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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #388063
Research Project: Science and Technologies for the Sustainable Management of Western Rangeland Systems

Location: Range Management Research

Title: Leveraging standardized monitoring data to support grazing land soil erosion assessments

Author
item McCord, Sarah
item WEBB, NICHOLAS - New Mexico State University
item Bonefont Flores, Kristopher
item Courtright, Ericha
item DUNIWAY, MICHAEL - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item EDWARDS, BRANDON - New Mexico State University
item Goodrich, David
item Heilman, Philip
item Hernandez Narvaez, Mariano
item METZ, LORETTA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA)
item Nearing, Mark
item Newingham, Beth
item Nichols, Mary
item Pierson Jr, Frederick
item Tatarko, John
item Toledo, David
item Van Pelt, Robert
item Van Zee, Justin
item Williams, Jason

Submitted to: LTAR Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2021
Publication Date: 8/30/2021
Citation: McCord, S.E., Webb, N., Bonefont Flores, K., Courtright, E.M., Duniway, M., Edwards, B., Goodrich, D.C., Heilman, P., Hernandez Narvaez, M.N., Metz, L., Nearing, M.A., Newingham, B.A., Nichols, M.H., Pierson Jr, F.B., Tatarko, J., Toledo, D.N., Van Pelt, R.S., Van Zee, J.W., Williams, J.B. 2021. Leveraging standardized monitoring data to support grazing land soil erosion assessments. LTAR Annual Meeting. Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The LTAR Rangeland Soil Erosion Working Group formed with the objective of coordinating the use of standardized national inventory and monitoring datasets to assess wind and water erosion impacts across US grazing lands. The Rangeland Soil Erosion Working Group is comprised of LTAR scientists, members of USDA-NRCS CEAP Grazing Lands project, as well as collaborators at the Bureau of Land Management and US Geological Survey. The first task of the group was to transform standardized monitoring data, housed in the Landscape Data Commons, into appropriate input formats to parameterize water (RHEM) and wind (AERO) erosion models. To accomplish this task, we coordinated with each modelling team to build accurate data models for each erosion model. This included: 1) identifying each input variable or indicator needed, 2) describing the correct calculation of each variable based on available monitoring data, 3) refining a common species list and functional group list for all species occurring on US grazing lands, and 4) applying the data model to the monitoring data to produce model input and parameterization files. As of July 2021, the data model development process is complete. The data model has been applied to over 60,000 grazing land inventory and monitoring locations nationally, enabling RHEM and AERO applications to those locations. The development of new analyses will support project stakeholders (NRCS CEAP and BLM) and provide erosion indicators across US grazing lands that can be used in the LTAR sustainable intensification indicators framework.