Soil erosion prediction for shaping conservation policy and practice

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2010-01-01
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Newman, James
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Amy Kaleita
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Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.

History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.

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1905–present

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  • Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)

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Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Abstract

Scientific evidence guides public policy for improving the management of soil and water resources. With stronger scientific evidence, more informed public policy will lead to desired outcomes. The studies described in this dissertation use the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) computer model to address two soil erosion modeling issues. First, a statewide analysis of soil erosion in Iowa resulting from different corn stover removal rates is modeled to produce maps of soil erosion risk under various management scenarios. The results indicate that no--till is an effective practice for soil erosion control on sloping soils when maximum amounts of corn stover are removed from the field. However, maintaining adequate levels of soil organic carbon may be more of a constraint for stover harvesting than soil erosion on flat soils. Modifications to the WEPP user interface are needed to simplify soil erosion modeling with corn stover removal and site specific conditions. The second soil erosion modeling issue addressed in this dissertation is uncertainty of soil erosion and sediment load delivery predictions. The paper in Chapter 3 of this dissertation demonstrates a novel stochastic approach for explicitly quantifying prediction uncertainty using WEPP. Uncertainty of sediment load predictions is explicitly calculated using Monte Carlos simulation with stochastic climate variable inputs. Scientists, environmentals and farmers commented in focus group interviews that the stochastic analysis results helped them to better understand the uncertainty of soil erosion and sediment delivery predictions used to design control measures.

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Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2010