Getting farming rightreflections on ecological sustainability

(nitrogen in the landscape)

November 12, 2016

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Joshua Ginsberg, President

Why do we care about Nitrogen?

“In most estuaries, over-enrichment of N leads to eutrophication, presently the greatest pollution problem in coastal marine waters of the United States “

• Increased acidity of soils, water

• Human health (ozone, particulates)

• Forest health (ozone, acidity)

• Ground (drinking) water contamination

(Driscoll et al. 2001)

1. Lightning Strikes

2. Fixation by microorganisms

3. Atmospheric

deposition

4. Uptake

5. Watershed runoff

6. Denitrification by

bacteria.

Nitrogen Fluxes:

Nitrogen Sources:

(Driscoll et al. 2001)

1. Imported food/feed

2. Vehicle emissions

3. Power plantemissions

4. Fertilizer imports

5. Fixation in croplands

6. AgriculturalEmissions

7. Atmospheric deposition

8. Sewage

9. Agricultural Runoff

10. Urban runoff

11. Riverine discharge

Nitrogen Fluxes:

Nitrogen Sources:

Eutrophication in US Estuaries

(Bricker et al. 1999)

2/3 of Estuaries impaired • 40% high • 25% moderate • 35% low

Animal waste (manure) and human waste (sewage) are not considered as new inputs, as they represent recycling within a region

Nitrogen in, nitrogen outinto coastal waters where the problems amplify

Boyer et al. 2002 Biogeochemistry

Boyer et al. 2002 Biogeochemistry

Food for people, feed for animals can exceed direct fertilizer use as source of N2

Juvenile mussels were rare or absent when ammonia was high

Strayer & Malcom, Ecol. Appl., 2012

Ammonia predicted mussel recruitment

What can be done about Nitrogen?

Engineering nutrient “sinks” Riparian zones

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Engineering nutrient “sinks” Artificial drainage

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs

Engineering nutrient “sinks” Wetlands

Mitsch WJ, Gosselink JG.. 2000. Wetlands, 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons

How do we pay for this?

• Long term investment in our land

• 2012 Farm Bill (to be reauthorized in 2019)

– Food stamps ($750 billion)

– Crop subsidies/crop insurance ($140 billion)

– Environmental programs ($55 billion)

Environmental Programs … detail• Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA)

• Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI)

• Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)

• Conservation of Private Grazing Land Program

• Conservation Reserve Program (Farm Service Agency)

• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

• Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)

• Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

• Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

• Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

• Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP)

• Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program

• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

• Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)

Can organic agriculture feed the world? Catherine Badgley and Ivette Perfecto

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 22: 80–85

• Maybe

• Organic methods provide enough calories to support thewhole human population eating as it does today

• Nitrogen-fixing legumes (green manures) can replacesynthetic nitrogen fertilizer currently in use

• Gap is small, a developed world problem (poor farmers use fewer fertilizers)

Questions?

With thanks to:

– Peter Groffman

– Dave Strayer

– Stuart Findlay

– Lori Quillen