Integrating erosion models into land health assessments to better understand landscape condition

Authors: WHEELER, BRANDI - New Mexico State University; Webb, Nicholas - Nick; Williams, Christopher - Jason; FAIST, AKASHA - University Of Montana; EDWARDS, BRANDON - New Mexico State University; Herrick, Jeffrey - Jeff; LEPAK, NIKA - Bureau Of Land Management; KACHERGIS, EMILY - Bureau Of Land Management; McCord, Sarah; Newingham, Beth; PIETRASIAK, NICOLE - University Of Nevada; Toledo, David

Submitted to: Rangeland Ecology and Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/13/2024
Publication Date: 8/20/2024
Citation: Wheeler, B., Webb, N.P., Williams, C.J., Faist, A., Edwards, B., Herrick, J.E., Lepak, N., Kachergis, E., McCord, S.E., Newingham, B.A., Pietrasiak, N., Toledo, D.N. 2024. Integrating erosion models into land health assessments to better understand landscape condition. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 96:32-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.05.003.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.05.003

Interpretive Summary: Land health assessments inform the need for preventing or limiting wind and water erosion, which can severly impact agroecosystems. Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH) is a commonly used land health assessment in drylands in the United States that can be supported by erosion models. Erosion models help users understand the impacts of differences in soil and vegetation on wind and water erosion risk by using erosion estimates produced by erosion models such as the Aeolian EROsion (AERO) model or Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM). Here, we describe the key concepts for using AERO and RHEM with IIRH assessments. We show that using AERO and RHEM with IIRH can: A) improve understanding about potential erosion rates across ecologically similar sites and for different types of storm events; B) increase land health assessment consistency by providing reproducible erosion indicators; C) provide another line of evidence to support assessment conclusions about land health; and D) support identifying areas at risk of erosion where recent weather has not yet contributed to significant erosion evidence. If land managers use erosion models with IIRH in land health assessments, they can potentially better protect and restore dryland ecosystems by improving wind and water erosion management in these ecosystems.

Technical Abstract: Wind and water erosion can severely impact natural resources and ecosystem services, making soil erosion management essential to sustaining agroecosystems. Land health assessment protocols, such as Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH), provide valuable information to make decisions on managing soil erosion in vulnerable drylands. Using quantitative erosion models with land health assessments can further inform management decisions. For example, sediment transport estimates from the Aeolian EROsion (AERO) model and Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) can help in understanding the impacts of differences in soil and vegetation on wind and water erosion risk. In this article, we provide a conceptual basis for using AERO and RHEM to support IIRH assessments that are used extensively by managers across United States rangelands. We describe how using erosion models with IIRH can (1) improve understanding about potential erosion rates for different types of storm events; (2) support identifying areas at risk of erosion where erosion evidence is not (yet) significant; (3) increase land health assessment consistency by providing reproducible erosion indicators; (4) provide another line of evidence to support assessment conclusions about land health; and (5) improve understanding about potential erosion rates across ecologically similar sites and over time. Effectively using erosion models to support land health assessments will improve wind and water erosion management in drylands, thus helping to protect and restore these ecosystems.