Evaluating Ecosystem Services for the Expansion of Irrigation on Agricultural Land

Maurice G. Estes, James Cruise, Walter Lee Ellenburg, Rachel Suhs, Alexandria Cox, Max Runge and Adam Newby
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Maurice G. Estes: Earth and Atmospheric Science Department, Earth System Science Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
James Cruise: Earth and Atmospheric Science Department, Earth System Science Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Walter Lee Ellenburg: Earth and Atmospheric Science Department, Earth System Science Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Rachel Suhs: Earth and Atmospheric Science Department, Earth System Science Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Alexandria Cox: Earth and Atmospheric Science Department, Earth System Science Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Max Runge: Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, 304 Comer Hall Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Adam Newby: Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, 304 Comer Hall Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Managing water resources requires consideration of both environmental and socio-economic benefits to effectively balance the benefits and costs. This includes identifying ecosystem services (ES) of concern and how to evaluate the project or proposed changes effect on these ES. The purpose of this effort is to describe methods to evaluate ecosystem services to provide expanded irrigation to existing agricultural lands in Alabama and the potential application to other areas. A case study has been undertaken on the Middle Alabama watershed in central Alabama and methods have been developed and applied to evaluate ES in terms of how irrigated versus rainfed fields will affect sediment retention, fertilizer usage and the effect of the subsequent discharges of sediment and nitrogen from fertilizer on water quality. The results of case studies in the Middle Alabama watershed indicate positive ES benefits from sustainable agricultural practices and the irrigation of agricultural lands versus rainfed fields. We anticipate these methods will be applicable to other watersheds outside the southeast region too.

Keywords: ecosystem services; USLE; MUSLE; watershed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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