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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424556
Research Project: Knowledge Systems and Tools to Increase the Resilience and Sustainability of Western Rangeland Agriculture

Location: Range Management Research

Title: A land potential-based framework for mitigating wind erosion and sand and dust storms

Author
item Young, Kristina
item Webb, Nicholas

Submitted to: Society for Ecological Restoration Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2025
Publication Date: 10/4/2025
Citation: Young, K.E., Webb, N.P. 2025. A land potential-based framework for mitigating wind erosion and sand and dust storms. Society for Ecological Restoration Symposium. Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wind erosion and resultant sand and dust storms (SDS) present increasing global challenges, driven by unsustainable land use practices, climate change, and extreme wind events. These processes degrade air quality, reduce soil fertility, and threaten human health, agriculture, and infrastructure. While numerous international resources, including the UNCCD’s Sand and Dust Storm Toolbox, provide strategies to mitigate wind erosion, a comprehensive, spatially explicit framework for implementing solutions at local and global scales remains absent. We propose a land potential-based framework to guide wind erosion mitigation, integrating ecological site classifications, state-and-transition models, and remote sensing technologies. This approach assesses land resistance and resilience, providing a systematic method to identify vulnerable landscapes and tailor mitigation strategies accordingly. To illustrate the framework’s applicability, we present a case study from the Chihuahuan Desert, USA, comparing sandy and gravelly ecological sites with distinct erosion dynamics. Using vegetation cover, canopy gap data, and sediment transport estimates, we demonstrate how land classification informs sustainable land management decisions, helping prevent degradation and enhance ecosystem resilience. By linking land-based information systems with targeted wind erosion mitigation strategies, this framework offers a scalable solution for global SDS management. It supports data-driven decision-making, aligning with international efforts to combat desertification and land degradation while enhancing ecosystem services and human well-being.