Strategy 1
Improve wind erosion prediction technology for cropland and extend it to range and disturbed land
Wind erosion prediction technology is applied to many problems: assessment of erosion control systems; determining national trends in erosion from various land uses; and simulating erosion for off-site environmental impact studies. New, physically based, wind erosion prediction technology will improve erosion predictions and the design of erosion control systems
Goals:
-Develop a process-based Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) that includes capability to simulate weather, the field soil and crop conditions, and wind erosion on a daily basis.
-Develop databases needed to support WEPS on a national basis
-Develop capabilities of WEPS to predict suspended dust, including fine particulates (PM-10) and plant damage
- Develop additional submodels that extend WEPS to range and distributed lands
Strategy 2
Increase our understanding of wind erosion processes to provide a scientific basis for development of prediction technology and of control measures
The processes that control wind erosion involve a multitude of interactions between climate, soil, plants, and management. A better understanding of the processes involved will provide scientific methods to improve the prediction and control of wind erosion. The application of these technologies will improve and maintain the quality of the world"s soil, air, and water resources; reduce damage to plants and machinery; improve the health of animals and humans; and reduce costs to society.
Goal:
- Conduct basic research on wind erosion processes to improve prediction technology
Strategy 3
Determine the on-site and off-site consequences of wind erosion
Conservation planning, economics, policies, and decisions often are based on the perceived consequences of wind erosion. However, information is inadequate about the on-site and off-site consequences of wind erosion. The state of knowledge is better for the on-site than for off-site consequences. However, the process-based Wind Erosion Prediction System will provide users with simulation capabilities that were not available in previous wind erosion prediction tools. Hence, it will improve our evaluation of both off-site and on-site problems
Goals:
-Determine effects of wind erosion on soil quality and productivity to enable simulation and evaluation of economic costs.
Quantify the effects of plant abrasion, burial, and blowouts by wind erosion-
Develop criteria for evaluating acceptable levels of wind erosion-
-Quantify the impacts of off-site consequences of air-borne sediments and attached chemicals on visibility, air quality, human health, water quality, economic costs (cleanup & machinery), habitat quality, and atmospheric albedo
Strategy 4
Develop economically and environmentally viable practices, guidelines, and systems that customers can apply to control wind erosion
For owners and managers to reduce susceptibility of their land to wind erosion and mitigate its effects when it does occur, they must be able to successfully implement current and future control practices that are economically and environmentally viable. New knowledge obtained from basic wind erosion-related research is utilized to produce innovative and improved practices, guidelines, and systems for application by end users. For users to employ these strategies, the information must be disseminated in a manner they comprehend. This requires information on potential economic and environmental impacts
Goals:
-Experimentally evaluate various soil- and climate-specific tillage and residue management practices for reducing wind erosion
-Enable customers to use WEPS directly in a decision aid mode to evaluate various combinations of control practices and determine the most cost-efficient practices for achieving the desired level of control
Strategy 5
Provide customer satisfaction through effective technology transfer
The Wind Erosion Research Unit conducts research of importance to society. The technology resulting from this research aids customers in understanding, predicting, and controlling wind erosion. To enjoy this benefit, technology must be transferred effectively to the customer
Goals:
Develop an international network for cooperation and information exchange-
-Provide user friendly training manuals for the use and interpretation of control strategies and WEPS technology.
Develop an educational version of WEPS and appropriate educational materials-
-Participate in joint field demonstration/research projects with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and extension agencies showing the benefits of wind strips, surface roughness, and standing and flat residues on reducing wind erosion.
-Sponsor an international symposium in 1997 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wind Erosion Research Unit
-Assist the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in implementing WEPS into the Field Office Computing System (FOCS
