Evaluating the Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland: The Status of Our Knowledge
The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) has documented the status of our knowledge regarding the effect of agricultural conservation practices on environmental quality. The primary purpose of this project is to construct the scientific foundation for the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) by summarizing what is known and what is not known about the environmental effects of conservation practices.
Rationale
Environmental management¾improving soil, water, and air quality, conserving water, and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat on agricultural land while sustaining production¾is now the primary purpose of USDA conservation programs. The foundation of environmental management is predicting the positive or negative environmental effects produced by conservation practices applied to the land. This project is designed to document the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the magnitude and direction of those environmental effects. The final report documents what is not known as well as what is known about the environmental effects of conservation practices. Recommendations guide efforts to assess the environmental benefits of conservation programs and to set priorities for research to fill knowledge gaps.
Approach
SWCS recruited lead authors to oversee the literature search, review, and synthesis for each of ten main topics. Each author has addressed the environmental effects of one of the following five basic conservation systems¾soil management, water management, nutrient management, pest and weed management, and landscape management¾applied to one of the following two basic cropping systems¾rain fed cropping systems and irrigated cropping systems. The analysis of each topic summarizes what is known and what is not known about
- Positive and/or negative environmental effects
- Interactions among and potential tradeoffs among conservation practices, systems, and environmental outcomes
- Key factors driving the magnitude and direction of environmental effects, interactions, and trade-offs
- Degree of confidence that can be accorded documented environmental effects
- Critical gaps in knowledge where additional research is needed
A standardized format for each chapter enhances comparison of conservation effects across conservation systems, cropping systems, and environmental outcomes. Such a standardized format also helps identify key gaps in knowledge and/or opportunities that cut across the ten main topic areas.
Following completion of first drafts, a workshop brought lead authors together with other experts working inside and outside of USDA in a workshop to review, revise, and formulate recommendations.
Status
The book Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland was published in March 2007. It is available for purchase at the SWCS online store by clicking here.
