In the webinar, “Directly Linking Soil Management and the Eutrophication of Iowa Streams,” McDaniel will draw on research outcomes to highlight the complex interaction of stream morphological characteristics, history of nutrient inputs, and tile water quality to assess stream eutrophication (overabundance of nutrients.) McDaniel will also share the water collection and analysis process and discuss factors such as historical nutrient conditions and background that can influence the impacts on a given waterway.
Continue readingSoil Erosion: Who Controls Its Future?
With rising commodity prices and increasing recognition of land as a stable investment, agricultural land values have experienced unprecedented increases as evidenced by Iowa recently documenting a $20,000 per acre agricultural land sale. Rising land values and high commodity prices have many implications ranging from limiting opportunities for beginning farmers to devaluing the implementation of conservation practices; potential income losses associated with either real or perceived reduced commodity production drive the conservation practice devaluation. In selected situations, conversations suggest practices are removed simply for operator convenience. From a myopic economic perspective conservation is a cost to the producer or land owner and not an investment in the property.
Continue readingAsk a Scientist – Mapping Data and Soil Erosion
We ask Brian Gelder, Scientist II and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Iowa State University, the question: How do you use map data to estimate soil erosion?
Continue reading