution of water is increased with increasing concentration of manure nutrients in the soil. In the South, a warm season summer forage, usually bermudagrass, and a cool season winter forage, often ryegrass, are used in the spray fields. Harvesting both winter cover crop and summer crop increases nutrient removal rates. Harvesting berseem clover, a winter cover crop, twice in the Spring can increase P, Zn, and Cu removal by 25, 40 and 72%, respectively, over that removed by ryegrass. A comparison of winter species and harvest dates found both factors important to nutrient yields. The winter harvest system also impacted the summer yields. For the 12-month management system the best winter harvest system was not the most productive for either the winter or summer forage. two crop forage system, swine effluent spray field, swine lagoon
CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
SW:0.5 NM:0.5 CM:0.5 PM:
Total CEUs: 1.5
Effects Of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems On Leachable Nitrogen, Change In Soil Organic Nitrogen, And Soil Erosion In Western Iowa Watersheds
Michael Burkart and David James, National Soil Tilth Laboratory and Matthew Liebman and Carl Herndl, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
Contact Information: Michael Burkart, National Soil Tilth Laboratory,
Erosion and surplus agricultural nitrogen (N) are indicators of nitrate and sediment in water resources. This paper quantifies the surplus N available for leaching, changes in soil organic N (SON), and erosion under existing land use patterns in watersheds in western Iowa and then evaluates these same indicators under two alternative land use scenarios. The alternative land uses increase land area under perennial cover, integrate livestock with cropping systems, and reduce inorganic fertilizer use. We used the Water Erosion Prediction Program (WEPP) to estimate erosion and a N-budget model to estimate leachable N and changes in SON. The N model described here is widely applicable because it utilizes commonly available georeferenced data on soils, crops, and livestock. Maximum annual erosion rates were estimated to be 22 Mg ha-1 under current conditions, double the regional maximum at which soil is maintained as a medium for plant growth (T). Under alternative land uses, erosion was between 1.1 Mg ha-1 and 5.5 Mg ha-1, well below T. Annual leachable N was as much as 43 kg ha-1 for current conditions, but consistently less than15 kg ha-1 under alternative land uses. Maximum SON losses were 23 kg N ha-1 under current conditions while SON increased by as much as 18 kg N ha -1 under alternative land uses. These results indicate that erosion may be minimized, leachable N could be decreased and SON may be increased by better accounting of N inputs and altering the distribution and species composition of crop and pasture systems.
Use Of Vetiver Grass To Control Erosion For Downstream Water Quality Improvement
Mohammad H. Golabi, Assistant Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences
University of Guam, Clancy Iyekar, Dwayne Minton.
University of Guam and US-Forestry Division in the Pacific
Contact Information: Mohammad H. Golabi, Assistant Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of
Mangilao,
Soil erosion and sedimentation, as the result of the runoff is the principle anthropogenic threat to the coral reefs in the Pacific Island of Guam. Sever soil erosion as the result of forest burning not only is the major cause of land degradation of Guam’s landscapes but sediment loss due to erosion from the watersheds, ranches and farmlands clogs rivers, lakes, waterways and more importantly damages the coral reef that is the major attraction for the tourist. Sediment loss also reduces the water storage capacity of reservoirs and canals and increases flooding. In this project Vetiver grass is used as a watershed management technique to mitigate the sediment loading and improve the water quality hence better the health of reef ecosystem of the Island. Four flumes (72ft X 4ft) are installed on a uniformly sloped selected watershed area to measure the runoff and estimate the sedimentation rate under four different treatments. Treatments are: ‘as it is condition’, ‘completely exposed condition’, ‘burned’ and finally establishment of ‘Vetiver grass’ as the sediment trap technology. Sets of suspended runoff/sediment samplers are constructed in a runoff-collecting tank placed at the bottom of each treatment plots for the measurement of sediment discharge as well as runoff assessment. Samples are used to measure the turbidity and the amount of sediment collected under each treatment for erosion assessment and the to evaluate the effect of Vetiver grass as erosion control technology
Establishing cover crops at time of corn planting: Determining soil and water quality benefits
Paul R. Salon, Peter J.A. Kleinman and Robert R. Schindelbeck, USDA - NRCS, USDA - ARS, and Cornell University
Contact Information: Paul Salon, USDA-NRCS 441 So.
Phone: 315-477-6535 Fax: 315-477-6550 Email: paul.salon @ny.usda.gov
The establishment of cover crops following silage corn can be a challenge in the Northeast with sometimes marginal environmental benefits in the fall and winter. The establishment of cover crops at the time of corn planting takes advantage of good soil moisture, a prepared seed bed and early growth. Herbicides are used to suppress the cover crops while controlling weeds. Studies were conducted using different herbicides, cover crops and their seeding rates to develop a system allowing for good weed control, corn yields and improved cover for environmental benefits. Results show no significant yield reduction with this system when cover crops are sown at the recommended rates and weeds are adequately controlled. Rainfall simulation studies were conducted to investigate the effects of this cover system on sediment and phosphorus runoff from soils before and after dairy manure application. Prior to manure application cover crops functioned to decrease surface runoff, soil erosion and lower total phosphorus. Following surface manure application phosphorus losses where driven by dissolved reactive phosphorus. At the rainfall intensity and volume delivered (60mm h-1) there was no reduction of dissolved phosphorus from the cover crops. A soil quality study was conducted after four years of this system comparing the soil physical and biological effects of the cover crops with and without tillage. Soil measurements include: bulk density, infiltration, wet aggregate stability test, pore size distribution, particulate organic matter fractions, decomposition rate and mineralizable nitrogen. Both the large and small percent aggregate stabilities were increased by the annual ryegrass cover crop in both conventional and zone till treatments.
Lifescapes And Landscapes: Decision-Making From A Holistic Perspective
Constance L. Neely, Africa Center for Holistic Management, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, A. Savory, Africa Center for Holistic Management, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, M. Casas, National Autonomous University, Chapa de Mota, Mexico
Contact Information:
Managing landscapes in developing country settings must be tied to community values and enhanced rural livelihoods. So, how can community based decision making take into account those essential elements that lead to social, economic, and environmental well being? The Wange Community in Zimbabwe suffers severe degradation and typifies many of the problems that plague rural communities in Africa. The livelihoods of the Wange are threatened by ever diminishing land productivity, water quality and flow and biological diversity. A further symptom of desertification is social breakdown expressed in the form of out-migration, violence or worse. The Africa Centre for Holistic Management, a not-for-profit training and demonstration site, has demonstrated that the land, water, and biological resource base can be healed. Building on the insight that overgrazing is a function of timing and not numbers of animals, smaller livestock herds are being combined. Herdsmen do not allow animals to return to plants before they have recovered while maximizing the benefit of animal impact for soil disturbance and fertilization. Livestock are healthier and have become a tool for improving soil aeration, water infiltration, seed germination, and increasing biological diversity and productivity. Understanding the ecosystem processes is only one piece of the Holistic Management decision making framework. Building on the insight of holism, the framework allows livelihood decisions to be based on what people value most deeply, a vision of a healthy ecosystem and what has to be in place to support these. Applications in Africa and Mexico and other countries will be presented.
CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
SW:0.5 NM: CM:0.5 PM:
Total CEUs: 1.0
The New York Stormwater Management Program - Benefitting Environmental Quality With All Land Uses
Donald W. Lake Jr.,PE,CPESC,CPSWQ
Contact Information: Donald W. Lake Jr.,PE,CPESC,CPSWQ,
This presentation explores the linkages and evolution of the stormwater program in New York State. Urbanized areas, developing suburban areas, and agricultural lands have come under the regulatory programs of the clean water act. State authorities have created general permits for construction operations, municipal separate storm sewer systems, and confined animal feeding operations. State and federal agencies who have had historical programs supporting local municipalities and farmers are faced with the task to meet the requirements in support of environmental quality. This presentation describes the development processes created, technical standards developed, and the program implementation of the New York program over these diverse land uses.
Large Scale Prairie Landscape Management in SW Wisconsin
Peggie James, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Contact Information: Peggie James, NRCS Liaison at DNR,
Phone: 608-264-9222 Fax: 608-267-7664 Email: peggie.james@dnr.state.wi.us
Approximately 45,000 acres in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin has been identified as the hightest priority for landscape-scale grassland protection. This area contains a high concentration of prairie remnants and represents one of the best sites in the Midwest to preserve prairies, rare prairie species and grassland birds in an open landscape. It is one of only five large ecological landscapes of special concern identified by The Nature Conservancy. Threats to the project include the loss of the dairy cow and increased development pressure from urban centers.
This paper outlines the strategies developed and implemented to conserve, enhance and expland a functioning grassland landscape; focusing on biological, cultural, historical, economic and recreational values. Nine partners including state, federal and non-governmental conservation organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help manage this unique landscape. The partnership has creatively drawn on programs that balance the multiple needs of the community. Management includes support and promotion of traditional agriculture, particularly grazing, reducing grassland fragmentation, and restoration of native Developing Phosphorus Budgets in the Mid-Atlantic Region Kathleen Arrington, Penn State University; David Hansen, University of Delaware; Douglas Parker, University of Maryland; Charles Abdalla, Penn State University; James Pease, Virginia Tech; and Alan Collins, West Virginia University Contact Information: Kathleen Arrington, Phone: 814-863-0054 Fax: 814-865-3746 Email: kea106@psu.edu The geographic separation of crop and animal production has created areas where land-applied nutrients exceed local crop needs. These excess nutrients can degrade surface and groundwater resources. As part of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Quality Program, we are developing cropland nutrient budgets for states, counties, hysiographic regions and watersheds within the Mid-Atlantic region. Our project has initially focused on phosphorus (P). The budgets are estimates of major P inputs (manure and fertilizer) and outputs (harvested crops) for cropland. Estimates are based on annual data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture and fertilizer sales reports. We define the P balance for cropland as the difference between P inputs and outputs. The state-level budget trends indicate that manure P production has been increasing throughout the region since 1939, primarily due to increases in poultry production. Although significant reductions in fertilizer use since 1978 have offset some of the recent manure P increases at the state level, annual P surpluses still occur. County-level budgets indicate that areas with intensive animal production correspond to each state’s areas of cropland P surpluses. Nutrient management specialists in each Mid-Atlantic state use different coefficients to estimate manure P production and crop P removal. This project fostered discussion among research and Extension faculty about standardization of these coefficients for the Mid-Atlantic region. Standardizing these coefficients has allowed us to develop regional budgets, which can be used to develop regional strategies to address nutrient surpluses and protect regional water resources, such as the Using Phosphorus Budgets in the Mid-Atlantic Region Charles Abdalla, Penn State University; David Hansen, University of Delaware; Kathleen Arrington, Penn State University; Douglas Parker, University of Maryland; James Pease, Virginia Tech; and Alan Collins, Contact Information: Charles Abdalla, Phone: 814-865-2562 Fax: 814-865-3746 Email: CAbdalla@psu.edu As part of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Quality Program, cropland phosphorus budgets for states, counties, physiographic regions and watersheds are being developed for use by decision-makers to address water quality issues. To begin extending this information, we have made the budget information available on our website: http://www.mawaterquality.org/budget. In addition to training of extension faculty/staff, presentations about the budgets have been given to representatives of government agencies, NGOs, feed/fertilizer industry representatives, and farmers. Feedback from these interactions are being used to refine the budgets and develop outreach messages and delivery approaches. Budget information has been used to evaluate the potential for manure marketing within the region. Although some areas in the region produce more manure nutrients than can be utilized by the local crops, other areas could potentially import some these surplus nutrients to supply local crop needs. Surveys are being conducted in three counties in Small-group meetings with representatives from government agencies, environmental organizations and industry are being used to develop extension programs. Our approach is participatory – spatial and temporal results are provided via figures without interpretation. Representatives are asked what this information means to them and how it could be used. Their feedback is guiding extension program development. Additional refinements, including standardization of crop removal coefficients across states, will increase the budget’s utility to analysis to regional issue. Ultimately we envision the nutrient budgets to become a widely-used tool in future decisions impacting cropland nutrient flows in the region. SNAP-Plus: Making Conservation Planning Accessible to Nutrient Management Planners Laura Ward Good, Paul Kaarakka, and Larry Bundy, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Bill Pearson, New Mexico Department of Enviroment Contact Information: Laura Ward Good, Soil Science Department, 1525 Observatory Dr. , Madison, WI 53706-1299 Phone: 608-262-9894 FAX: 608-265-2595 Email:lwgood@wisc.edu SNAP-Plus is a software program for preparing multi-year phosphorus (P)-based nutrient management plans in accordance with Wisconsin’s 590 Nutrient Management Standard. The SNAP-Plus package includes the USDA-NRCS RUSLE2 soil loss prediction software program and As SNAP-Plus is designed for use by crop producers and consultants, program data requirements are limited to information readily available to those users. SNAP-Plus allows them to assess the effects of changes in management practices on soil and phosphorus losses across a crop rotation. Although this program is specifically for Evaluating a Nitrate Leaching Model for Nutrient Management Planning in Chris Duke, Agricultural and Rural Division, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Ian McDonald, Keith Reid, Crop Technology Unit, Agricultural and Rural Division, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Pamela Joosse, Environmental Management Unit, Agricultural and Rural Division, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Contact Information: Chris Duke, Agricultural and Rural Division, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, 3rd Floor SE, 1 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 4Y2 (519) 826-3557 chris.duke@omaf.gov.on.ca CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:0.5 NM:1.0 CM: PM Total CEUs: 1.5 Rapid Nitrate Loss from the Vadose Zone of a Contaminated Desert Soil Casey McKeon, Fiona L. Jordan,University of Arizona, Edward P. Glenn,University of Arizona, William J. Waugh, Environmental Sciences Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Steven G. Nelson, University of Arizona Contact Information: Casey McKeon, 2601 E. Airport Dr., A 1.6 ha plot of Atriplex canescens (fourwing saltbush) was established in a desert soil at a former uranium ore-processing plant, near The Role of International Environmental Conventions In Land Management The rapid disappearance of global environmental resources such as agricultural land and sensitive natural habitats is now occurring at an alarming rate. This continues to undermine sustainable development, environmental quality and the conservation of natural resources. While it has been shown that economic growth and population pressure, threaten the land base of most nations, these factors trigger climate change, increased degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Apart from some inherent controversies surrounding the debate, societal frenzy over the threats of global environmental decline has resulted in a relative diffusion of norms of conduct among nation states directed at halting degradation of the environment. In the process, international environmental conventions are gradually emerging as universally recognized way of ensuring the management of landscapes for the attainment of environmental quality. Global environmental conventions provide a viable instrument for enhancing the management of landscapes for environmental quality through the promotion of increased awareness of the linkages between economy and the environment, intensification of research and monitoring, enforcement of standards, mobilization of resources and the promotion of international cooperation. The successful implementation of international environmental conventions could lead to considerable gains in the management of landscapes. This paper analyzes the role of international conventions in promoting global management of landscapes for environmental quality. Emphasis is on a review of the issues, regional case studies showcasing success stories among selected communities from North and Southern hemisphere as well as recommendations for future lines of action. Implementing the Bob King, Contact Information: Bob King, 585.461.1000 x239 585.442.7577 rnk2@cornell.edu Since 1999, the Market Based Approaches To Environment And Natural Resources Asiimwe Alex, National Environment Management Authority (Nema)- Contact Information: Asiimwe Alex, National Environment Management Authority (Nema), Uganda Plot 17/19/21 Jinja Road,P.O. Box 22255, Kampala, Uganda 256-41-251064 256-41-257521 Asiimwex@nemaug.org Market of environmental resources is mechanism, which facilitate buying, and selling. They are arenas in which people exchange scarce resources in order to meet their wants. Markets may be actual (real) or constructed markets. Actual markets are conventional mechanisms where buying and selling of goods and services take place using a medium of exchange (usually money). Constructed markets on the other hand are not real, but represent a stated willingness to pay or accept compensation for the provision or loss of good or service usually non-tangible environmental services (Emerton, Lucy 1997). Environmental conservation and the prevention of environmental degradation costs money. Therefore, this paper will focus on the following; 1) Economics and financial concepts in environment and natural resources management 2) Sustainable issues to consider in trade and environment. 3) Challenges and opportunities of trade in environment and natural resources. 4) Key entry points for mitigation of trade issues in environment and natural resources. This presentation paper will be based on two-year experience in research on environment and trade related issues in Dean Frazier Contact Information: Dean Frazier, Delaware County Department of Watershed Affairs, Phone: 607-746-8914 FAX: 607-746-8836 dean.frazier@co.delaware.ny.us Ninety percent of This paper illustrates how a comprehensive, voluntary, locally managed watershed management program works within the framework of the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act and New York City regulations with state, regional, federal and local partners. DCAP's goal driven initiatives have sound scientific and technical bases with strong consideration for economic ramifications of proposed solutions involving agriculture, community and highway stormwater, onsite septic systems and stream corridor management. DCAP is integrated with other local watershed initiatives, municipal comprehensive plans and local land use regulations. The County's economic development strategy is oriented toward green companies with minimal impact on the Brian K. Gelder and Richard M. Cruse, Contact Information: Brian K. Gelder, Iowa State University, 3210 Agronomy Hall, Ames, IA 50011, Phone: 515-231-9326 Fax: 515-294-3163 Email: bkgelder@iastate.edu Tillage practices are known to have a large impact on the quantity of runoff and sediment delivered to a water body, hence spatial knowledge of tillage practices is of great value for accurate watershed modeling. However, current methods (i.e. windshield survey or intense field survey) of obtaining field data are either inaccurate or overly time-consuming. Combined radar and infrared remote sensing was gathered to determine the tillage types and illustrate the convenience and utility of remote data collection in watershed management. Data was collected in the This paper describes a method that can be used to remotely sense field level tillage and residue cover, transform the data into a GIS usable format, and input the data into the WEPP erosion model. It also includes analyses of the classification accuracy that can be expected from such a method and the changes in runoff and erosion that are predicted from different levels of conservation tillage adoption within the watershed. CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.5 NM: CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.5 Francisco L. Santos, João L. Reis, Nádia L. Castanheira, Rui O. Pires, Contact Information: Francisco L. Santos Universidade de Évora, Departamento de Engenharia Rural, Núcleo da Mitra, Apart. 94, 7002-554 ÉVORA,Tel:266760823, Fax:266760911, e-mail: fls@uevora.pt Most of the Mediterranean soils in Buffer Strip Selection To Improve Surface Water Runoff From Urban Environments Kurt Steinke, J.C. Stier, and W.R. Kussow, University of Wisconsin-Madison Contact Information: Kurt Steinke, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Horticulture, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706 Phone: 608-265-0761 Fax: 608-262-4743 Email: kurtsteinke@wisc.edu Urban development has reshaped the landscape and forced land managers to consider impervious surfaces and multiple vegetation types in long-term planning. Urban landscapes are significant non-point source polluters but little information on best management practices exists for these areas. Phosphorus loading from surface runoff waters is the primary nutrient requiring management but identifying sources of phosphorus in urban runoff waters has remained difficult. State agencies are encouraging native prairie landscapes within urban areas as a means of improving the quality and quantity of urban stormwater runoff. These regulations are supported by little scientific information without which costly and ineffective measures may be implemented. A study was conducted comparing the abilities of differing impervious:pervious surface ratios of turfgrass and native prairie buffer strips in preventing and improving surface water runoff. Runoff volumes, water quality, and soil moisture levels were monitored and measured continuously throughout the year from every natural rainfall runoff event. Water samples were analyzed for four forms of phosphorus and total sediment concentrations. Additional field data collected included infiltration capability, leachate quantity and quality, and plant biomass nutrient contributions. Total nutrient loading from each vegetation type was calculated, and sources of phosphorus in the urban landscape were identified and quantified. Turfgrass buffer strips allowed nearly 50% less runoff to occur compared to native prairie buffers during the establishment year. Greater nutrient and sediment loads occurred from the non-fertilized prairie buffer than from the fertilized turfgrass buffer. Results from two full years of data will be presented. Quantity and Quality of Cropland Runoff in the S. M. Dabney, M. A. Locke, R. W. Steinriede, M. T. Moore, S. Smith, Jr. and D. A. DiCarlo, USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Contact Information: Seth Dabney, USDA-ARS, Phone: 662-232-2975 Fax: 662-232-2915 Email: sdabney@ars.usda.gov The Mississippi Delta is one of the most intensively cropped areas in the country. Abundant rainfall supplemented with irrigation, together with the absence of subsurface tile drainage, render surface runoff the major pathway through which agriculture may impact water quality. The Mark Hood and John Clausen, Phone: 860-486-2841 Fax: 860-486-5408 Email: mark.hood@uconn.edu Top of Page Isabelle Beaudin, Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement Inc. (IRDA), Julie Deslandes Aubert Michaud Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement Inc. (IRDA), Ferdinand Bonn Centre d'applications et de recherche en télédétection (CARTEL) Sherbrooke University Contact Information: Isabelle Beaudin, Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement Inc. (IRDA), 2700 rue Einstein, Sainte-Foy, Québec G1P-3W8 418-643-2787 isabelle.beaudin@mail2.irda.qc.ca In recent years, cyanobacteria blooms, triggered by an excess of phosphorus have caused the degradation of the CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.0 NM: CM:0.5 PM: Total CEUs: 1.5 Improved soil quality under diversified rotation and no tillage in eastern Joseph L. Pikul Jr., USDA-ARS Contact Information: Joseph L. Pikul Jr., USDA-ARS, Northern Grain Insects Research Laboratory, 2923 Medary Ave., Brookings, SD. 57006 Phone: 605-693-5258 FAX: 605-693-5240 email: jpikul@ngirl.ars.usda.gov Crop rotation and tillage directly impact soil and the environment, but quantifying the effect of management on natural resources is difficult because of the length of time required for soil/crop systems to reach new equilibriums. Objectives were to determine effect of diversified crop rotation on: 1) soil quality attributes in transition following adoption of no tillage, and 2) production efficiency of corn. Experiments were started in 1997 on a Barnes clay loam near Brookings, SD. Rotations were continuous corn (CC), corn-soybean (CS), a 3-year rotation of corn-soybean-oat/pea hay (CSH), a 3-year rotation of corn-soybean-spring wheat (CSW), and a 5-year rotation of corn-soybean-oat/pea hay companion seeded with alfalfa-alfalfa-alfalfa (CSHAA). Average corn yield (1998-2003) was significantly (p=0.001) greater under CSW (6790 kg ha-1) compared with CC (4000 kg ha-1). Water use efficiency and N use efficiency was significantly (p=0.002) less under CC compared with other rotations. There were no differences in soil C in the top 8 cm among rotations, but average (all plots) soil C increased (p=0.001) 2.9 % from 1997 to 2003. Fine particulate organic matter (POM) of the top 8 cm increased (p=0.037) 9 % from 1997 to 2003, and POM was greatest (p=0.001) under CSHAA and least under CC. Water stability of soil aggregates increased with an increase in fine POM (R2 = 0.6). Diversified rotations increased efficiency of water and N use by corn. Further, increased rotation diversity and no tillage improved soil attributes that can reduce soil erodibility by wind or water. Phone: 253-848-8432 Fax: 253-445-4569 Email: skuo@wsu.edu Eutrophication of The lysimeter study on the lawns bordering the lakeshore showed that P transport for the lawns was well correlated with soil total P, averaging 0.63 kg P ha-1yr-1over four sites. Much of the P input from the lawns was SRP, which is readily available for biota in terrestrial and aquatic systems. The result established a close relationship between soil P level and the amount of P transported from the soil. Cropland And Riparian Buffer Nutrient Concentrations In Soil Water And Shallow Ground Water Eric Young and Russ Briggs, Riparian buffers can mitigate surface and subsurface nutrient movement from cropland to streams, but effectiveness varies widely. We initiated a three-year study in 2003 to evaluate the relative effectiveness of riparian buffers on reducing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) movement in shallow subsurface flow from adjoining cropland. Our objectives were: (i) to quantify N and P differences among cropland, recently restored grass and grass-willow buffers, and established forested riparian buffers (ii) to examine soil and landscape factors affecting buffer effectiveness. Results show that average soil water nitrate-N and dissolved reactive P (DRP) were consistently and significantly lower in buffers. Some vertical and lateral P movement was evident across the landscape. DRP concentrations at 25 and 50 cm were highly correlated, and soil test P in buffers was significantly correlated with adjoining cropland soil P concentration. Ground water DRP concentration in corn fields commonly equaled or exceeded the eutrophication threshold of 10 ?g P L-1. Buffers had lower average ground water nitrate-N, but in some cases acted as a continuous source of nitrate-N. Ground water nitrate-N was lowest in forested buffers, whereas ammonium-N tended to be highest. Depth to water table was significantly correlated to nitrate-N concentrations among cropland and buffers. We hypothesize that this reflects the dual role that drainage capacity has on N leaching and denitrification potential. The greatest attenuation of ground water nitrate-N occurred where moderately to well drained corn fields transition to poorly and somewhat poorly drained riparian buffer soils. CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:0.5 NM:0.5 CM:0.5 PM: Total CEUs: 1.5 Quantifying Tillage Erosion Under Intensive Potato Production In Kevin Tiessen, McGill University; Guy Mehuys, McGill University; David Lobb, University of Manitoba; Edward McKyes, McGill University Contact Information: Kevin Tiessen, In Top of Page George C. Naderman, Bobby G. Brock, G. B. Reddy and Charles W. Raczkowski Continuous conservation tillage is known to increase soil organic matter. Farmers generally find that, compared to conventional tillage, the firmness of no-tilled fields facilitates equipment traffic needed for crop production. They assume that soil conditions are near ideal for crop root activities. We investigated the relationship between soil bulk density and soil carbon content at depths of 0-2 and 2-5 inches. We sampled differing soils within a large-scale tillage experiment and in farm fields with varying conditions across The conservation tillage systems studied produced increased carbon sequestration within the surface five inches of soil. Further, the surface two inches generally maintained suitable density for root activities. At 2-5 inches, however, soil density often approached 1.6 g cm-3. Given the textures involved, this density likely affects root growth, especially under non-ideal, wet/cool or dry/hard conditions during crop establishment. We found strong inverse correlations between soil carbon and soil density. Dense soil zones have inadequate carbon content to sustain favorable density. This low-carbon/high-density problem was related to soil texture, occurring in soils having strong sand influences versus those of silt or clay. This follows prior findings about problems of tillage pans, especially in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. In certain cases, achieving full yield potential will require improved cover crop and residue management and/or soil loosening within the row zone (strip tillage). Through numerous paired samples we will identify methods to predict where improvements are needed for successful long-term no-till culture. Crop Management Impacts on Nutrient Loss and Soil Organic Carbon Steven R. Potter, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Blackland Research Center, Temple, TX; Jay D. Atwood*, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Blackland Research Center, Temple, TX; Robert L. Kellogg, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Washington DC; Lee Norfleet, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Blackland Research Center, Temple, TX The USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service and Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Dr. Alex Brunton, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited, Dr. Robert Nairn, Principal, W.F. Baird & Associates Contact Information: Dr. Alex Brunton, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited, The identification of water and sediment sources, pathways and sinks is vital to sustainable management of watershed worldwide. Empirical and numerical modeling approaches have been implemented to evaluate water and sediment budgets in several large watersheds draining into Ricardo Lopez-Torrijos New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Water Contact Information: Ricardo Lopez-Torrijos, NYS DEC, Phone: 518-402-8259 Email: rxlopez@dec.state.ny.us A Build Out Model provides the ability to simulate, predict and assess the impact of land use change on land cover and, consequently, on watershed and reservoir water quality. The The BMT is part of a Geographic Information-centric environment in which NYCDEP workers can have access and use of a watershed-wide view of all existing information, plus tools to help make sense of this rich knowledge. As such it supports the development of a framework for spatially identifying quantitative growth patterns and the risks they imply for water quality. The end goal is to support the strict requirements of EPA’s 1993 waiver of filtration of the Surface Water Treatment Rule for Top of Page Dr. Robert Nairn, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited, Dr. James Selegean, Hydraulic Engineer, USACE Detroit District Contact Information: Dr. Robert Nairn, W.F. Baird & Associates Limited, 905-845-5385 rnairn@baird.com The Great Lakes Tributary Model program (Section 516e, Water Resources Development Act 1996) provides numerical watershed models as tools for state and local environmental managers. These models allow land use, land management and climate change impacts to be assessed and included into Best Management Practices (BMPs). The goal of this activity is to allow users to optimize their soil conservation and erosion prevention efforts, thereby reducing river sediment loads and helping target TMDLs. An overview of the 516e program is presented along with a summary of the projects in the Detriot District. The various modeling exercises (watershed hydrology and sediment delivery; 2-D and 3-D river flow and sediment transport) are discussed, as is their integration into GIS-based management systems. The challenges and benefits of combining these diverse approaches and their potential for supporting best management practice decisions are discussed. Top of Page Steven E. Kraft, Dept. of Ag. Bus. Econ, Chris Lant--Dept. of Geography and Environmental Planning (SIU); Jeff Beaulieu--Dept. of Agribusiness Economics (SIU), John Nicklow--Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SIU), Raja Sengupta--Dept. of Geography, McGill University, George Malanson--Dept. of Geography, University of Iowa Decisions regarding land use have economic and environmental consequences. However, the relationships among market and policy forces, land use decisions, and economic and environmental outcomes are not well understood because they contain feedbacks that have are difficult to study. The objective of this paper is to discuss the dynamic nonlinear interactions among economic and ecological conditions, public policies, land manager behavior and demographics, and historical land use in generating rural landscape patterns. This provides the background for investigating the optimal or near-optimal production of suites of economic commodities and ecosystem services possible at a watershed scale. Additionally, a decisions support tool based on these interactions will permit the assessment of different landscape patterns associated with these suites of ecosystem services and agricultural commodities. Adaptive management processes that systematically guide landscapes toward improved economic and ecological performance may then be investigated. Informed by knowledge of near-optimal landscape performance, the set of public policies affecting land managers in a watershed can be modified and the resultant economic and environmental outcomes can be monitored. Top of Page Andrew Manale, EPA Contact Information: Andrew Manale, EPA, The Top of Page Tabitha C. Madzura, 232 Agricultural Engineering Building, 573-882-0085 madzuratck@missouri.edu From October 1, 2003 – October 31, 2004, project staff, in collaboration with local natural resources personnel, facilitated hands-on workshops and presented various topics related to water. Presentations and experiences focused on parameters of Daniel J. Van Abs, Amy L. Shallcross, Kathleen P. Hale, Robert O’Neil and Yongzhen Zhang, New Jersey Water Supply Authority Contact Information: Daniel J. Van Abs, New Jersey Water Supply Authority, Watershed Protection Programs, 74 East Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 Phone: 908-685-0315 Ext. 22 Fax: 908-685-0195 Email: dvanabs@njwsa.org Most of During the Initiative’s first years, the partners have completed a critical areas preservation plan, initiated a major land acquisition effort, developed a pollutant loading model, provided public education on septic systems, improved municipal master plans and ordinances based on natural resource capacity analyses, improved management of existing land uses including farms, and assessed highway commercial development patterns using “smart growth” concepts. New projects include identification and design of stormwater facility retrofit needs, and restoration of stream channels and riparian areas. These projects are being implemented using Authority, municipal, county, State and federal funds, including grants from both USEPA and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The Authority has dedicated a portion of its water rate for source water protection, including land acquisition. Top of Page Mark Burger, Program Manager, SLWAP, Jeffrey Carmichael, Executive Director, Onondaga Meeting Manure Management Goals through Composting Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute Contact Information: Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences 101b Rice Hall, Decisions, Decisions---When producing a compost product for soil amendment on-farm, use as bedding or sale; there are many factors to take into consideration. If selling, the farm needs to decide what markets they are targeting and what quality is required. Uses on-farm can raise just as many questions. A survey was conducted to determine the composting practices and the quality of composts on 25 It is clear in examining the data that the qualities and traits tested in composts reflected conditions prevailing within individual operations. Some of these circumstances can be controlled; others depend on factors that are not readily controlled. There are often trade-offs whereby enhancing one attribute was accompanied by diminishing another, thus there is no single ""best"" method for composting. It may be useful to consider specific modifications in aspects of the composting process at a particular farm to alter compost properties in order to meet specific use needs. Cornell Waste Management Institute has a series of fact that will discuss these issues and the related research. CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.5 NM: CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.5 Mobile Draghose Manure System Shawn Bossard Contact Information: Shawn Bossard, Peter Wright, NY-NRCS Contact Information: Peter Wright, NY-NRCS, Phone: 315-477-6538 Fax: 315-477-6550 Email: peter.wright@ny.usda.gov This paper will explore the advantages and disadvantages of barnyards in an era of environmental controls. In the future the liability of a barnyard may outweigh the benefits. Barnyard runoff unchecked can carry nutrients, sediment, pathogens and organic matter into our lakes and streams. Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and CAFO regulations require that farms catch and treat the runoff from barnyards. This paper will discuss the practices needed to reduce the environmental impact of barnyards; diverting outside water, paving and curbing the barnyard so it can be cleaned, settling out the solids in a sediment basin and then storing and applying the liquids to crop land at agronomic rates or releasing it for further treatment in a designed grass filter area. The costs to accomplish this type of control to prevent polluted barnyard runoff from reaching a watercourse can be substantial. This paper will support the idea that any advantages barnyards had in the past are now outweighed by the environmental disadvantages or the costs. Barnyards have been a part of farms for generations. They originated because cows did better outside of the barn. Old barns were often poorly ventilated, uncomfortable, had poor water supply, and the manure had to be cleaned out of them. Barnyards do make sense if the environmental costs are ignored, and if the barn is poorly ventilated, uncomfortable for the animals, and difficult to clean. This paper will explore the reasons a farm should consider eliminating their barnyard all together. Top of Page Brian Jerose, WASTE NOT Resource Solutions Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute Brian Jerose, 1662 Pumpkin Village Road, Enosburg Falls, VT 05450 ph.802-933-8336, jerose@together.net, Jean Bonhotal, 100 Rice Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-3501 ph.315-387-8050 or 607-255-8444 jb29@cornell.edu Passively aerated static pile composting is proving to be a good method for managing these wastes. It is simple, takes less time than dragging a carcass out for scavengers, uses basic farm equipment, and is cost effective. This method helps protect ground and surface water by reducing pathogens in properly managed piles and has been helpful in CAFO plans. Cornell Waste Management Institute has developed a 20 minute video, "Natural Rendering: Composting Livestock Mortality & Butcher Waste," a 12 page fact sheet and a set of posters that are being used in educational programs. Through a NESARE grant, VT, PA and NY are implementing composting throughout each state with on-site workshops and other outreach. Top of Page Terrence J. Centner Contact Information: Terrence J. Centner, 301 Conner Hall, The University of Georgia, Animal feeding operations have come under increased scrutiny in the This paper evaluates the appropriateness of the regulatory provisions for addressing water contamination from animal production. Initially, the regulations are analyzed to determine whether they incorporate sufficient mechanisms for treating manure and animal waste as a production input rather than a production byproduct for disposal. Next, the constraint embodied in using animal numbers as a basis for regulating producers is analyzed. Under this criterion, firms that have little potential for impairing water quality are required to secure permits. Five major regulatory strategies are identified for encouraging the use of manure as a production input. Governments have enacted numerous regulations addressing potential pollution from animal production without fully considering externalities and costs. Ideas and strategies are presented for encouraging the use of animal manure as a recyclable production input rather than a production byproduct. Incorporating production indicators and location screening factors into regulations offer ways to improve economic performance. Efficiency gains can be realized by avoiding the imposition of unnecessary costs on the regulated public and by more effectively targeting the monitoring and enforcement resources of the regulatory agency. CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.5 NM: CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.5 Top of Page Carmen L. Sandretto, Richard F. Nehring , Economic Research Service, USDA, Erik J. O'Donoghue, Economic Research Service, USDA Contact Information: Carmen L. Sandretto, Economic Research Service, USDA, 1800 M Street NW, Room N4098, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 694 5622 Two major trends are affecting the Farm-level estimates of excess nutrients and measures of technical efficiency are developed for farms with dairy enterprises in the region (KS, NE, SD, MO, IA, IL, IN, MN, WI, MI, OH, NY, PA). The focus is on comparisons by farm size and whether the farm is located in a rural or urban-influenced area. Specifically, this study will: 1) develop farm-level estimates of excess nutrients from both commercial fertilizer and manure on dairy farms; 2) identify the link between structural change measured by increases in the number of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and excess nutrients; 3) calculate farm-level efficiency scores (performance measures of economic activity) and assess factors influencing efficiency using a stochastic production frontier approach; and 4) show the impacts of urban influence on production efficiency and costs. This study involves three methodological innovations: 1) a link between statistically reliable multi-county (Agricultural Statistics Districts, NASS) estimates of manure substitution for inorganic fertilizer from USDA field level surveys to USDA farm level surveys; 2) development of a quality-adjusted land input incorporating information on environmental, agronomic, and urbanization characteristics; and 3) the grouping of dairy farm operations by level of urbanization influence. This effort addresses two economic and institutional forces that have implications for dairy producers and water quality. The first relates to the increasing size and concentration of dairy operations as part of the overall trend towards greater concentration in major livestock sectors which result in more concentrated amounts of manure. Managing manure has become more complex under the new rules promulgated by EPA in 2003 that regulate manure management on many livestock operations. The second is the pressure on dairy farming operations from the expansion of urban influences into rural areas that can increase costs and impose other constraints. Kristen Hughes, Sustainable Conservation Contact Information: Kristen Hughes, Sustainable Conservation, 121 2nd St., 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94117, Phone:415-977-0380 ext. 308 Fax:415-977-0381 Email: khughes@suscon.org Top of Page Impacts of Changing Agri-Environmental Policy on Countryside Conservation Nelson Bills, Department of Applied Economics and Management, David Gross, Department of Natural Resources, Contact Information: Nelson Bills, Department of Applied Economics and Management, 453 This presentation deals with the emergent view that farmers are producers of “multifunctional agricultural landscapes” exhibiting specific patterns of management in space and time. Use of the term “multifunctional landscapes” in the To help widen and deepen the discussion in the Mark Tomer, Mike Burkart, Cindy Cambardella, David Meek, David James, and Larry Kramer, USDA/ARS - National Soil Tilth Laboratory Contact Information: Mark Tomer, USDA/ARS NSTL, Phone: 515-294-0213 Fax: 515-294-8125 Email: tomer@nstl.gov Conservation practices have effects that can be recognized and measured only through long-term research. By reviewing lessons from 35 years of research on four field-scale watersheds near Henry L. Kelsey, CCA, Richard P. Neuman, CCA Contact Information: Henry L. Kelsey, CCA, 2571 Suite 3, Route 11, LaFayette, NY 13084 315-677-4630 hkelsey@ocswcd.org, Skaneateles Lake has provided drinking water to the city of Peter Wright, NY-NRCS Contact Information: Peter Wright, NY-NRCS, Phone: 315-477-6538 Fax: 315-477-6550 Email: peter.wright@ny.usda.gov This paper will discuss the needed farm’s response to the increased environmental scrutiny by society. The farm owner will often need to change the way they view environmental issues and increase their level of management. This change from management will need to be transferred to other farm workers. The advisory team that the farm uses will need to become environmentally aware and augmented with a CNMPlanner, an engineer, and someone versed in public relations. An evaluation of the watershed and air issues and likely neighborhood responses the farm is facing will need to be performed. A farm nutrient balance should b performed as part of a CNMP. The CNMP needs to include control of runoff from barnyards, feed storage, and wash water. The manure system needs to be evaluated to include; collection, storage, possible treatment and spreading or export. Potential tools and informational resources to make these evaluations will be presented. This whole system needs to be examined in a holistic manner. The plan needs to be implemented according to the priorities and resources available. This process will become an ongoing procedure as the farm continually improves to become part of a sustainable future. The paper will examine the effort each farm needs to make in order to become part of the future animal agriculture. Stanely (Lee) Telega and David Kay, Contact Information: Stanley (Lee) Telega, All across the country, spill over of suburban life into rural communities has brought people unfamiliar with modern agriculture into intimate contact with many farming operations. Seeking serenity, open space, pastoral scenery and fresh air, many new rural residents are several generations removed from farming as a business and way of life. Generally, their awareness of farming has not kept up with changes in the nature and scale of today’s farms. Unpleasant odor, concerns about pollution, traffic, noise, and other negative side effects of farming has increased complaints against farms and tensions in communities. Improving and maintaining relations with neighbors has become an increasingly important part of operating a farm business today. This presentation will highlight several efforts in Top of Page Asiimwe Alex Contact Information: Asiimwe Alex, National Environment Management Authority (Nema)- 256-41-251064 Asiimwex@Nemaug.Org The contribution of the environment and natural resources to most economies in supporting human survival is unquestioned. Significant achievements have been made in improving the economic and social well beings of the world's population. This is not free of stresses on the quality and quantity of the environment and natural resources. Environmental quality is the pre requisite of sustainable development. Knowledge must be brought to the public and decision-makers on the pressures and trends on the environment and natural resources. The socioeconomic impacts of environmental quality in landuse decision making focuses on principles of sustainable development, highlights the relationship between environment and poverty, and addresses the vulnerability of the people in relation to environmental change and security. Therefore this paper will focus on the following; i. Major types of land uses in both developed and developing countries. ii. Linkage between environment and development iii. Socioeconomic impacts of environmental quality on land use decision-making. iv. Sustainable options for improving/enhancing environmental quality. This paper will be based on more than two-year experience of research in Colleen Tennity and Brent Sohngen, The Contact Information: Colleen Tennity, The Phone: 614-255-2531 Fax: 614-255-2549 Email: tennity.1@osu.edu The CEAP process is taking place in twenty different watersheds across the nation. This process will allow researchers to use a watershed scale approach to determine the overall performance of conservation at the national level, while at the same time providing a regional perspective. Of these twenty watersheds, the Upper Big Walnut Watershed and eleven others are considered “benchmark watersheds.” These are watersheds in which the USDA, Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is joining forces with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct watershed scale research over long time horizons with the goals of assessing conservation, developing models to measure benefits, populating conservation practice databases, defining performance measures, and expanding research on the effects of conservation. Estimating wildlife response to herbaceous riparian filter strips in northeast D. Todd Farrand, Mark R. Ryan, and Robert A. Pierce II Contact Information: D. Todd Farrand, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Phone: 573-884-7474 Fax: 573-884-4688 Email: FarrandD@missouri.edu The effectiveness of a land management practice for water quality improvement is related to the physical and landscape context of its implementation. This is equally true for non-target effects (multiple benefits) of implementation, including impacts on wildlife populations. Concern for impacts on wildlife species primarily manifests itself in decisions at the field level (e.g., decisions on what to plant), with less attention given to the landscape context. To determine the relative importance of site-level and landscape effects, we measured the response of birds, small mammals, and snakes to herbaceous riparian filter strips planted under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP practice CP21) in 2003-2004. Three common filter strip planting mixes were examined: cool-season grass monoculture, warm-season grass monoculture, and cool-season grass and forb mixture. All strips lay between active row crop fields and existing woody stream bank vegetation. Wildlife response was modeled as a function of physical and landscape attributes (habitat) created by and surrounding each strip. Average strip width was an important predictor of the abundance and species richness of birds using the strip. However, landscape variables were more important in describing the Conservation Value of the avian community in the strips, as well as the number and daily survival rate of nests within them. Small mammals and snakes also responded to both site-level and landscape factors. A greater understanding of landscape influences is important for achieving multiple benefits from existing practices, and for a holistic approach to the development and implementation of new practices and programs. The Effectiveness of Native Landscaping in Restoring Hydrological and Biogeochemical Cycles James A. Montgomery and J. Marshall Eames, Contact Information: James A. Montgomery, Environmental Science Program, Telephone: 773-325-2771 Fax: 773-325-7448 Email:jmontgom@depaul.edu There is increasing interest in the use of native landscaping, defined herein as created landscapes that serve anthropogenic purposes and which incorporate nearly exclusively native plants in their design, to restore and enhance ecosystem functions. This is especially true in the Chicagoland region where corporate and residential developments have constructed landscapes using native plants, and where some municipal watershed management plans require that native landscaping be incorporated into new developments. Although testimonials abound touting the ecological and hydrological benefits of native landscaping, what may be lacking is scientific evidence from peer-reviewed research that demonstrates the efficacy of native landscaping in providing these benefits and functions. This paper reviews current research on the effectiveness of native landscaping in performing hydrological functions including infiltration and runoff reduction, as well as the effectiveness of native landscaping in trapping sediments, and sequestering toxics, heavy metals, and nutrients. This review compares the results of studies of native landscaping with similar relatively undisturbed natural landscapes, such as prairies and savannas, and with conventional landscaping, such as turf, in performing hydrological and biogeochemical functions. Gaps in the current research are noted and suggestions are made for future research. We provide a literature matrix to aid the reader in identifying papers relevant to their needs. Assessing the environmental and economic benefits of BMPs at watershed scale across D. Brook Harker, John Sharpe, J.J. Miller, Eric van Bochove (all of Agriculture and Contact Information: Brook Harker, AAFC (PFRA), Phone: 306-780-5071 Fax: 306-780-8229 Email: harkerb@agr.gc.ca The Watershed Evaluation of BMPs (WEBs) project focuses on monitoring and analyzing 7 agricultural micro-watersheds (~ 300 ha each in size) across The 7 WEBs test sites have been regionally located, within watershed areas generally known for their long term water quality monitoring. The range of BMPs to be tested at various sites includes but is not limited to: land conversion (annual crops to grassland); riparian buffer strip enhancement; restricting direct livestock access to open water; nutrient management. WEBs watersheds are also the focus of compatible studies conducted by other government and non-government agencies, some of which are already directly participating in WEBs projects. It is anticipated that these sites will continue as long-term benchmarks for watershed health. Begun in March 2004, the 4-yr study is largely funded by Agriculture and Economic and Environmental Impacts of Precision Feeding and Forage Management in the Cannonsville Watershed Lula T. Ghebremichael, W.J. Contact Information: Lula T. Ghebremichael, PennState, 249 Agri. Engineering building, Phone: 814-865-6623 Fax: 814-863-0935 Email: ltg106@psu.edu The Cannonsville Reservoir, part of the The study reported here employs farm- and watershed-scale modeling to assist in planning, implementing, and evaluating the precision feeding and forage management project. Two models are used to quantify the economic and environmental impacts of the various feeding and forage management scenarios being considered. The Integrated Farming System Model (IFSM) is a comprehensive dairy farm model that simulates long-term production, economic, and environmental consequences of management strategies. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a daily-time step model that simulates continuing impacts of land management scenarios on flow and water quality at the watershed scale. Use of these models in concert allows us to first do farm-scale scenario evaluation to minimize P loss and maximize farmer profit, then aggregate the farm scenarios over the watershed to predict environmental consequences at the watershed outlet. Determining future nutrient management strategies: Results of the Pamela Joosse, Ian McDonald, Keith Reid and Donna Speranzinni, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Contact Information: Pamela Phone: 519-826-3853 Fax: 519-826-3259 Email: pamela.joosse@omaf.gov.on.ca Along with technical presentations, the Nitrogen Forum included breakout sessions and discussion groups. The feedback collected during this discussion was analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques to generate Challenge Statements. Challenge Statements were presented in a variety of formats including logic and nitrogen process maps, and a spreadsheet tool. A Blueprint for Action document was created for policy and program developers, funding agencies, individual researchers, technology transfer agents and commodity organizations. The Blueprint suggests how the tools can be utilized to set priorities for research and funding, establish agronomic and environmental policy, evaluate research proposals, determine technology transfer priorities, track research progress, and identify research collaborators. The techniques developed for the Ontario Nitrogen Forum can be applied to other broad research issues. Laura McCann1, Pete Nowak2, and Jennifer Nunez1, 1 University of Manure management strategies have been developed and promoted by agronomists, animal scientists, and agricultural engineers but adoption rates have been disappointing. An understanding of the adoption decision process will facilitate development of technologies and strategies that are likely to be adopted. Lack of profitability is obviously a key barrier to adoption but opportunity costs as well as out of pocket costs need to be considered. Transportation costs consist of both opportunity costs (the farmer’s own time) as well as out of pocket costs such as repairs and fuel. Uncertainty about costs and benefits of an innovation will also limit adoption, which is exacerbated by the fact that innovations that have large up-front costs do not allow trialing to obtain more information. Manure management is also very complex which increases uncertainty. Credit constraints are also an important barrier to adoption. The results of manure management strategies are difficult to observe and often occur many miles from the farm, which also limits adoption. Compatibility with the existing production system will facilitate adoption. Discomfort is a factor that has been shown to limit adoption of technologies but which has not been examined in the context of manure management. Farmers exist in a social context and may have an environmental ethic, both of which may increase adoption, even of unprofitable strategies. Policies need to be designed to increase adoption as well as promote research and technical change that reduces externalities. Solutions will not be found in any one discipline. Top of Page Carmen L. Sandretto, Economic Research Service, USDA, Ashok K. Mishra, Economic Research Service, USDA Contact Information: Carmen L. Sandretto, Economic Research Service, USDA, 1800 M Street NW, Room N4098, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 694 5622 carmens@ers.usda.gov> Recent Farm Bill provisions have placed greater emphasis on a variety of conservation programs. USDA farm-level data (from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey--ARMS, etc.) will be used to identify those economic factors and farm characteristics that are associated with adoption of selected land management practices (covered under EQIP, etc.) and participation in specific conservation programs (CRP, CREP, WRP, GRP, etc.). Improved understanding of the interrelationships between these factors will be useful in informing policy makers in efforts to develop incentives to encourage voluntary adoption of recommended conservation measures to mitigate the potential damage from agricultural production activities on the environment. A merged farm-level data set for several years (ARMS), that includes a comprehensive range of information on the entire farm operation, will be used to classify farms into several categories based on their performance with regard to recommended conservation practice adoption and conservation program participation. The farms will be categorized by geographic region based on their operational characteristics using the farm typology classification employed within USDA. This effort will involve analyzing the relationship between agricultural production activities, economic factors, indicators of the resource base, and farm household characteristics (such as, age, education, farm experience, principal occupation, off farm work and income, net wealth, etc.) in assessing farm-level conservation performance. Top of Page Archie Beaton Contact Information: Archie Beaton, Executive Director of Chlorine Free Products Association, Measuring sustainability can be a difficult task. There are so many ways to measure it. To more easily identify companies with sustainable processes, professionals have asked, “Is there a way to rank a product that represents to what level a company works at sustainability?” Just look for the number. It’s called the Sustainability Index (SI). The SI is a simple numerical ranking that allows the pulp and paper industry, consumers and mills to compare and rank environmental performance on multiple economic, social and environmentally preferred points. SI is the culmination of the Chlorine Free Products Association’s (CFPA) Sustainable Manufacturing and Marketing Initiative requirements (SMMI). It’s an auditing process that makes sustainability reporting of raw material extraction, manufacturing processes and products simple for consumers to understand. The SI takes the guesswork out of what products to purchase based on a number of criteria. The index encompasses factors like recycling, forestry, chlorine-free chemistry, carbon gas, and aligns them to manufacturing steps. Starting with a chain of custody from raw material extraction, collection and recycling, to the manufacturing process and finished product, every step is boiled down, rated, and ranked by third party auditors. What does SI measure? Auditors review compliance, goals, and reporting of the following: · Environmental Policy · Environmental Management · Product Stewardship · Public Information · Environmental Compliance Records · Research & Development · Chain of Custody for Forestry Certification · Mill Process Audits · Environmental Risk Management · Employee Recognition The aggregate of all these measures equals the SI with a maximum score of 1350 points. With SI, finding sustainable products - and knowing who makes them - is easy. Consumer, suppliers and organizations will readily know who is working as environmental stewards, versus those who self-proclaim environmental protection. Just look for the number." Top of Page Susan S. Andrews and M. Lee Norfleet, USDA-NRCS Contact Information: Susan Andrews, USDA-NRCS ENTSC, 200 E. Northwood St., Greensboro, NC 27401; Phone: 336-370-3337; Fax: 336-370-3377; Email: susan.andrews@gnb.usda.gov The purpose of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is to quantify conservation practice outcomes for air, water, and soil quality. As part of CEAP, millions of EPIC model runs are planned to simulate conservation practices across the Stemple Creek CEAP Special Emphasis Watershed Study Phone: 530-792-5665 Fax: 530-792-5794 Email: vern.finney@ca.usda.gov Suspended sediment (inorganic and organic), turbidity, TKN, un-ionized ammonia, nitrate-N, dissolved oxygen, and temperature are being measured using automated samplers, triggered by water level, deployed to sample storm events on an hourly frequency. Continuous data recorders are concurrently monitoring un-ionized ammonia, nitrate-N, turbidity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. This continuous data will be correlated with laboratory analysis of water samples taken with the automated samplers. The Watershed Models AGNPS, CONCEPTS, and REMM will be validated and applied to assess Contaminant Watershed Trends. Conservation management practices applied on the watershed will be evaluated using AGNPS for the impact on water quality. BMPs will be implemented as designated within the model. Additional chemical processes not currently supported by AGNPS will be developed and incorporated into the model. This Presentation describes the Watershed location, Watershed Dynamics and Watershed Concerns; lay out of Installed Monitoring Equipment, and First Year Monitoring Results. The Presentation also discusses the usage of AGNPS. CONCEPTS, and REMM in evaluating the environmental benefits and effects of USDA conservation programs on water quality, upland erosion and sediment yield Top of Page The Mark Muller, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, IATP, Jim Kleinschmit, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Contact Information: Mark Muller, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, IATP, The success of This presentation will provide quantitative data on how the Compact could effect agricultural production in the CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.0 NM: CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.0 Top of Page Sanjay Dube, Senior Project Manager, International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) Ms. Monali Ranade, Project Manager, International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) Contact Information: Sanjay Dube, International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC), F4/9, 1st Floor, Vasant Vihar, New The agriculture sector depends on water availability for cultivating crops and other produce. As the focus for supply of water for irrigation shifts from surface water sources to groundwater resources, the issues concerning the ‘free resource’ nature of water comes to fore. Pumping water from underground sources requires energy. Traditionally shallow water sources could be accessed using human or animal energy. With plunging water tables but a continued increase in demand for water, electrical methods for pumping have become a necessity for farmers in A good crop yield is the sole goal of the farming community and the entire agricultural sector. With assured water availability, naturally or through man-made sources, farmers tend to move from traditional crops to high yielding and water intensive crops. This shift, seems to yield a better return on investment for the farmers, but has numerous hidden impacts on water availability as well as electricity supplies. Water requirement varies from crop to crop depending on the local geo-climatic conditions and this data is available with research institutions located in various climatic zones in The authors are implementing a project called Water-Energy-Biomass (WEB) Project for International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) with the help of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding. As an outcome of the initiative, the suggested changed practices are expected to impact the social, political and economic aspects of rural Contact InformationModeling Freshwater Inflow Into A Coastal River Ecosystem In Yongshan Wan, Contact Information: Yongshan Wan, Phone: 561-666-7652 Fax: 561-640-6815 Email: ywan@sfwmd.gov Anthropogenic alterations of the Top of Page D.D. Adelman, Adelman Associates Contact Information: D.D. Adelman, Adelman Associates, Since 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has estimated, on a 5-year interval basis, the amount of water withdrawn by public water supplies from ground and surface water sources for domestic, industrial, and commercial uses in SW:0.5 NM: CM:0.5 PM: Total CEUs: 1.0 Top of Page J.L. Hatfield, USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory, J.H. Prueger and T.J. Sauer, USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory Crop production in the Midwestern United States is dependent upon adequate rainfall during the growing season and a completely recharged soil profile by early spring. Patterns of crop water use by corn and soybean during the growing season is related to the soil water holding capacity and the precipitation events. Observations of yield within fields demonstrated the interactions of soil water holding capacity and effective precipitation. Studies have been conducted across central Irrigation Advisory Committees – A Made-at-Home Solution to Sharing Water in a Rural Watershed Jim Oliver, Long Point Region Conservation Authority Contact Information: Jim Oliver, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, RR#3, The Big Creek watershed is the largest of several managed by the Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA), along the north Following dry Summers in 1998 and 1999, the provincial government encouraged the LPRCA and local federation of agriculture to come up with a local plan to help ease the pressures on and demand for the water resource. The result was the Big Creek Irrigation Advisory Committee (IAC), and the 3-year pilot project to apply this “self-help” model for rural water management has application for any rural watershed experiencing significant amounts of agricultural crop irrigation. This paper will highlight the formation of the Big Creek IAC, and the results and recommendations from the pilot project. Top of Page Eric Harmsen, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Dept, Jorge Gonzalez, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Contact Information: Eric Harmsen, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Dept., The ability to estimate short-term fluxes of water vapor from the land surface is important for validating evapotranspiration estimates using high resolution remote sensing techniques. A relatively inexpensive ground-based method is presented for estimating evapotranspiration from vegetation over short periods. In the procedure, an automated elevator device moves a single relative humidity sensor between two vertical positions above the ground to obtain the vertical humidity gradient. The sequence of lowering and raising the sensor continues repeatedly over the period of several hours to several days. The analytical methodology used in this study consisted of equating two different evapotranspiration flux equations; one based on the Penman-Monteith energy method and the other on a vapor gradient method. The resulting equation has a single unknown parameter, the bulk surface resistance (rs). Because rs can not be solved for explicitly, in the procedure, the value of rs is adjusted iteratively in the two equations until their ET curves approximately coincide. As part of The Urban Heat Island Effect Project in the San Juan Metropolitan area in February 2004, the methodology was applied to a grass-covered field at the Gary L. Hawkins, Andrea Milton, George Vellidis, and Robert Lindsey, Contact Information: Gary L. Hawkins, Phone: 229-386-3914 Fax: 229-386-3958 Email: ghawkins@uga.edu Most watersheds have both urban and agricultural sections that may contribute to the overall pollution of the larger watershed. In 2000, a TMDL was written for the Total CEUs: 1.5 Top of Page Francine Forrest1, 1Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, 2Agriculture and Contact Information: Francine Phone: 780-422-0481 Fax: 780-422-0474 Email: francine.forrest@gov.ab.ca This study was conducted to determine the relationship between shallow (<30m) groundwater chemistry and agricultural activity across the relatively arid agricultural areas of Overall, this study found few exceedences in nutrients and other agricultural indicators in areas with high agricultural activity, however there was a significant relationship between nitrate-nitrite-N and agricultural land use at the local scale. Increased monitoring is proposed in areas with increased activity along with further studies that include additional parameters to examine nitrate-reducing conditions. Top of Page Z.-Q. Lin, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, S. Keller, 1Environmental Sciences Program, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, T.Q. Zhang, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow, Ontario, Canada, S. Webb, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Menlo Park, California Contact Information: Z.-Q. Lin, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Excess phosphorus (P) is a growing water quality concern in the rapidly urbanizing Peruque Creek watershed in Top of Page Sara B. Izquierdo, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service Paul K. Barten, Contact Information Sara B. Izquierdo, Phone: 413-772-0384 x3 Fax: 413-774-4949 email: sara.izquierdo@ma.usda.gov Field measurements and GIS terrain analysis were used to model spatial and temporal variation in soil moisture in the Dickey Brook watershed on the Top of Page Soil Quality in Intensive Vegetable Farming and Livelihoods Enhancement Contact Information: Gana Pati Ojha, Sustainable Soil Management Programme, Bakhundole, Lalitpur, NepalBishnu Kumar Dhital, Sustainable Soil Management Programme, Bakhundole, Intensive agriculture does not necessarily deteriorate soil quality if organic manure is adequately supplied. This was the conclusion of findings of a research on the impact of intensive vegetable farming by farmers in three hill districts in Nepal where crop-livestock-forestry is a typical farming system. A comparison was made before and after the intensification as well as intensive and non-intensive farming plots in farmers’ fields. A t-test showed that pH, P, and K contents were significantly higher in intensive vegetable growing plots than in non-vegetable plots of the farmer at 0.05 level. This was mainly because farmers produced more organic manure by using diverse raw materials and applied more dose of organic manure in vegetable plot than in others. Gender analysis showed that women had specific strengths in vegetable marketing in fetching more prices due to their patience. As women brought more money from vegetable selling and spent more time in market, the household chores such as animal shed cleaning, grass cutting and transporting, feeding animals, and preparing snacks shifted to the men. With their participation in marketing women have developed skills on salesmanship, gathering and using the market information, and some of them have built-up the leadership capabilities. This gender empowerment with sustainable income generation from vegetable farming without deteriorating the soil quality, and marketing has also helped enhance overall livelihoods by increasing human, social, financial, physical, natural and political capitals of participating families. They had increased food security and harmonious relations amongst the family members. CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:1.0 NM: CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.0 Top of Page Mark Muller, IATP Contact Information: Mark Muller, IATP, 2105 First Avenue South, Most organizations concerned with the environmental impacts of agriculture have understandably focused on the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill. The Commodity Title, however, by encouraging the over-production of a few program crops, may have the largest impact on environmental quality. Commodity policies have a tremendous impact on crop prices, financial risk, and private sector investment in food processing and industrial uses. Low crop prices, rather than encouraging farmers to produce alternative crops, increases private and public investment in value-added uses for those below-market priced crops, thereby creating new infrastructure dependent on maintaining low prices. The low prices also reduce a farmers’ ability to innovate, take risk, and address environmental concerns. This presentation will briefly describe the mechanisms of current agricultural commodity policy. The ancillary impacts of these policies will be described, with an emphasis on how these policies impact consumer demand and environmental quality. Alternative policy options will be explored for their potential environmental impact. Finally, opportunities for conservation interests to collaborate with the public health community will be identified. Top of Page Wayne Caldwell and Melissa Watkins, Contact Information: Wayne Caldwell, Email: waynecaldwell@hurontel.on.ca As The presentation will focus on the changes and challenges facing agriculture, especially in the urban shadow. We will explore a number of provincial and local tools that have been developed to encourage and regulate the protection of farmland. These include legislation to establish a Top of Page June C Grabemeyer, NRCS Contact Information: June C Grabemeyer, NRCS, Phone: 517-324-5280 Fax: 517-324-5171 Email: june.grabemeyer@mi.usda.gov There has been an increased consumer interest in grass fed meat and milk products from grass fed animals. The growth in consumer demand has increased opportunities for farmers to direct market and for community supported agricultures such as cow share programs. This paper explains how cow shares work, how grass fed meats are promoted and how farmers are promoting and selling grass fed products. This paper includes analysis of how this consumer trend economically impacts small farms and how it affects conservation planning on grass based feeding operations. Top of Page Wen-yuan Huang, Economic Research Service, USDA Contact Information: Wen-yuan Huang, Economic Research Service, USDA, 1800 M St., NW, Washington DC 20036-5831, (202) 694-5542 Whuang@ers.usda.gov For years, Federal and State governments have played an important role in helping reduce fertilizer (N and P) pollution of water resources. EPA has established minimum water quality standards and regulated animal waste discharges from large confined livestock operations. USDA has employed voluntary and incentive approaches, which include educational, technical, and financial assistance to encourage adoption of nutrient management and other less polluting practices. Several States have established a regulatory agency to control N leaching and P runoffs. My presentation will address several questions about the overall effect of these Federal and States' efforts in reducing N and P losses to the environment. Are A historical trend analysis is used to assess the overall effectiveness of Federal and States' efforts in reducing N and P fertilizer losses. An upward trend efficiency of fertilizer used indicates that crops utilize more fertilizer applied and a downward trend of excess fertilizer applied suggests less fertilizer is lost to the environment. Fertilizer use efficiency is the ratio of yield over the quantity of fertilizer applied. Excess fertilizer applied is the difference between fertilizer input from all sources and fertilizer uptake by crops harvested. USDA's farm survey data from 1960 to 2003 is used for the trend analysis. Fertilizer (N and P) used by corn, Participatory Research In Smallholder Farms For The Evaluation Of The Effect Of Quality Manures In Legume Based Cropping Systems With Special Reference To Sat Regions Of India Dr. Sucharitha Revanuru, ICRISAT, Patancheru - 502 324, Dr. John P Dimes, Motopos Research Station, ICRISAT, Contact Information: Dr. Sucharitha Revanuru, Systems Modeling, Buidg: 212/First Floor, ICRISAT, Patancheru - 502 324" 91 40 23296161 Exn:2438 91 40 23241239 sucharitharevanuru@yahoo.com A major problem for cropping systems in the tropics is the reduction in soil productivity that accompanies most systems of continuous cultivation (for example cereal–cereal rotations). The rice-wheat rotation has led to the displacement of grain and fodder legumes capable of enriching soil fertility. Productivity of legumes in semi-arid regions has been stagnating at very low level. There is considerable scope for supplementing of renewable sources such as high quality organic materials and organic waste for improving the productivity of legumes in a cropping system and soil health. The beneficial effects of organic materials have been repeatedly shown, yet there are no guidelines for their management. The challenge here is to combine organics of differing quality with inorganic fertilizers to optimize the nutrient availability to plants. Numerous trials indicate the added benefits of applying organic manures to cereals alone, but not to legumes. And for many trials there is lack of crucial information on the nutrient content and quality of organic material and its beneficial effect on the biological nitrogen fixation of legumes. Trials are needed that link the quality of organic material to its fertilizer equivalency and its effect on the longer term composition of som and crop yields and its enhanced residual effect on the succeeding crop. A systematic framework for investigating the effect of quality organic inputs in legumes and legume based cropping systems includes farm surveys, characterization of the quality of organic materials, estimation of the fertilizer equivalency value based on the quality of the organics, and experimental designs for determining optimal combinations of nutrient sources Background: The semi-arid tropical (SAT) areas continue their slide towards unsustainable development. Although an increasingly aware citizenry is quietly pursuing an agenda of sustainable development, there is still a long way to go (Ashish kothari, 2002). Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and intensively cropped high input, cereal – cereal crop rotations in sat are reaching productivity limits, and further that the edaphic resource base is under threat due to various degradation processes such as declining soil organic matter levels, increasing salinity, buildup of pests & diseases. The ameliorative effect of including legumes in such cereal dominated cropping systems as builders and restorers of soil fertility has long been recognized. However, unlike cereals, which are highly fertilized, legumes are applied with either organic or inorganic fertilizers on the misconception that they don’t respond to manurial inputs because of their BNF capability. Sustainability in this regard can be achieved through diversified cropping systems, organic farming, integrated nutrient management, stern attention to soil health and replenishment of soil fertility (by including legumes, forages, green manures and cover crops in a system), and the conservation and careful management of all water sources, so that more crops can be produced. Max J. Pfeffer, Linda P. Wagenet, Stephen D. DeGloria, Timothy J. Fahey and Greg Nagle ( Contact Information: Linda P. Wagenet, Phone: 607-255-6518 Fax: 607-254-2896 Email: lpw2@cornell.edu We will report on a multidisciplinary study of sedimentation in a forested watershed, which is a part of the Finger Lakes region in upstate Dr. Revanuru Sucharitha, ICRISAT, Patancheru - 502 324, Motopos reserch Station, ICRISAT, Contact Information: Dr. Revanuru Sucharitha, Systems Modeling, Buldg:212/First Floor, ICRISAT, Patancheru - 502 324, Crop yields in semi-arid tropics fall short of their potential because of inadequate nutrient supply, inappropriate quality of the organic materials and inefficient combinations of organic and inorganic nutrient inputs. The farmers of SAT would benefit from access to alternative cropping systems like including legumes in the rotation and by using quality manures. Simulations play a key role in resolving the problems of intensive farming since, they can simulate long time periods and large numbers of alternative situations. Of the different models used, APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) acts as a tool to improve the effectiveness of the research by taking into account the long-term seasonal variability and by filling gaps in the experimental period. This study attempted to understand the best way of managing the manure inputs in SAT cropping systems taking into account the manure quality, cropping systems, two major soil types (Alfisols and Vertisols) and climatic risk. A special feature of the work is that inorganic fertilizer treatments were included to help quantify the cereal and legume responses to the N and P content of the manure. This paper provides a brief overview of the Indian experiments and results, and reports on the performance of APSIM to simulate aspects of the observed legume and cereal crop responses to N and P inputs, and the residual legume benefits to a following cereal. For this preliminary evaluation, the model performed poorly in simulating the observed P response at low N levels. In contrast, APSIM performed well in predicting the growth of pigeonpea and the residual N benefits to a following cereal crop, including the response to additional inputs of N fertilizer. Manures can contain appreciable amounts of P as well as N. In some instances, P is an additional, and sometimes greater, constraint to crop growth than N in low input farming systems. With the generally low N content of manures found in smallholder farming systems (Mugwira and Murwira 1997, Motavalli and Anders 1991), Probert et al (1995) speculated that manures in these systems are being used inefficiently as a source of P. This poses an interesting question: If farmer’s manure is typically of low N content and legume growth is limited by P, would a farmer get a higher return from the manure by applying it to a legume crop instead of a cereal? Following on from this question is another: To what degree is the residual N benefit of the legume to a following cereal crop enhanced by the legume responding to the applied manure? Experimentation in CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) SW:0.5 NM:0.5 CM: PM: Total CEUs: 1.0 Top of Page Raúl S. Lavado, Contact Information: Raúl S. Lavad, The Our objetive was to quantify the P runoff in the area, studying a basin located in the North of Buenos Aires province. The soil was a Typic Argiudoll, 1.8 % slope. Crops were direct drilled wheat, maize and soybean. They received around 20-25 kg P/ha/year. We determined available P (Bray & Kutz), Organic and total P in 0-1cm and 1-5 cm depth in the top part , along the slope and in the bottom. Water soluble P was not detected. Organic P (189.03 mgkg-1) and total P (303.93 mgkg-1) showed no statistical differences in positions and depths. Available P was higher at 0-1cm depth (20.51 mgkg-1) than 1-5 cm depth (11.2 mgkg-1). The P loss potential is low and at present no P runoff has been found. The popular idea among farmers to apply P just to match crop needs, leaving soils poor in P, could be interesting to avoid P losses through runoff in the future.
Top of Page Edmund C. Merem, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning,
Contact Information: Edmund C. Merem, Ph.D. Assistant Professor,
Email: edmund.c.merem@jsums.edu
Erosion and Runoff Modeling Using Remotely Sensed Tillage Data
Control of Runoff and Irrigation induced Erosion in
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Low Impact Development and Stormwater Lag Times
The primary goal of this study was to quantifiably compare the lag time characteristics of low impact suburban development with traditional suburban development. Lag time was the principal variable used to compare watershed responsiveness but other variables including runoff volume, peak discharge, hydrograph kurtosis, runoff coefficient and runoff threshold were also used. The runoff characteristics of a low impact suburban development were compared to a traditional suburban development. Low impact development (LID) was found to have a significantly greater centroid lag-to-peak, centroid lag, lag-to-peak and peak lag-to-peak times than traditional development. Traditional development was found to have a significantly greater depth of discharge and runoff coefficient than LID. The peak discharge of the LID was 1/11th of the traditional development. The runoff threshold of the LID (6.0 mm) was found to be 100 % greater than the traditional development (3.0 mm). The hydrograph shape for the LID watershed was found to have a negative value of kurtosis indicating a leptokurtic distribution while traditional development was found to have a positive value of kurtosis indicating a platykurtic distribution. The lag times of the LID were significantly greater than the traditional watershed for small (< 25.4 mm), short duration (< 4hr), low antecedent moisture condition (AMC) (< 25.4) storms but not for large (> 25.4 mm), long duration (> 4 hr), high AMC (> 25.4 mm) storms. This study indicates that LID results in lowered peak discharge depth, runoff coefficient, discharge volume, and increased lag times and runoff threshold compared to traditional development.
Modeling Sediment and Phosphorus Mobility using SWAT within Hetrogenous Watersheds
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Soil phosphorus and the seasonal pattern of dissolved phosphorus in an urban lakeShiou Kuo and Richard Bembenek,
Contact Information:
Contact information: Eric Young, SUNY ESF, 344 Illick Hall,
Phone: (315) 470-6709 Email: edyoung@syr.edu
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Long-Term No Tillage: Effects On Soil Carbon And Density Within The Prime Crop Root Zone
Contact information: George C. Naderman, Former Extension Soil Specialist (retired), NC State University;
Phone: (919) 467-3760 Fax: (919) 467-3760 (call to advise first)
Email: nadermanfamily5@mindspring.com
Contact information: Steven Potter,
*Presenter
Water and Sediment Budgets Of Large Great
New York City
USACE
Agricultural Landscape Evolution: Agricultural Commodities and Ecosystem Services
Waffles Aren't Just for Breakfast Anymore: An Economic Analysis of Mitigate Flood Damages
Interactive Internet Experiences with Watershed Concepts Targeting Youth
This project includes interactive web sites used to introduce grades 4-8 science educators to watershed management, nonpoint source pollution and natural resource-related information. Objectives are: providing information to encourage participation in watershed stewardship; increasing knowledge and understanding about watersheds and facilitating development of skills to identify and prevent nonpoint sources of pollution. The target audience includes science educators, youth leaders, elementary school children and other interested citizens in the Southwest and Northeast regions in Spruce Run Initiative: Protecting
The
A mobile draghose system was needed to incorporate manure into fields that are further away. Benefits include fuel savings, reduced chance of runoff, nutrient retention, keeps heavy tractors off roads, reduces soil compaction, and reduces/eliminates manure odors. The mobile system is composed of an 18,000-gallon portable frac tank, a pump, 1.5 miles of 6-inch extension hose, 1200 feet of draghose, a flow meter, a distribution manifold/ tillage tool, a cell phone, and a 200 horsepower tractor. The tank is parked in a field. Manure is transported by tanker trucks, and is pumped into the tank. A centrifugal pump moves the manure from the tank through 6-inch hose at 180 psi. A 5-inch draghose is attached to the extension hose and a distribution manifold on the tractor. Manure is incorporated. The system includes a necessary safety device, made up of a return valve and line to the portable tank that is controlled by a cell phone. If the line breaks, the operator punches a code into the cell phone, activating the return valve, allowing timely repair and a minimal mess. Manure can be applied at a rate of 1400 gallons/minute, depending on truck availability. Manure was applied at rates ranging from 400–1000 gallons/minute at demo sites. Since the system included a tillage trip, we were able to demonstrate an average of .75 gallon/acre savings in fuel. We were also demonstrated a trend of reduced soil compaction using the mobile draghose system vs. tanker/truck surface spreading resulting in higher yields. Top of Page
Barnyards: A Practice of the Past
Composting Livestock Mortality & Butcher Waste
Presenters and affiliations:
The objective is to educate agricultural professionals, including farmers, in the economical, environmentally sound and legal management of livestock mortality and butcher waste. Dairy/livestock farmers and custom butchers are finding it increasingly difficult to locate off-farm disposal for mortality and meat residuals. Prices for disposal of meat by-products are in excess of $20/barrel or $50/ animal. Bovine mortality is up to $125/animal in some locations, horses $200, swine $60. Producers have waited up to five days for rendering pick up. Over 20,000 livestock farms and 1000 custom butcher businesses in the Northeast alone have been left with increased expenses or no rendering service available. In many cases these previously rendered materials are being disposed of in an unsound manner on the farm, causing potential farm bio-security and environmental problems.
Protecting Water Resources from Animal Manure in US
Dairy Resource Management: The Effects of Concentration & UrbanizationTop of Page
National Dairy Environmental Stewardship Council – Recommended Dairy Manure Management Practices and Strategies for Fostering Implementation Dairies are under increased pressure to address air and water quality impacts. However, effective and economically advantageous management practices and technologies, designed to handle manure in environmentally sound ways, do exist. These practices are being tested and used successfully on dairies across the
ASSESSING AND COMMUNICATING THE EFFECTIVENESS FO CONSERVATIN AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMSTop of Page
Conservation practices: Short-term decisions with long-term effects
Skaneateles LakeTop of Page
The Farms Response to Environmental Issues Top of Page
Facilitating Farm-Neighbor Communications about Farming Practices
Socio-Economic Impacts Of Environmental Quality In Landuse Decision MakingTop of Page
A Conjoint Analysis of Conservation in the Upper Big Walnut Watershed in
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The Ontario Nitrogen Forum was a 1 ½ day event bringing together research, industry, producer and extension communities to provide an intensive update on the current state of knowledge on nitrogen management. The focus of the forum was on understanding the contribution of nitrogen from soil organic matter, cover crops, and the organic fraction of manure, as well as the partitioning of nitrogen between crop uptake and gaseous or leaching losses. The goal was to investigate whether these concepts could be incorporated into the nitrogen fertilizer recommendations used in Barriers to adoption of animal waste management strategies
Contact Information: Laura McCann, University of Missouri, 214 B Mumford Hall, Columbia, MO 65203, Phone: 573-882-1304 Fax: 573-882-3958
E-mail:McCannL@missouri.edu
Farm-Level Factors Influencing Conservation Practice Adoption and Conservation Program Participation
Sustainability By The Numbers: Easy Way To Evaluate Environmentally Sound Products
A Tool to Site-Specifically Assess the Environmental Effects of Conservation Practices
The Stemple Creek CEAP Special Emphasis Watershed Study is an evaluation of the environmental benefits and effects of USDA conservation programs that include Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented to enhance water quality and upland erosion to reduce sediment yield. Specific BMPs to be addressed include: Dairy Waste Management Systems and Riparian Restoration.
THE GROWING DEBATE AROUND WATER USE
Multi-Sector Approach for Co-Management of Water and Energy in Indian Agriculture Sector
A 50-Year History Of Water Uses In
CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Water Use In Corn-Soybean Cropping Systems Of The
Contact Information: J.L. Hatfield, USDA-ARS-NSTL National Soil Tilth Laboratory,
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Development of a Procedure for Estimating Crop Evapotranspiration Over Short Periods
Effects of agricultural land use on water quality in the
CCA Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
A survey of nutrients and major ions in shallow groundwater of
Twenty four percent of the samples exceeded the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines. Four percent of the samples exceeded the maximum acceptable concentration for nitrate-N. Nitrate-N values ranged from below detection limits to 98.6 mg/L. Agricultural land cover at a 1km scale was a better predictor of agricultural impact than agricultural intensity at the watershed scale. Other spatial and temporal differences were identified between the wells with high and low agricultural activity in their surrounding areas however these differences were attributed to natural hydrogeological conditions.
Effects of Land Use on Phosphorous Speciation in a Missouri Ozark Creek
Modeling Spatial and Temporal Variation in Soil Moisture in a Small
CONSUMER DEMAND AND POLICY EFFECTS ON AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
The Impact of the Commodity Title on Cropping Decisions, Consumer Demand and Environmental Quality
Urban Expansion - Rural Demise: Can We Keep Farming in Rural
Agrazing Cows, Grass Fed Consumers
Effects of Federal and State's Policies on Reducing Fertilizer Losses to the Environment in Top of Page
Linking the Biological, Physical and Social Perspectives in Watershed Research
Evaluation Of Apsim To Simulate Responses Of Crops To Organic & Inorganic N & P In Sat India
A Different History: Phosphate Runoff From An Argentinean Typic Argiudoll
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