Use Of Best Management Practices Research Articles

Spatial Variation in Agricultural BMPs and Relationships with Nutrient Yields Across New York State Watersheds.

Agricultural nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus can subsequently be transported to waterways and are often managed through the adoption of best management practices (BMPs). However, we have a poor understanding of how the use of BMPs varies spatially and how BMP adoption might be related to nutrient yields in surface waters. To address this, we performed a survey of agricultural landowners across New York State and compared this with estimates of annual incremental nitrogen and phosphorus yields of agricultural origin from the Spatially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model. Using these socio-behavioral data and SPARROW predictions, we perform colocation analysis to identify areas where watersheds with high nutrient yield from agriculture are collocated with non-use of agricultural BMPs. This colocation analysis offers a novel methodology for identifying areas where monitoring of waterways and promotion of best management practices could be targeted to achieve the greatest benefits.

Response of stream macroinvertebrate communities to forest harvesting in the Piedmont region of North Carolina

Forest disturbances have significant effects on water quality and quantity, river geomorphology, and the ecology of receiving waterbodies. Riparian forests provide numerous functions for aquatic communities including retaining fine sediments and nutrients, controlling water temperature, and providing food sources and habitat for aquatic organisms. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) use riparian forests as buffers to mitigate potential sources of disturbance to aquatic ecosystems from forest management. The objective of this study was to quantify the impacts of timber harvest on stream macroinvertebrates in the Piedmont region. We assessed the changes in macroinvertebrate communities and identified their relationships with specific hydrologic and water quality parameters. We used a paired watershed approach to quantify the response of watershed hydrology and water quality to clearcut forest harvesting with the use of BMPs in the Hill Demonstration Forest and Umstead Research Farm in central North Carolina. We sampled macroinvertebrates and monitored water quality in the first-order streams, and surveyed vegetation within riparian zones one year preharvest (2010) and four years postharvest (2011–2014). We found more sensitive species (indicated by biotic index classifications), scrapers, and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa from the harvested watershed than in the reference watershed at the Umstead Research Farm site. No differences were detected between the reference and treatment watersheds at the Hill Demonstration Forest site. More sensitive species were present in watersheds with the highest pine basal area and in-stream total organic carbon (TOC) loads. More scrapers were present in watersheds with low hardwood basal area, high stream flow, and more vines. EPT abundance was higher in watersheds with high stream flow, large pine trees, and thick leaf litter layer. EPT abundance was lower in watersheds with large hardwood trees and high TOC loads. Overall, sensitive species, scrapers, and EPT abundance were lower in the Umstead Research Farm reference watershed than in any other watershed. We conclude that, in contrast to similar studies in the region, clearcut harvesting with the use of BMPs did not cause detectable negative effects on macroinvertebrate communities. Moreover, water quality as determined by macroinvertebrates may even be improved in some cases following clearcutting. This study provides a better understanding of how macroinvertebrate communities in Piedmont streams change after harvesting and what watershed characteristics may be driving these changes. This information is useful in characterizing macroinvertebrates in headwaters in the Piedmont, and helps land managers protect aquatic resources across the region.

Impacts of Sustainable Forestry Initiative fiber sourcing on the forestry best management practices and biodiversity conservation in the SE United States

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Fiber Sourcing Standard (FSS) aims to extend the reach of sustainable forest management onto uncertified forestlands through the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water quality and other requirements intended to promote multiple conservation outcomes. Conservation of biological diversity is one of the pillars of the SFI FSS, yet no study has examined its effect on biodiversity conservation at the landscape level. We analyzed BMP implementation rates (inside, outside, and within overlapped wood baskets of certified wood-consuming mills) across five levels (very high, high, medium, low, and very low) biodiversity habitats to measure the impact of the SFI FSS in four states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina) in the SE United States. BMP implementation rates were not significantly different inside, outside, or within multiple wood baskets of mills certified to the SFI FSS. We also find that the SFI FSS facilitates the same level of adherence to sustainable forest practices across various levels of biodiversity habitats, regardless of the presence or absence of imperiled species. High compliance rates across the region indicate that all tracts of land, irrespective of biodiversity categories, typically receive the same level of conservation attention. In this context, the SFI FSS is broadening the reach of sustainable forest management beyond certified forests in the SE United States.

Effectiveness of washing in reducing lead concentrations of lettuce grown in urban garden soils.

Urban gardeners contribute to sustainable cities and often take great care to limit exposure to soil contaminants like lead (Pb). Although best management practices (BMPs) like mulching to reduce soil splash can limit crop contamination, they may not eliminate all contamination for leafy greens, which trap soil particles. How effective is washing at removing Pb contamination from leafy greens when using BMPs? Are certain washing techniques more effective than others? We present results from two experiments addressing these questions. We grew lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in homogenized high-Pb (∼1,150mg kg-1 ) and low-Pb (∼90mg kg-1 ) soils in Brooklyn, NY, and Ithaca, NY. Our results show that washing can remove 75-94% of Pb from lettuce, including that remaining after the use of contamination-reducing BMPs. It was estimated that washing removed 97% of Pb deposited by splash, which is the dominant source of Pb, and removed 91% deposited by downward deposition. All washing techniques were effective at reducing Pb levels, with differences in effectiveness ranked as: commercial soak>vinegar soak>water soak (and water rinse not significantly different from vinegar or water soak). Washing crops grown in low-Pb soils is also important. Without washing, lettuce grown in low-Pb soil may still have Pb levels above the European Commission comparison value. We offer these empirical findings and recommendations in support of urban growers.

Multiobjective optimisation and cluster analysis in placement of best management practices in an urban flooding scenario

Abstract This research is being carried out to study how best management practices (BMPs) can mitigate the negative effects of urban floods during extreme rainfall events. Strategically placing BMPs throughout open areas and rooftops in urban areas serves multiple purposes of storage of rainwater, removal of pollutants from surface runoff and sustainable utilisation of land. This situation is framed as a multiobjective optimisation problem to analyse the trade-offs between multiple goals of runoff reduction, construction cost and pollutant load reduction. Output includes a wide range of choices to choose from for decision makers. Proposed methodology is demonstrated with a case study of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), India. A historical extreme rainfall event of 237.5 mm which occurred in 2016 and extreme rainfall event of 1,740.62 mm corresponding to representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 were considered for analysis. Two multiobjective optimisation algorithms, namely non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-III (NSGA-III) and constrained two-archive evolutionary algorithm (C-TAEA) are used to solve the BMP placement problem, following which the resulting Pareto-fronts are ensembled. K-Medoids-based cluster analysis is performed on the resulting ensembled Pareto-front. The proposed ensembled approach identified ten possible BMP configurations, with costs ranging from Rs. to surface runoff reduction ranging from to and pollutant load removal ranging from tonnes. Use of BMPs in future events has the potential to reduce surface runoff from , while simultaneously removing tonnes of pollutants for cost ranging from The proposed framework forms an effective and novel way to characterise and solve BMP optimisation problems in context of climate change, presenting a view of the urban flooding scenario today, and the likely course of events in the future.

Use of Best Management Practices (BMP) by the Farmers

The purposes of the study were to describe selected characteristics of the use of best management practices farmers; to determine the extent of use of best management practices and to find out the factor that significantly influences use of best management practices. The study was conducted with randomly selected 84 farmers in Dhamrai upazila under Dhaka district. The use of best management practices by the farmers was the independent variable. Seventeen selected characteristics of the farmers considered as independent variables of the study. The data revealed that the majority (60.7%) of the farmers had medium level of use of best management practices while 22.6% and 16.7% of them had low and high use of best management practices respectively. Out of selected seventeen characteristics, five namely education, use of mobile phone, time spent in farming, contact with SAAO and ownership of mobile phone had significant positive contribution to their use of best management practices by the farmers. Therefore, it can be recommended that initiative should be taken by the DAE with the help of other relevant organizations to increase these facilities (significant factors) to improve the scenario regarding use of best management practices.

Advancing Surface Water Pesticide Exposure Assessments for Ecosystem Protection

HighlightsCrop protection and pest management programs continue to be integral for modern food production.Potential ecological impacts of pesticides must be assessed, and key mitigation practices adopted.Efforts are needed to advance surface water pesticide exposure assessments from field to landscape scales.Ensuring effective pesticide mitigation practices requires quantifying dynamic site-specific characteristics.Ecological assessments must improve prediction of adverse population and community-level outcomes.Abstract. As the global food demand increases, the use of pesticides will continue to increase with significant growth in low- and middle-income countries. Agricultural systems in which pesticides are used are complex with significant and often unknown biological, human, and physical-chemical interactions. These interactions include climate and hydrology, soil type, selection and use of best management practices, chemical fate and transport, application technology, and land use socioeconomics. The objective of this review article is to highlight key research opportunities identified from recent special meetings and workshops on advancing pesticide exposure assessments and mitigation. Research is needed in using advanced analytics and forensics to better understand the distribution of pesticides in the environment through novel monitoring and detection. Higher-tier modeling approaches can help inform monitoring a priori to better characterize pesticide distributions in the environment. Current pesticide exposure assessments are largely focused on the field or watershed scale, but advancements are needed to move toward landscape-scale analyses capable of analyzing for interacting ecosystems. Assessing the effects of complex, low-dose chemical mixtures on non-target aquatic organisms must advance with new quantitative high-throughput experimental methods focused on identifying interactions and not just additive effects. Field mitigation measures are currently considered as part of the pesticide exposure and risk assessment process using qualitative, fixed-efficiency type approaches, but we specifically call for the use of existing quantitative tools moving forward. These mechanistic modeling and simulation tools can capture the inherent complexity within an agroecological system. There is a need for risk assessment to be more predictive of population and community-level impacts as part of environmentally relevant scenarios. Finally, it is imperative that professional societies take a more proactive role in promoting the transdisciplinary collaboration of biological and agricultural engineers with other disciplines contributing to advances in ecological risk assessment. Keywords: Ecosystem, Exposure assessment, Landscape scale, Mechanistic modeling, Mitigation, Pesticides, Surface water quality.

Weed Management in Peanuts

Successful weed control in peanuts involves use of good management practices in all phases of peanut production. This 11-page document lists herbicide products registered for use in Florida peanut production, their mode of actions group, application rate per acre and per season, and reentry interval. It also discusses the performance of these herbicides on several weeds under Florida conditions. Written by J. A. Ferrell, G. E. MacDonald, and P. Devkota, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised May 2020.

Ética e Integridade Corporativa: Análise em uma Empresa Multinacional

O objetivo da pesquisa foi de analisar o entendimento de empresa do segmento de pequenas e médias empresas sobre a importância da integridade corporativa no ambiente organizacional e verificar a geração de valor. A metodologia constituiu-se de um estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa e caráter exploratório, empregando-se análise documental e entrevistas em profundidade com a direção, gerência, supervisores e colaboradores da indústria do tabaco, abrangendo áreas de gestão da empresa do estudo de caso. O questionário semiestruturado utilizado nas entrevistas foi dividido em quatro blocos. Buscou-se investigar a gestão estratégica e vantagens competitivas; aspectos relacionados à ética, integridade e governança corporativa, capital reputacional e geração de valor. Os resultados obtidos possibilitaram identificar que a utilização de boas práticas gerenciais, bem como um direcionamento estratégico voltado para a condução de negócios com ética e integridade, contribui para a geração de valor e a permanência no mercado de atuação da organização.

Incidence of Diaphorina citri Carrying Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in Brazil's Citrus Belt.

Simple SummaryCandidatus Liberibacter spp. associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB) comprise species Ca. L. africanus (Laf), Ca. L. asiaticus (Las), and Ca. L. americanus (Lam). While Laf is vectored by the psyllid Trioza erytreae, Las and Lam are vectored by Diaphorina citri. Las spread by D. citri is a major factor for the incidence of HLB-affected citrus in Asia and South, Central, and North America. Recently, both D. citri and Las were also detected in continental Africa, while T. erytrea was found in Portugal and Spain. D. citri that feed as nymphs in citrus harboring Las are better vectors when become adults than adults that acquire Las. Planting nursery trees free of Ca. Liberibacter spp., removing diseased symptomatic citrus trees, and controlling the psyllid population are management practices able to keep infection at acceptable rates. Psyllid population levels, as well as the percentage of individuals that carry Liberibacter, are important factors to succeed against HLB. Area-wide HLB management has been used in Brazil since 2009 and, in this context, psyllid population increase is monitored for control. The same integrated system was used to collect psyllids from traps over a three-year period, as a large-scale resource to address the effect of local management on the percentage of D. citri harboring Las. Good HLB management practices resulted in lower numbers of psyllids with Las. Location and regional disease incidence also affected the percentage of psyllids with Las, ranging from 33 to 74.6%.Huanglongbing (HLB) is a citrus disease of worldwide importance, associated with the presence of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) and vectored by the psyllid Diaphorina citri in Asia and the Americas. To properly manage HLB, removal of inoculum sources and control of the psyllid are undertaken. We evaluated the percentage of the psyllid population with Las, sampled from yellow sticky traps over a three-year period and its relationship with insect population, regions, season of the year, and HLB management in citrus areas in the southwestern, central, and northern regions of São Paulo (SP) and southwestern region of Minas Gerais states, Brazil. In each reading, up to 50 psyllids per region were collected and detection of Las in individual psyllids were made by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The percentage of psyllids with Las—an average of 65.3%—was constant throughout the year in the southwestern region of SP state, while showing an increase from spring to autumn when sampled from central to northern regions. The proportion of psyllids carrying Las from each region and year period were compared by a proportion test and spectral density analysis. The proportion of psyllids carrying Las evaluated in the same region in different seasons presented statistical differences in central (Araraquara) and southwestern (Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo) regions in 2015, with higher values in the first semester (summer and autumn) than in the second semester (winter and spring). Orchards with poor HLB management had higher incidence of psyllids with Las. Spectral density analysis indicated that good management areas had 50% less relevant peaks of psyllids with Las than in areas with poor HLB management practices. The relationship between the percentage of psyllids carrying Las and the number of captured psyllids in the region in a given time denotes the most critical intake time for HLB spread in citrus orchards. The reduction in the population of psyllids carrying Las is a direct benefit from the use of good management practices.

Driving Sustainability in Dairy Farming from a TBL Perspective: Insights from a Case Study in the West Region of Santa Catarina, Brazil

All companies in agribusiness supply chains need to be aware of the best use of available resources, which demands an integrated assessment of environmental, economic and social aspects, i.e., the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Such analysis allows us to get a more balanced and complete understanding of the real performance of companies, supply chains and industries. Companies in the upstream of agribusinesses supply chains present some limitations, but can contribute significantly to the overall sustainability of the entire value chain. The objective of this research was to understand the role of the drivers of sustainability in dairy farming from a TBL perspective, such as assistance to producers and the value chain, and the use of better technology and management practices. A sample of 54 rural farms in the dairy supply chain of the western region of Santa Catarina, Brazil, was used to test four hypotheses about what can drive sustainability. Furthermore, first- and second-order structural equation models using SMART PLS software were used for the analysis of the data. The results obtained show that social sustainability is positively influenced by the use of good management practices, and the latter, as well as public policies, positively influence economic sustainability. Furthermore, it was found that improvements in production techniques positively influence environmental sustainability, and this is mostly influenced by the use of good management practices, and less so by policies directed at the supply chain. Finally, from the analysis of the second-order variable for sustainability, it was highlighted that the economic dimension prevails in the eyes of the farmers, as the main dimension of sustainability, and that environmental aspects are still neglected.

Effects of construction-related land use change on streamflow and sediment yield

Observations from four small watersheds by the Reedy River in upstate South Carolina, USA, were used to evaluate the effects of urban development due to residential construction on streamflow and sediment yield, and to assess the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs). Paired watershed studies were used to quantify changes in flow magnitudes and sediment outputs at the watershed scale. A novel method based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was developed to quantify the contribution from each land use to watershed sediment yield.Area-normalized stormflows and peak flows in developed watersheds were 2–9 times greater than those from an undeveloped reference watershed. Sediment yield (SY) and event mean concentration (EMC) were 6 times greater in a developed watershed that had no ongoing construction. In actively developing watersheds, however, SY and EMC were 60–90 times greater compared to the reference. Sediment contribution factor (10−2 kg h MJ−1 mm−1), defined as SY per unit rainfall erosivity, for each land use with 95% confidence interval was: Forest = 4 ± 2, Pasture = 2 ± 2, Full Development = 18 ± 11, Active Development = 440 ± 120. These values can be used to predict long-term change in sediment yield due to a future land-use change. Significant increases in flow and sediment occurred despite the use of BMPs, so improvements to their implementation and/or proper maintenance may be necessary to ensure that their protective goals are met.

Influence of land use and land cover’s change on the hydrological regime at a Brazilian southeast urbanized watershed

Land use and land cover have a direct influence on the hydrological regime. Urbanization and deforestation are accountable for reducing the water infiltration and consequent runoff’s increase. These modifications lead to high peak flows responsible for catastrophic events. Thus, this work analyzed the impact of land use and land cover’s change on the hydrological regime in a Brazilian southeastern urbanized watershed; considering current and future scenarios. The hydrological model HEC–HMS was used to estimate stream flow and aided in the search for suitable solutions. Using the Land Change Modeler tool made possible to design 2030’s land use and land cover in Grande river watershed. Hydrological simulations were carried out for 2030 using HEC–HMS. Some of the forested areas were replaced by agriculture and pasture. The agricultural areas were the ones that showed greater expansion. Such changes contributed to a mean increase of 52% in the stream flow hydrograph when compared to the watershed’s current scenario. After the use of best management practices, the stream flow hydrograph had a mean reduction of 44%. The structures considered were bio-retention cells, rain gardens, infiltration trenches, and permeable pavements for urban areas. For rural areas, the practices suggested were level terraces, no-till farming, and contour farming. All structures were applied in a distributed manner throughout the watershed. Therefore, it is concluded that land use and land cover’s change in Grande river watershed significantly influence the stream flow regime, and the use of best management practices proved efficient in reducing floods.

AVALIAÇÃO DA EFICIÊNCIA HIDROLÓGICA DE PAVIMENTOS PERMEÁVEIS E SISTEMAS DE BIORRETENÇÃO EM LOTEAMENTO RESIDENCIAL

Visto os avanços no âmbito da drenagem urbana ao longo dos anos, o desafio para projetar sistemas de drenagem eficientes ainda é complexo devido à grande impermeabilização dos espaços urbanos, e aos efeitos advindos das mudanças do ciclo hidrológico nas condições urbanas. O presente trabalho analisou a eficiência hidrológica de sistemas de biorretenção e pavimentos permeáveis em um loteamento residencial em Patrocínio-MG. A eficiência foi calculada por meio da comparação dos volumes escoados provenientes de diversas simulações hidrológicas utilizando o Método Santa Bárbara. Os resultados da eficiência para os sistemas de biorretenção variaram de 7 % a 12,9 %, enquanto que para o uso combinado dos sistemas de biorretenção com pavimentos permeáveis, os resultados alcançaram a faixa de 30,01 % a 49,84 %. Evidencia-se, portanto, a aplicabilidade das técnicas compensatórias em conjunto, promovendo a redução do escoamento superficial durante eventos chuvosos severos, além da melhoria paisagística e sustentável da área de estudo.

Modeling Experiments for Evaluating the Effects of Trees, Increasing Temperature, and Soil Texture on Carbon Stocks in Agroforestry Systems in Kerala, India

Research Highlights: Agroforestry systems in the humid tropics have the potential for high rates of production and large accumulations of carbon in plant biomass and soils and, thus, may play an important role in the global C cycle. Multiple factors can influence C sequestration, making it difficult to discern the effect of a single factor. We used a modeling approach to evaluate the relative effects of individual factors on C stocks in three agricultural systems in Kerala, India. Background and Objectives: Factors such as plant growth form, management, climate warming, and soil texture can drive differences in C storage among cropping systems, but the relationships among these factors and their effects are complex. Our objective was to use CENTURY, a process-based model of plant–soil nutrient cycling, in an experimental mode to evaluate the effects of individual factors on C stocks in soil and biomass in monocultures (annuals or trees) and agroforestry systems. Materials and Methods: We parameterized the model for this region, then conducted simulations to investigate the effects on C stocks of four experimental scenarios: (1) change in growth form; (2) change in tree species; (3) increase in temperature above 20-year means; and (4) differences in soil texture. We compared the models with measured changes in soil C after eight years. Results: Simulated soil C stocks were influenced by all factors: growth form; lignin in tree tissues; increasing temperature; and soil texture. However, increasing temperature and soil sand content had relatively small effects on biomass C. Conclusions: Inclusion of trees with traits that promoted C sequestration such as lignin content, along with the use of best management practices, resulted in the greatest C storage among the simulated agricultural systems. Greater use and better management of trees with high C-storage potential can thus provide a low-cost means for mitigation of climate warming.

The role of aquaculture farm biosecurity in global food security.

The aquaculture industry can play a key role in global food security; however, the lack of comprehensive implementation of effective biosecurity measures is preventing the sector from reaching its potential. Biosecurity begins with an evaluation of the risk of the introduction of pathogens from outside the system, as well as the spread of pathogenic agents within and from the culture system. This involves establishing a clear picture of the physical infrastructure of the system, systematically identifying the relevant pathways of transmission of pathogenic agents, analysing the risks associated with each pathway and implementing mitigation measures to minimise the risks. The farm biosecurity plan provides benefits that improve health and prevent disease-related losses through the use of best management practices, standard operating procedures, staff training, surveillance, emergency response plans, record keeping and audit of farm performance. Biosecurity supports gains in animal productivity, production and growth, thus ensuring the continuity of supply necessary for food security. Disease puts at risk the sector's resilience and reliability and will continue to limit aquaculture's contribution to global food security until comprehensive biosecurity programmes are in place. Responsibility for biosecurity is shared by all stakeholders. Overarching support from the national and international communities, including investment in innovative solutions, technological advancements and training and education, is required to achieve comprehensive global biosecurity. Implementation requires local leadership and meaningful engagement in the involved industries and communities. Each farmer must be enabled to prevent, detect and respond to disease events at the local level. Only by enabling the individual farmer can there be a decrease in the risk of disease issues becoming regional, national or international.

70 Integrity Beef Alliance I. Program Overview

Abstract Noble Research Institute initiated a cow/calf best management practices (BMP) and marketing program in 2000. Over time, the Integrity Beef Alliance program has matured into a producer-run stand-alone Alliance that has received much favorable attention in the industry. The objectives of the program are: 1.) implement BMP’s, 2.) increase selling weights of calves, 3.) increase calf quality and uniformity, 4.) improve marketing efficiencies, 5.) utilize producer records for improvement, and 6.) educate producers to use of BMP’s. This program has developed stringent protocols that must be adhered to throughout the calf production phase. Protocols and requirements center on cow and bull genetics, herd health, preconditioning criteria, and record keeping. Producers who complete all required documentation and pay an annual membership fee are allowed to sell their calves through a value added calf sale, receive a letter of certification to provide to potential direct market buyers, or market through Superior Livestock Video utilizing the Integrity Beef Alliance logo. Through the utilization of financial and production records, members are able to benchmark themselves against other similar operations in the program and against their own performance over time to determine areas of needed improvement and areas of efficiency. Compared with the 2008 NAHMS data, producers have averaged a 28.6 kg increased weaning weight. Many producers have indicated a higher increase in weaning weight compared to their previous protocols. The program has grown from 11 producers in 2005 to 51 members in 2018.

Evolving Silvicultural Practices to Meet Sustainability Objectives in Forested Wetlands of the Southeastern United States

Development and implementation of forestry best management practices (BMPs) to minimize effects on wetland soils and hydrology represents a great success of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The “silvicultural exemption” as specified in Section 404(f) of the CWA allows management activities within jurisdictional forested wetlands so long as practices meet specified criteria and wetlands are not converted to uplands. This is particularly important for establishing and maintaining forest roads and site preparation of harvested stands in jurisdictional wetlands. The presence of poorly drained soils and seasonally high-water tables in the Coastal Plain led to the development of site preparation practices that enhance seedling survival, vigor, and growth. Collaboration among universities, governmental agencies, and the forest products industry has resulted in numerous applied research projects assessing environmental responses to management in forested wetlands. Today, all southeastern Coastal Plain states recommend the use of site preparation BMPs that reduce soil and hydrology disturbances, while facilitating stand regeneration. State forestry agencies routinely monitor BMP implementation to assess application and functionality of BMPs. Additionally, forest landowners and wood procurement entities who participate in voluntary third-party forest certification programs have increased BMP implementation on a scale that contributes to watershed-level benefits.

Evaluation of selected watershed characteristics to identify best management practices to reduce Nebraskan nitrate loads from Nebraska to the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River basin

Nebraskan streams contribute excess nitrogen to the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and Gulf of Mexico, which results in major water-quality impairments. Reducing the amount of nitrogen (N) exported in these streams requires the use of best management practices (BMPs) within the landscape. However, proper BMP utilization has rarely been statistically connected to potential controls of N export within watersheds, particularly precipitation and soil characteristics. In this study, 19 watershed variables were evaluated in five categories (hydrological, physiographic, point sources, land use, and soil properties) to determine the characteristics that influenced variable nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in 17 Nebraska watersheds with known high NO3-N export rates. Each characteristic was derived from publicly-available datasets in an effort to develop a multiregional method. Of the 19 variables evaluated, 10 variables (developed, cropland, herbaceous, forest, excessively-drained soils, precipitation, base-flow index, slope, organic matter and point sources) were identified to statistically influence stream NO3-N concentrations. The 17 watersheds were divided into five subset groups using principal component analysis. Distributions of the 10 watershed variables were then used to determine the most applicable BMPs for NO3-N reductions for each stream subset: excessively drained with high baseflow index (Groups 1 and 2), dominantely row crop land usage with well-drained soils, higher precipitation, and an increased tendency for surface runoff concerns (Group 3), highly developed watersheds (Group 4), and single river dominated by wastewater treatment plant discharge (Group 5). Based on the most influential variables a variety of BMPs were recommended, including N fertilizer application management and accounting for N credit from mineralization and NO3-N in irrigation water (Groups 1 and 2), installation of riparian buffers and wetlands (Group 3), urban BMPs such as bioretention cells and permeable pavement (Group 4), and upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant (Group 5). This study provides an improved technique for facilitating watershed management by linking BMPs directly to the characteristics of each watershed to reduce current nitrate export.

Meeting Water Quality Goals under Climate Change in Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA

AbstractClimate change may increase precipitation, temperatures, and pollution loading and necessitate additional measures and costs to achieve water quality goals. We used two climate change models and the mean of the ensemble of seven climate models (Ensemble Mean), a yield prediction model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool‐Variable Source Area), and a farm economic model to estimate how climate change would affect yields and the costs of reducing nitrogen (N) loading in an agricultural subbasin of the Chesapeake Bay. We estimated costs of meeting water quality goals based on the reduction in farm net returns from limits on N loadings under historical and future climate scenarios. Estimated costs of meeting water quality goals increase under future climate for one of the two climate models and for the Ensemble Mean. Major reasons for increased costs are higher predicted N loading from crops and higher N loading reductions to be achieved under future climate. The farm meets N limits by eliminating wheat and reducing corn and soybean production as well as increased use of best management practices (BMPs) including Conservation Reserve Program. Researchers should analyze effects of climate change on the costs of meeting water quality goals using multiple climate change prediction models and considering possible crop substitutions as well as crop and livestock BMPs. Further research should consider how commodity market reactions to producers’ choices under climate change affect costs of meeting water quality goals.