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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #357112
Title: Forages and the environment

Author
item SANDERSON, MATT - Retired ARS Employee
item Liebig, Mark

Submitted to: Book Chapter in Text Forages
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2019
Publication Date: 6/15/2020
Citation: Sanderson, M., Liebig, M.A. 2020. Forages and the environment. In Moore, K.J., Collins, M., Nelson, J, Redfearn, D.D., editors. Forages, Volumne 2: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th ed. John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex, UK. p. 249-259.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Forage and grassland systems provide many ecosystem services including improved soil quality, protection of surface and subsurface water supplies, sinks for greenhouse gases, habitat for wildlife and pollinators, and aesthetic and recreational benefits for the land manager and the public. However, tradeoffs between achieving economic and environmental sustainability with forage use must be considered. Intensifying agricultural production often results in reduced environmental sustainability, although synergies between production and environmental goals are possible with strategic management. Additionally, negative tradeoffs may be mitigated through public assistance programs to offset economic costs. In the long-term, enhancing and sustaining multiple ecosystem services requires efficient use and conservation of the natural resources that support productive forage and grasslands.