Presented by David Mulla, Professor and Larson Chair for Soil & Water Resources, University of Minnesota on December 8, 2014 at the Minnesota Bioenergy Feedstock Development meeting and forum.
VVIP Pune Call Girls Vishal Nagar WhatSapp Number 8005736733 With Elite Staff...
Biomass and the Environment: Soil and Water Impacts
1. Biomass and the Environment: Soil
and Water Impacts
David Mulla*
Professor & Larson Chair for Soil &
Water Resources
Dept. Soil, Water & Climate
University of Minnesota
*Coauthors for this talk include: David Pitt, Dept. Landscape
Architecture, Carissa Shively-Slotterback, Humphrey School
of Public Affairs and Nicholas Jordan, Dept. Agronomy &
Plant Genetics (all University of Minnesota)
5. Alternative Management Practices
•Conservation Tillage:
• Chisel and disk tillage practices are replaced with a conservation
tillage practice that leaves 30% residue at time of planting. Field
cultivators are still used before planting.
•Stover Removal w/wo Cover Crops
•Reduced Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates:
• P fertilizer rates are reduced by half.
•Cropland Conversion to Prairie Grass:
• Biomass is harvested. Previous tile drainage systems remain intact.
•Cropland Conversion to Switchgrass:
• Biomass is harvested. Previous tile drainage systems remain intact.
• Switchgrass plantings in buffer strips is an option.
6. Methods
Use SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) to
analyze how changes in land management in
Seven Mile Creek affect ecosystem services and
biodiversity conservation
Compare the impact on ecosystem services &
biodiversity from:
– Current land use
– Alternative land management and land use change
scenarios
Results for each HRU are transferred to an
Excel spreadsheet and linked to an ArcGIS
platform for real-time evaluation of GeoDesign
scenarios by stakeholders
13. Stakeholder Rules of Thumb
Increase landscape diversity
Produce food/biofuel without harming
water quality or habitat
Improve soil quality
Consider feedstock transport distances
Buffer waterways
Improve wildlife habitat
Match crop suitability to soil productivity
16. Conclusions
Novel GeoDesign process was developed
Participants from different backgrounds shared
perspectives and worked collaboratively
Stakeholders learned quickly, easily grasped
design concepts and used biophysical feedback
indicators
Stakeholders incorporated clustering and spatial
continuity into their landscape designs
Designs were not only profitable, but also
exhibited improved water quality, carbon
sequestration and terrestrial bird habitat