Cropland expansion and grassland loss in the eastern Dakotas: New insights from a farm-level survey

Wimberly, Michael C.; Janssen, Larry; Hennessy, David A.; Luri, Moses; Chowdhury, Niaz Murshed; Feng, Hongli

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.01.026

Cited by 88 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mixed-prairie grasslands provide valuable ecosystem services, for example, wildlife habitat, pollination, carbon sequestration, and less soil erosion (Gelfand et al, 2011;Otto, Roth, Carlson, & Smart, 2016). Increasingly, however, combined maize/soy acreage has displaced the area's grasses and small grains (Lark, Salmon, & Gibbs, 2015;Wimberly et al, 2017;Wright & Wimberly, 2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of climate change impacts on crop comparative advantage and land use

Arora

Feng

Anderson³

et al. 2020

Agricultural Economics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Relative agricultural productivity shocks emerging from climate change will alter regional cropland use. Land allocations are sensitive to crop profits that in turn depend on yield effects induced by changes in climate and technology. We develop and apply an integrated framework to assess the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and land use for the U.S. Northern Great Plains. Crop‐specific yield–weather models reveal crop comparative advantage due to differential yield impacts of weather across the region's major crops, that is, alfalfa, wheat, soybeans, and maize. We define crop profits as a function of the weather‐driven yields, which are then used to model land use allocation decisions. This ultimately allows us to simulate the impact of climate change under the RCP4.5 emissions scenario on land allocated to the region's major crops as well as to grass/pasture. Upon removing the trends effects in yields, climate change is projected to lower yields by 33–64% over 2031–2055 relative to 1981–2005, with soybean being the least and alfalfa the most affected crops. Yield projections applied to the land use model at present‐day input costs and output prices reveals that Dakotas’ grass acreage will increase by up to 23%, displacing croplands. Wheat acreage is expected to increase by up to 54% in select southeastern counties of North Dakota and South Dakota, where maize/soy acreage had increased by up to 58% during 1995–2016.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of climate change impacts on crop comparative advantage and land use

Arora

Feng

Anderson³

et al. 2020

Agricultural Economics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Returning these lands to productivity (i.e., soil reclamation) is crucial for long‐term food security, especially as other important agricultural land in the state is declining in productivity due to salinity and sodicity issues (Seelig, ). Further, reclaiming contaminated croplands may also reduce the trend toward grassland and wetland conversion to provide more acreage for row‐crop production (Wimberly et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop production on heavily disturbed soils following crude oil remediation

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cropland contaminated by crude oil typically requires remediation before it can meet pre‐contaminated productivity potentials. Remediation strategies focus on removing the contaminant, but they also often alter soil properties, which affects the capacity of the land to sustain agricultural production. This research describes crop production following the remediation of crude oil contaminated soil in North Dakota, USA using two different strategies, a modified land‐farming technique and ex situ thermal desorption. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.) were grown in soils treated by both of those techniques, as well as mixtures of each treated soil with native topsoil. Across three growing seasons of comparisons to native topsoil, crop production was 61 ± 20% lower in the modified land‐farm soils and 52 ± 25% lower in thermal desorption‐treated soils; these yield declines were likely associated with reduced soil organic carbon levels. Notably, the soil mixtures had higher soil organic carbon levels and matched the native topsoil in both yield and protein content, suggesting that soil mixing may be a promising tool in cropland soil reclamation. Overall, these findings reinforce that crop production on reclaimed land is linked with soil properties, so long‐term reclamation success requires a holistic approach to soil management.

show abstract

“…While most researchers agree that these changes are occurring, the source of land is disputed. For example, some report corn and soybean area has increased primarily through conversion of marginal grasslands (Lark et al., ; Wright & Wimberly, ), while others maintain that the increase occurred mainly due to the return of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land into crop production (Johnston, ; Wimberly et al., ). While the sources of conversion and rates of change are disputed, these discrepancies are often the result of reporting over different study periods (Arora & Wolter, ).…”

Section: How Are Cropping Patterns Changing?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As farm size increases and landowners age, single landowners (or families) often cannot manage the entire farm, which is a contributing factor to a nationwide report that found 54% of cropland was operated by renters in 2014 (Bigelow, Borchers, & Hubbs, ). These renters do not have a family tie or connection to the land that the owners do and, in many cases, are less interested in long‐term benefits of multifunctional land management and more influenced by market prices in cropping decisions (Ranjan, Church, Floress, & Prokopy, ; Wang et al., ; Wimberly et al., ). Additionally, the larger farms, whether managed by renters or owners, are typically more influenced by federal policy and are more likely to convert land based on legislation (Wimberly et al., ).…”

Section: Why Are Cropping Patterns Changing?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, researchers have noted upward trends in overall cropland area (i.e., agricultural expansion) in these states (Auch, Xian, Laingen, Sayler, & Reker, ; Wimberly et al., ), which has been mirrored by declines in natural grasslands (Lark et al., ; Otto, Roth, Carlson, & Smart, ). In conjunction with expansion of total area, crop rotations are becoming less diverse (i.e., rotation simplification), increasingly dominated by corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cropping pattern changes diminish agroecosystem services in North and South Dakota, USA

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the past several decades, North and South Dakota have experienced increased agricultural expansion and crop rotation simplification, namely an increase in corn (Zea mays L.)– soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] systems. This review investigates the nature and extent of those changes, the underlying causes, and the consequences they have on ecosystem services. The framework of ecosystem services is underutilized in agricultural research, but it can be used to describe the sustainability, resistance, and resilience of the system in relation to these land use changes. The current trends are focused on maximizing provisioning services (i.e., food and fuel) at the expense of regulating, cultural, and supporting services. The decline of regulating services can be seen in increased peak river flow (up to 100% and 200% increases in South and North Dakota, respectively), as well as by the 100% increase in area treated by chemicals, partially due to diminished bioregulation of pests and weeds. The effects on supporting services are demonstrated by altered C balances and water cycling, while the loss of cultural connection to the land is evidenced by a 40% decrease in land conservation since 1997. Overall, these changes are making the land in North and South Dakota more susceptible to stressors, such as drought, crop pests, or even economic trends that could greatly harm these agroecosystems and have nationwide ramifications. To address these changes, producers need to provide a balance of agroecosystem services by optimizing currently available management strategies and possibly transforming agricultural practices for long‐term system stability.

show abstract

Cropland expansion and grassland loss in the eastern Dakotas: New insights from a farm-level survey

Cited by 88 publications

References 42 publications

Evidence of climate change impacts on crop comparative advantage and land use

Evidence of climate change impacts on crop comparative advantage and land use

Crop production on heavily disturbed soils following crude oil remediation

Cropping pattern changes diminish agroecosystem services in North and South Dakota, USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About