Transcript Hypoxia, Water Quality, and Land-Use in the Mississippi River

Green Lands, Blue Waters
A Vision and Roadmap for the
Next Generation of Agricultural Systems
Hansen, MN Exp
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
DNR
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
Minnesota Harvested Soybean and Alfalfa Acreages
Alfalfa & Soybean (millions of acres)
8
7
6
Alfalfa
Soybeans
5
4
3
2
1
0
1975
'78
'81
'84
'87
'90
'93
'96
'99
Portion of total MN Crop land in
Corn and Bean Production
70%
65%
60%
55%
50%
45%
40%
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Corn and Soybean Acreage
6 County Southeast MN
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Gyles Randall,2003
Corn and Soybeans
1975
2001
Corn and Soybean acreage
11 County South Central Minnesota
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Gyles Randall,2003
Corn and Soybeans
1975
2001
Areas of annual
Row cropping
April 5 - 18
Areas of perennial
vegetation
2002 Growing Season
May 3 - 16
May 31 – June 13
2002 Growing Season
June 28 – July 11
July 26 – August 8
2002 Growing Season
October 4 - 17
Cottonwood River Watershed
Precipitation and Runoff
Annual Tile Drainage Loss
in Corn-Soybean Rotation
Waseca, 1987-2001
July-March
29%
Gyles Randall, 2003
April, May,
June
71%
Corn and Soybean Nitrate-N Loss
Concentrations
• Tile drainage system
• U of MN - Lamberton
25
20
15
10
5
0
Corn/Bean Perennials
Gyles Randall, 2003
mg/L
Midpoint
of range
(from Dinnes et al., 2002)
Mississippi River Sedimentation
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
30.0
L. Calcasieu
Atchafalaya R.
latitude (deg.)
Sabine L.
Mississippi R.
29.5
Terrebonne
Bay
29.0
50 km
28.5
93.5
92.5
91.5
90.5
89.5
longitude (deg.)
bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999
Rabalais et al. 2000
Results of Annual Summer Cruises
average areal extent of the Gulf of Mexico
hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square
kilometers
…a 30% reduction
-25,000
-20,000
-15,000
-10,000
-5,000
-0
Square Kilometers
January 2001
Management Approach:
GOAL: By the
year 2015, subject
to the availability
of additional
resources, reduce
the 5-year running
(from the average discharge
in the 1980-1996 time frame)
in nitrogen discharges to the
Gulf (on a 5-year running
average)…
Diversification of Agricultural
Landscape Systems
Chippewa
River
Wells
Creek
Chippewa River Land Use
80% in cultivation and
includes a portion of
Montevideo
Cultivated Land
Grassland
Deciduous Forest
Urban
Catchment size: 17,994 ha
Four Scenarios
A Extension of current trends
• Increased field size, focus on annual crop
production
B Adoption of best management practices
• Shift to conservation tillage, use
recommended nutrient application
rates,30 m riparian buffers
C Expand diversity
• Five year crop rotation, more grazing
• Wetland restoration
D Managed year-round vegetative cover
• Cover crops, increased managed grazing, prairie
restoration, 90 m buffers
Change from baseline (%)
Chippewa River
Sediment
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
Scenario A
Scenario B
Scenario C
Scenario D
Surface Runoff
Change from Baseline (%)
10
Wells
Creek
Chippewa
River
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
Scenario A
Scenario B
Scenario C
Scenario D
Green Lands, Blue Waters
A Vision and Roadmap for the Next
Generation of Agricultural Systems
Initiative Vision
To improve water quality in the
Mississippi River Basin, increase
economic options and profitability for
farmers, improve wildlife habitat,
reduce flooding potential, strengthen
vitality and quality of life of rural
communities, and enhance human
health.
Initiative Mission
To support development of and
transition to a new generation of
agricultural systems in the Mississippi
River Basin that integrate more
perennial plants and other continuous
living cover into the agricultural
landscape.
Potential Ecosystem Services
Provided by Perennial
Cropping Systems
Nutrient Cycling, Flood
Management, Natural Pest
Management, Soil Health,Wildlife
Diversity, Water Quality, Erosion
Control, Carbon Management,
Climate Mediation
Benefits to Bird Populations
Bird responses to habitat changes
(sightings per 160 acres)
•Tilled row crops > 18 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, alfalfa and
pasture > 25 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, pasture,
alfalfa, and marsh > 52 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous and wooded fencerows, grass
waterway, pasture, alfalfa, marsh, and farmstead shelterbelt > 93
species
Best, L. et al. 1995. A Review and synthesis of Habitat Use by Breeding Birds in Agricultural
Landscapes of Iowa. The American Midland Naturalist, 134:1
Grazing Systems
Grazing
• Perennial ryegrass
Winter hardiness, Seed
production, Rotational
grazing
• Illinois bundleflower and
other native legumes
Mixed warm season grassrotational grazing systems
Biomass Energy
• Willows, Salix sp.
• Alfalfa, Medicago sativa,
JoAnn Lamb USDAARS St. Paul
• Perennial sunflower,
Helianthus sp.
• Perennial flax, Linum
perenne
• Native legumes, False
indigo, Amorpha
fruticosa
Trees and Shrubs
• Willows, Salix sp.
Decorative and energy
• Hybrid popular,
Populus sp.
Energy and fiber
• Hazelnuts, Corylus
avellana x C.
americana and C.
cornuta
Oil, confectionary, and
energy
Perennial Native Legumes
• 50 species preliminary
evaluation
Winter hardiness
• 10 species more detailed
studies
Production and selection
Feeding trials—swine
Antioxidants—Food, fuel,
feed and cosmetics
Antimicrobial—Food,
cosmetics and feed
Oil Seed Crops
• Perennial flax,
Linum sp.
• Perennial
sunflower,
Helianthus sp.
Lewis Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)
Wetland Restoration
• Willow, Salix sp.
Nitrogen harvesting,
energy, water
retention
• Native wetland
species
Unique industrial
chemicals, wildlife
habitat-hunting
Cover Crops
April 30, 1999
• Red clover, Trifolium
pratense
• Winter rye, Secale
cereale, Paul Porter
• Brassica sp.
• Alfalfa, Medicago
sativa
• Birdsfoot trefoil,
Lotus corniculatus
• Native legumes
Advantages to Production
Agriculture
•
•
•
•
Improve environmental performance
Improve economic diversity/profitability
Keep working lands working
Adopt a non-regulatory, long term strategy
Strategy 1
Involve diverse stakeholders
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Audubon Society, Upper Mississippi Basin Initiative**
Illinois Stewardship Alliance**
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy**
The Land Institute**
Land Stewardship Project**
Minnesota Farm Bureau
Mississippi River Basin Alliance**
National/Minnesota Farmers Union
The Nature Conservancy, Upper Mississippi Basin
Project**
– Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
– US Environmental Protection Agency
– USDA/US Forest Service
Strategy 2:
Engage land-grant institutions
– The University of Illinois**
– Iowa State University, including the Leopold
Center for Sustainable Agriculture**
– Louisiana State University
– North Dakota State University **
– University of Minnesota **
– University of Missouri
– University of Wisconsin**
Strategy 3:
Organize at the Watershed, State
& Basin Levels
• Watershed Learning Groups (Kellogg Foundation)
– Initially focus on two watersheds/state
– Develop learning groups
• State Coordinating Committees (Federal Leopold)
– Representatives from learning groups and the
consortium
– Responsible for planning, implementing and
monitoring in that state
• Multi-state consortium (Charter Partners & McKnight)
– Land-grants, NGOs, and government agencies
– Responsible for overall planning, monitoring and
budget oversight
Strategy 4:
Targeting a portion of the most
environmentally sensitive lands will
maximize the environmental benefit
Strategy 5:
Develop Supporting Infrastruture
Market – Technical – Financial
Social – Human - Policy
Strategy 6:
Imbed in Mainstream Thought
Strategy 7:
Rely on Voluntary Approaches
Objectives:
Develop and promote profitable
enterprises
• Build Capacity of stakeholders regarding
continuous living cover systems and water quality;
• Significantly expand the knowledge base
regarding continuous living cover systems and
their impacts and potential
• Coordinate and build on related new and existing
activities
• Heighten visibility and increase financial support
of and focus on continuous living cover systems
• Identify and promote supporting policy changes
Ten-Year Outcomes
• Development of new crops, products, and
associated markets for products of continuous
living cover systems
• Increased continuous living cover on the
agricultural landscape in the Mississippi River
Basin
• Reduced N loading from agricultural production at
the watershed level by 30%
• Reduced number of impaired waters in the
watersheds
• Increased migratory waterfowl and neo-tropical
songbird populations at the watershed level by 30%
or more.
• Shrinkage of the hypoxic zone from its 2002 level
Budget
On the scale of
$105 million over ten years
www.greenlandsbluewaters.org
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS