TY - JOUR
T1 - Hydrological impacts of the conservation reserve program—a mini review
AU - Spor Leal, Layda Belia
AU - Roy, Tirthankar
AU - Uden, Daniel R.
AU - Schoengold, Karina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Spor Leal, Roy, Uden and Schoengold.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary land conservation initiative implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program aims to improve the natural environment and enhance wildlife by incentivizing landowners to convert sensitive agricultural land into vegetative cover. This mini review synthesizes known peer-reviewed research on the effects of CRP on hydrological processes, highlighting the effects on water quality, groundwater levels, surface water yields, surface water runoff, and effects on the hydrological cycle. These studies show that the CRP appears to have a positive impact on water quality, decreasing the levels of nitrogen and suspended solids. Furthermore, the CRP denotes positive results when used to manage excess runoff on surrounding land. Regarding groundwater volume, the impact of CRP varied by location and showed limited changes in volume. Despite these findings, this review highlights the need for further and continued research on the effects of CRP on hydrology to improve monitoring strategies and increase its benefits on the environment.
AB - The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary land conservation initiative implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program aims to improve the natural environment and enhance wildlife by incentivizing landowners to convert sensitive agricultural land into vegetative cover. This mini review synthesizes known peer-reviewed research on the effects of CRP on hydrological processes, highlighting the effects on water quality, groundwater levels, surface water yields, surface water runoff, and effects on the hydrological cycle. These studies show that the CRP appears to have a positive impact on water quality, decreasing the levels of nitrogen and suspended solids. Furthermore, the CRP denotes positive results when used to manage excess runoff on surrounding land. Regarding groundwater volume, the impact of CRP varied by location and showed limited changes in volume. Despite these findings, this review highlights the need for further and continued research on the effects of CRP on hydrology to improve monitoring strategies and increase its benefits on the environment.
KW - agricultural management
KW - conservation practices
KW - conservation reserve program
KW - hydrology
KW - water resources
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U2 - 10.3389/frwa.2024.1506255
DO - 10.3389/frwa.2024.1506255
M3 - Short survey
AN - SCOPUS:85212691809
SN - 2624-9375
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Water
JF - Frontiers in Water
M1 - 1506255
ER -