Biomass and the Environment: Soil and Water Impacts David Mulla* Professor & Larson Chair for Soil & Water Resources Dept. Soil, Water & Climate University of Minnesota *Coauthors for this talk include: David Pitt, Dept. Landscape Architecture, Carissa Shively-Slotterback, Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Nicholas Jordan, Dept. Agronomy & Plant Genetics (all University of Minnesota)
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Biomass and the Environment: Soil and Water Impacts
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Biomass and the Environment: Soil and Water Impacts
David Mulla*Professor & Larson Chair for Soil &
Water ResourcesDept. Soil, Water & Climate
University of Minnesota*Coauthors for this talk include: David Pitt, Dept. Landscape Architecture, Carissa Shively-Slotterback, Humphrey School
of Public Affairs and Nicholas Jordan, Dept. Agronomy & Plant Genetics (all University of Minnesota)
Study Area
Current Land Use
Alternative Management Practices•Conservation Tillage:
• Chisel and disk tillage practices are replaced with a conservation tillage practice that leaves 30% residue at time of planting. Field cultivators are still used before planting.
•Cropland Conversion to Prairie Grass: • Biomass is harvested. Previous tile drainage systems remain intact.
•Cropland Conversion to Switchgrass: • Biomass is harvested. Previous tile drainage systems remain intact.• Switchgrass plantings in buffer strips is an option.
Methods Use SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) to
analyze how changes in land management in Seven Mile Creek affect ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation
Compare the impact on ecosystem services & biodiversity from: – Current land use– Alternative land management and land use change
scenarios Results for each HRU are transferred to an
Excel spreadsheet and linked to an ArcGIS platform for real-time evaluation of GeoDesign scenarios by stakeholders
Linking Spatial Modeling & GeoDesign
GeoDesign Hardware System
GeoDesign System Architecture
Seven Mile CreekSediment Losses (t/yr)
Stakeholder Driven Designs
Touch Screen Functions
Stakeholder Rules of Thumb Increase landscape diversity Produce food/biofuel without harming
water quality or habitat Improve soil quality Consider feedstock transport distances Buffer waterways Improve wildlife habitat Match crop suitability to soil productivity