5.1: Conservation Plan
- Page ID
- 28891
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Objectives
After developing your conservation plan, you will have:
- Created a professional grade conservation plan for your field site
- Developed skills required for prescribing and evaluating management practices
- Improved communication skills through writing, speaking, and teamwork
Introduction
Conservation plans serve as blueprints of conservation practices on the landscape. A soil conservationist, working closely with the landowners, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders typically develop such plans.
Develop your conservation plan with a target audience of the landowner, land manager, or producer (herein referred to as the land manager), whoever you have been working with throughout this course. The conservation plan should be written and produced at such a quality that it could be immediately implemented as written by the land manager. It should be professionally done and easy for a lay-person to read. While your instructor will be the one reading and grading the report, you are encouraged to provide it to the land manager. Write it as though it was written for the land manager.
Management Plan Outline
Abstract
An abstract is a short summary of the entire document; it should be at most 250 words. Abstracts should include everything important in the document. The abstract should be a single paragraph and include the following items in the order listed: an introductory statement, objectives, site characterization, management plan recommendations, predicted changes to erosion rates, and conclusions.
Introduction
Provide a one or two paragraph introduction to your conservation plan. This section should describe what is included in the rest of the report and how that information was collected.
Site Characterization
This section will be used to describe in detail the site, its current conditions, and current management.
Location and Area
Use this section to describe the location of the field and list any landmarks, such as nearby roads or landmarks that a layperson could use to navigate to the site. A legal description of the plot of land would be appropriate as well. Also, list the total area, in acres.
Description of Current Management
This section will describe all details of the current management plan, including the practices that may impact erosion rates. Describe in detail the current crop rotation; tillage practices that are used; what, if any conservation practices are already in use, such as contour tillage, terraces, etc. Create a map of the site that identifies terraces, field boundaries, and nearby landmarks if they are close enough (like roads, for example). You are encouraged to develop professional quality maps using ArcGIS or similar programs.
Soil Map
Provide a written summary of the soil mapping units for the site, along with total area, and percent of total area associated with each mapping unit. Include the actual soil map report that was retrieved from the web soil survey in an appendix to the report.
Soil Erosion under Current Management
Estimate the total amount of water that currently occurs at the site. Water erosion from sheet (aka interrill) and rill erosion should be estimated using WEPP or USLE in a previous laboratory exercise. A summary of all parameters for any simulations should be listed and described in enough detail that someone else could use the same information and come to the same estimation of water erosion. Use a table for describing the factors used.
If there is a gully erosion at your study site the rate of water erosion from ephemeral and perennial gullies should be estimated using the following document:
USDA NRCS. 2002. Estimating Soil Loss From Gully Erosion. 8. https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/MO/gully-ephemeral_erosion.pdf
Soil Health Assessment
Summarize your Cropland In-field Soil Health Assessment findings in this section. Note any individual assessments that identify potential soil health resource concerns for the site. Include either the NRCS Cropland In-field Soil Health Assessment worksheet OR the LandPKS Soil Health Report in an appendix.
Management Plan
Describe the conservation practices you are recommending to the land manager in this section.
Map of Conservation Practices (Recommended)
You should include a map of the conservation practices that you recommend to the land manager. If you do not have prior experience with mapping software like ArcGIS or QGIS, then a rudimentary map will suffice. Note: nice looking maps can be drawn in PowerPoint using a satellite image of the site as a background with shapes and labels added on top
Crop Rotation & Cropping Systems
If your recommendation includes using the land for crop production, describe in detail the cropping system and rotations that you recommend for the field. The actual rotation may stay the same, but management changes may include such practices as contour tillage or no-till. Including a table like the management files used in the WEPP and WEPS models is recommended for demonstrating your rotation. Provide estimates of residue that would exist at the time of planting the following crop. Lastly, with the Web Soil Survey report included in an appendix, include yield estimates for your crops, forages, or range grasses as needed.
Pasture Management
If your recommendation includes using the land for pasture, describe in detail the pasture management practices that your group recommends implementing in the field. Include pasture production estimates provided by the Web Soil Survey with the soil survey report in an appendix. Also, including a table like the management file used in the WEPP model may prove to be useful to demonstrate your rotation.
Tillage
In this section, describe what tillage operations you plan to recommend, if any, and describe why those practices were chosen. Refer to the table of operations in the “Crop Rotation & Cropping Systems” and/or “Pasture Management” sections to identify data useful to your discussion.
Construction Site and Urban Soil Management
If your site is not an agricultural field, but is intended to be used as a building site or for urban development, describe the conservation practices you recommend during and after construction.
Conservation Structures
If you plan on installing terraces, grassed waterways, or other conservation structures then include both a description of what you plan to implement, and a description of where those practices will be installed. Also include a map of where those structures will be implemented in the field.
Management for Surrounding Lands
If you plan to adopt any conservation practices for the lands surrounding the field of interest, then include both a description of what you plan to implement, and a description of where those practices will be installed. Also note where those practices would be implemented on the map.
Soil Erosion under New Management Plan
Estimate any soil erosion that would occur under the new management plan if it is fully implemented. Provide the same level of detail for the USLE or WEPP model parameters as you did for the estimate of erosion under current management practices. If your site has gully erosion and your conservation plan adequately addresses that concern, then it will be assumed that gully erosion will be eliminated once your conservation practices are implemented. Thus, you do not need to include any estimations of gully erosion under the new management plan.
T Values
Determine the T values for the dominant soil mapping units at the site using the Web Soil Survey; also determine if current total erosion rates and soil erosion rates following your conservation plan exceed tolerable rates of soil loss. Note: It should be a goal to develop a conservation plan that at least meets T values.
Summary & Conclusions
Provide an overall summary for the management plan and the impact it will have on soil and water conservation at this site. The summary and conclusions should be at least three or more paragraphs long, and you may need more. The first paragraph of this section should summarize the methods used, the site characteristics, and what practices are currently in use. The second paragraph should outline your recommendations for conservation practices and changes to existing management practices. The third paragraph should focus on the expected outcomes of the conservation plan, such as the expected reduction in erosion, comparison of erosion rates to the T value, improvements to soil health, and other resource concerns that were addressed.
References
Cite your references using the style guide from the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Note: this is the same style used in this laboratory manual and Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography. It is recommended that you cite conservation practice standards, conservation practice standard overviews, and extension bulletins for each of the conservation practices you recommend implementing on this field. These references should be cited in the text where appropriate.
Appendices
Include any additional information that would be of use to the producer in this section. This section should include a soil map and other reports from the Web Soil Survey, the soil health report from LandPKS, reports from WEPP and WEPS simulations, and other information that will be useful to the land manager based upon your recommendations.