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Author: Bethany Elizabeth Brown Publisher: ISBN: Category : Agriculture Languages : en Pages : 122
Book Description
Eutrophication, stimulated by phosphorous (P) runoff from landscapes, compromises water quality and can have long-term impacts on the aesthetics, recreation, property values, and drinkability of bodies of water around the world. In the State of Vermont, efforts are underway to control the amount of P entering Lake Champlain per standards set forth in the Federal Clean Water Act. Agriculture has been identified as a major contributor to excess P in the waterways and will be managed according to Act 64, the Vermont Water Quality Act. The studies presented in this paper will introduce two independent methodologies proposed to aid in evaluating the farmer's willingness to implement pro-environmental practices, (1) determining farmer values towards implementation of best management practices to inform policy, and (2) creating a multifunctional sustainability prioritization scheme for dissemination of Clean Water Fund resources. The Vermont Water Quality Act proposes Required Agricultural Practices (RAP) for agriculture in the State with a limited understanding of what the farming community desires from such a policy. This paper's first article titled, "Determining Farmer Values for Implementing Pro-Environmental Practices," analyzes twenty-four farmers and their associated values towards adopting pro-environmental practices for improved water quality. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to segment farmers according to their adoption of best management practices on their farms. Further, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted using dependent functional (quality), functional (price), and emotional, social, conditional, and epistemic variables to understand the variance between the segments. The results from this analysis illuminate farmer values. This information can be used to inform water quality policy, ecosystem service payments, communication strategy, and funding dissemination. The Clean Water Fund was created to support the implementation of water quality initiatives in various sectors throughout the State of Vermont. The resources within the fund are limited; therefore careful prioritization of farms for outreach is essential. In the article titled, Prioritizing Farms for Subsidies: A "Multifunctional Approach," a prioritization methodology is presented using theory from the sustainable multifunctional agriculture literature. The sample includes vegetable, vegetable and meat, meat, and maple producers within the State. The diverse production types included in this study reflects the non-discriminatory-relating to production types-policies in Act 64. The study is limited by the exclusion of the dairy sector. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software was used to map environmental practices on twelve farm landscapes to generate a spatial representation of environmental stewardship that was then translated into an environmental score. This environmental score was combined with social and economic data to prioritize farms based upon their multifunctional sustainability. This ranking methodology may be useful for the State of Vermont in determining the prioritization of Clean Water Fund resources using farm sustainability measurements.
Author: Bethany Elizabeth Brown Publisher: ISBN: Category : Agriculture Languages : en Pages : 122
Book Description
Eutrophication, stimulated by phosphorous (P) runoff from landscapes, compromises water quality and can have long-term impacts on the aesthetics, recreation, property values, and drinkability of bodies of water around the world. In the State of Vermont, efforts are underway to control the amount of P entering Lake Champlain per standards set forth in the Federal Clean Water Act. Agriculture has been identified as a major contributor to excess P in the waterways and will be managed according to Act 64, the Vermont Water Quality Act. The studies presented in this paper will introduce two independent methodologies proposed to aid in evaluating the farmer's willingness to implement pro-environmental practices, (1) determining farmer values towards implementation of best management practices to inform policy, and (2) creating a multifunctional sustainability prioritization scheme for dissemination of Clean Water Fund resources. The Vermont Water Quality Act proposes Required Agricultural Practices (RAP) for agriculture in the State with a limited understanding of what the farming community desires from such a policy. This paper's first article titled, "Determining Farmer Values for Implementing Pro-Environmental Practices," analyzes twenty-four farmers and their associated values towards adopting pro-environmental practices for improved water quality. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to segment farmers according to their adoption of best management practices on their farms. Further, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted using dependent functional (quality), functional (price), and emotional, social, conditional, and epistemic variables to understand the variance between the segments. The results from this analysis illuminate farmer values. This information can be used to inform water quality policy, ecosystem service payments, communication strategy, and funding dissemination. The Clean Water Fund was created to support the implementation of water quality initiatives in various sectors throughout the State of Vermont. The resources within the fund are limited; therefore careful prioritization of farms for outreach is essential. In the article titled, Prioritizing Farms for Subsidies: A "Multifunctional Approach," a prioritization methodology is presented using theory from the sustainable multifunctional agriculture literature. The sample includes vegetable, vegetable and meat, meat, and maple producers within the State. The diverse production types included in this study reflects the non-discriminatory-relating to production types-policies in Act 64. The study is limited by the exclusion of the dairy sector. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software was used to map environmental practices on twelve farm landscapes to generate a spatial representation of environmental stewardship that was then translated into an environmental score. This environmental score was combined with social and economic data to prioritize farms based upon their multifunctional sustainability. This ranking methodology may be useful for the State of Vermont in determining the prioritization of Clean Water Fund resources using farm sustainability measurements.
Author: George Harrison Myers Publisher: ISBN: Category : Champlain, Lake, Watershed Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Alteration of global nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles to support livestock and crop production is the most significant driver of global nutrient surpluses. Losses of excess nutrients to the environment contribute to eutrophication of aquatic systems, leading to harmful algal blooms (HABs), hypoxia, and fish kills. Livestock and dairy production are directly linked to the acceleration of eutrophication via nutrient losses from animal manure. Lake Champlain has been experiencing HABs since the 1970s, and a total maximum daily load (TMDL) is in place to reduce P loading to the lake, with much of the reduction in P load being required to come from the agricultural sector. It is critical to understand nutrient movement and the impact of a changing regional climate in manure-based agricultural watersheds, as dairy farming is the primary agricultural sector in Vermont. Additionally, studying agricultural management practices to mitigate P losses is imperative to meet the target P load reductions set forth by the TMDL. The first portion of this thesis analyzes seasonal differences in nutrient movement in two manure-based agricultural watersheds in the Vermont Lake Champlain Basin (VT LCB) with varying extent of agricultural land use. The results show that the spring and summer had the smallest seasonal loads of total P (TP) and dissolved P (DP) in runoff. The smaller summer P loads appear to be related to periods of drought, while the smaller P loads in the spring are likely related to less manure P built up in the watershed that could be transported to surface waters. Approximately 40% of the cumulative TP load and 43% of the cumulative DP load was discharged from the watersheds in the fall. The increased fall TP and DP loads were likely due to the application of manure across the watersheds during this period. The data suggest that soil erosion is relatively less dominant as a driver of watershed P discharge during times when manure was available for transport post-application (e.g., fall and summer), and more closely linked to watershed P loss during times when less new manure was available (e.g., spring). The results suggest better management of manure application rates and timing as well as increased implementation of agricultural management practices are needed to address increased P transport throughout the year, and especially during the fall. The second portion of this thesis assesses the efficacy of edge-of-field (EOF) iron-based filters for P removal. In-field agricultural management practices such as no-till management and cover cropping target reductions in TP, but do not effectively address DP. EOF filters are a promising management practice for reducing DP losses. Storm runoff at the inlet and outlet of one subsurface and two surface EOF filters was monitored for 10 months. The subsurface filter proved very effective for soluble reactive P (SRP) and TP removal, removing 99% of cumulative SRP load and 91% of TP load from monitored events. The surface filters had varied results, with the east surface filter removing 19% of SRP load and 72% of TP load, and the west surface filter removing 52% of SRP load and having no effect on TP load. The findings highlight the importance of filter sizing and design to minimize the impact of sediment loading and preferential flow pathways on surface EOF filter performance. The study provides early evidence that tile drain filters are a highly effective management strategy for mitigating SRP and TP losses from agricultural fields.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309069483 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 422
Book Description
Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.
Author: Aleksandra Drizo Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 1118825497 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 176
Book Description
Phosphorus Pollution Control – Policies and Strategies Deterioration and decline of water resources due to pollution caused by humans and their activities has become a universal health, environmental, social and economic problem. Excess discharges of nutrients, in particular, phosphorus, has been recognized as the most prevalent water pollution problem globally. Moreover, its perpetual occurrence and expansion creates imminent threats to water and food security. Despite extensive research during the past five decades, many key questions in eutrophication science remain unanswered. This book summarizes the most recent policies and strategies for phosphorus removal and recovery from municipal, residential and agricultural wastewater effluents and runoff into a concise and up-to-date volume. The book will be of interest to environmental and water resources scientists and engineers, consultants, policy makers, and practitioners working in the field.
Author: Cameron Robert Twombly Publisher: ISBN: Category : Agricultural pollution Languages : en Pages : 280
Book Description
Agricultural runoff is one of largest contributors of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and sediment affecting freshwater systems in watersheds across the Northeastern U.S., including the Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont. Agricultural cropping systems, such as corn silage and haylands, used for dairy feed production have been shown to impact watershed hydrology and water quality. Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) have the potential to decrease runoff volumes and flow rates and the associated export of nutrients and sediment from agricultural fields. Many states in the Northeastern U.S., including Vermont, are beginning to require farmers to implement water quality BMPs and further improve risk evaluation of export of P in runoff using evolving P site assessment tools, such as the Phosphorus Index (P-Index). Quantifying the effects of BMPs on hydrologic and nutrient exports from fields is critical for informing site assessment tools that aid in the development of nutrient management plans and to help design agroecosystems that do not degrade water quality. However, there is a lack of data on the effects of BMPs on edge-of-field hydrologic and nutrient fluxes, especially in cold-climate regions with snow-melt induced runoff events. This thesis consists of four chapters, Chapter 1 is a comprehensive literature review on agricultural hydrology and water quality, BMP effectiveness, and P site assessment tools. Chapters 2 and 3 address research objectives related to the evaluation of BMP and P site assessment tool effectiveness. Chapter 4 is a summary of the conclusions drawn from the work done in Chapters 2 and 3, and suggestions for future work. Chapter 2 evaluates the effects of soil aeration prior to manure application on edge-of-field hydrology, water quality, and P fluxes in haylands with clay soils during both precipitation and snow-melt induced runoff events. Edge-of-field water quality monitoring techniques and passive-capillary lysimeter systems were used to continuously measure the losses of surface runoff, subsurface leachate, and the associated export of nutrients (total phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, and total dissolved nitrogen) and total suspended solids resulting from runoff events year-round from 2012 to 2018. Annual P fluxes in the form of vegetative uptake and removal, manure additions, and soil test P were also recorded. Results from this study indicated that soil aeration had the potential to reduce nutrient and sediment exports from haylands with poorly-drained, high runoff producing soils in the Northeastern U.S. where winter freeze-thaw conditions exist. However, potential increases in surface and subsurface hydrologic flows can accompany these reductions; these implications should be considered before implementation. Chapter 3 identifies potential P-Index improvements through the representation of topographic controls on phosphorus (P) transport by comparing results from the Vermont P-Index (VT P-Index) and a more complex process-based model, TopoSWAT, across topographic regions in a small agricultural watershed (360 ha) in the Lake Champlain Basin. Scenarios of varying P management strategies were modeled for corn silage production fields with poorly-drained soils and rolling topography. Modeled outputs of P risk assessments and edge-of-field dissolved and particulate P losses were compared. Results from this study suggest that the VT P-Index could improve its ability to support farm nutrient management planning and other P-based management decisions by incorporating topographic controls of runoff production into its estimation of P transport.
Author: Bethany Elizabeth Brown
Author: Bethany Elizabeth Brown
Author: Ralph E. Heimlich
Author: United States. Soil Conservation Service
Author: George Harrison Myers
Author: Nicholas Ceto
Author: Kohei Arai
Author: National Research Council
Author: Aleksandra Drizo
Author: Cameron Robert Twombly
Author: