Final Report: Science to Assess Future Conservation Practices for the Mississippi River Basin
Dates
Publication Date
2018
Citation
Jack Waide, 2018, Incorporating Social Drivers to Optimize Conservation Practices that Address Gulf Hypoxia and Declining Wildlife Populations Impacted by Extreme Climate Events.
Summary
With leadership and coordination provided by the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs), which collectively span the geographic extent of the Mississippi River Basin (MRB), have identified high nutrient runoff (a major contributor to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia), and declines in wildlife populations (especially grassland and riparian bird species), as major conservation challenges requiring collaborative action. This project focused on development and application of spatial decision support systems (DSSs), coupled with surveys of agricultural producers, to assist the LCC community and partner resource management agencies across [...]
Summary
With leadership and coordination provided by the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs), which collectively span the geographic extent of the Mississippi River Basin (MRB), have identified high nutrient runoff (a major contributor to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia), and declines in wildlife populations (especially grassland and riparian bird species), as major conservation challenges requiring collaborative action. This project focused on development and application of spatial decision support systems (DSSs), coupled with surveys of agricultural producers, to assist the LCC community and partner resource management agencies across the MRB in addressing these issues. The DSSs were designed to identify watersheds within the MRB, where application of select conservation practices can reduce nutrient export to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone and enhance habitat and conservation for grassland and riparian bird species, based on understanding perspectives of agricultural producers who are willing and capable of effectively implementing these practices. The DSSs were intended to be used to identify appropriate conservation practices that could be implemented on the landscape, and to quantify resulting benefits for both reduced nutrient export and improved habitat for focal avian species. Informed by results and interpretations of surveys of agricultural producers in targeted watersheds, the application of the DSSs also benefitted from assessments of whether/how producer willingness to implement select conservation practices might be altered by perceptions of future climate change and extremes.
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Final Report.pdf
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Purpose
USFWS Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) throughout the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) have identified high nutrient runoff, a major contributor to Gulf hypoxia, and declines in wildlife populations (especially grassland and riparian birds), as conservation challenges requiring collaborative action. This project will develop a spatial decision support system (DSS) to address these issues. The DSS will be designed to identify MRB watersheds where application of conservation practices can (1) reduce nutrient export to the Gulf hypoxia zone and (2) enhance conservation for grassland and riparian birds, based on (3) identifying landowners willing and capable of implementing these practices. The DSS will identify appropriate conservation practices to be implemented, and quantify resulting benefits for both nutrient export and bird habitat. The DSS will also enable analyses of whether landowner willingness to implement desired practices is affected by perceptions of climate extremes. This project has support and includes contributions from LCCs and agencies throughout the MRB, including federal and state resource management agencies and universities. The project, a pilot for a larger future effort, seeks to move current conservation approaches to a more strategic level, by identifying where to locate projects in critical watersheds for the greatest overall conservation benefit.
Communities
National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
