Author
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Sanderson, Matt |
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Submitted to: Government Publication/Report
Publication Type: Government Publication Publication Acceptance Date: 9/12/2013 Publication Date: 10/6/2014 Citation: Sanderson, M.A. 2014. National trends and resource concerns in managing grazing land ecosystem services. Government Publication/Report. USDA-NRCS. Online http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/nra/ceap/?cid=stelprdb1186363. Interpretive Summary: A major purpose of The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) on Pasturelands is to expose practitioners and scientists to conservation needs and expectations from policy makers who are struggling to account for environmental outcomes intended from a conservation practice. The traditional goods from forage and grazing lands include food, feed, fiber, forest products, milk, and meat. The total economic value of forage and grasslands used in livestock animal production is estimated at about $44 billion annually. Hay and other conserved forage production account for $18 billion of farm income. Numerous ecosystem services are provided by forage and grazing lands including reduced soil erosion and improvements in water quality, wildlife habitat, and air quality. There often is little or no direct economic return to the land manager for providing these ecosystem services, yet society is rapidly recognizing the intrinsic values of these outputs that are important and needed for the public good. Technical Abstract: Forage, grasslands, and grazing lands constitute more than two-thirds of all agricultural land in the USA and provide several ecosystem goods and services. Increasing and sustaining these ecosystem goods and services (e.g., conserving and protecting soil, water, and air resources) usually requires the investment of public resources. The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) on Pasturelands is defined to quantify the environmental effects of conservation practices on privately-owned grazing lands in the U.S. Science-based literature was assessed to determine the effectiveness and applicability of the “purpose” statements contained within selected NRCS conservation practices. Identified purposes of conservation practices are intended to provide opportunities for resource conservation on working agricultural lands. As part of the effort, research scientists considered how long-term changes in forage species and their management could provide sustainable and resilient agriculture that preserve the ecosystem. This first comprehensive assessment brought many new insights to the nature of the problem and potentials for science-based practices that would benefit the system. This Conservation Insight evaluates how national trends affect forage and grazing lands. |
