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Farm Service Agency
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

MAE Research Report

   

   



Benefit Category Partner Organization Description Principal Investigator Start Year End Year Geography Covered Links to Final Deliverables
Wildlife Habitat,Water Quality and Quantity, Soil Iowa State University Estimated bird habitat, water quality, soil health, and agricultural productivity impacts of prairie strips. LA Schulte-Moore 2021 2022 Midwest Link
Water Quality and Quantity Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition Evaluated the effectiveness of the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework at identifying suitable saturated buffer sites. K Kult 2020 2021 Midwest Link
Cover Quality Delta Wildlife Inc. Used remote sensing to inventory, analyze, and forecast forest structure and composition characteristics on CRP in the Mississippi Delta region. T Huggins 2020 2021 South Link
Cover Quality, Pollinators, Economic Studies USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Developed quality, cost-effective seed mixes for CRP and related programs based on past plant-pollinator and other monitoring data. D Mushet 2019 2021 National/Nonspecific Link Link
Wildlife Habitat, Grasslands Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Investigated community responses of grassland birds to habitat loss, evaluated impact of CRP on their species richness, and mapped their responses to the amount of CRP across the western Great Plains. DC Pavlacky 2018 2019 West LinkLink Link
Wildlife Habitat Iowa State University Examined the primary methods of detection probabilities in statistical models for wildlife surveys. A Martin-Schwarze 2017 2017 National/Nonspecific Link
Cover Quality, Pollinators University of Minnesota Evaluated effectiveness of commercially available seed mixtures for supporting pollinators. E Lonsdorf 2017 2019 West, Midwest, Northeast Link/a>
Behavioral Studies, Grasslands Virginia Tech Explored both the post-contract intentions of landowners with fields currently enrolled in CRP and the self-reported, post-contract decisions of landowners whose CRP contracts expired between 2011 and 2017. JC Barnes, M Sketch, AR Gramza, MG Sorice, R Iovanna, AA Dayer 2017 2020 West Link
Wildlife Habitat, Grasslands University of Georgia Studied contribution of CRP fields to Northern Bobwhite population recovery in the context of coordinated landscape-scale management. JM Yeiser 2017 2020 National/Nonspecific Link
Cover Quality, Ecosystem Services Tallgrass Prairie Center Examined the relationship between seed mix design, native seed supply, and delivery of ecosystem services under CRP. L Jackson 2017 2020 National/Nonspecific Link Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Used colony monitoring devices to evaluate the impacts of land use and nutritional value of forage on honey bee health. M Smart, C Otto, R Cornman, D Iwanowicz 2017 2018 West Link
Pollinators USDA, Farm Service Agency Considered multiple services generated by pollinator prairie habitat on CRP land, relative to a baseline of a generic perennial grass stand that lacks wildflowers. R Iovanna, A Ando, S Swinton, J Kagan, D Hellerstein, D Mushet, C Otto 2017 2017 National/Nonspecific Link
Behavioral Studies USGS Cooperative Research Units, Virginia Tech Explored reasons for landowner participation in CRP, persistence of CRP practices on former CRP lands, and possible engagement strategies to encourage continued stewardship of former CRP lands. AA Dayer 2016 2018 National/Nonspecific Link Link
Climate Resilience, Soil, Air Colorado State University Estimated greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon changes resulting from CRP adoption. A Swan 2016 2018 National/Nonspecific Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Projected future outlook of the Conservation Reserve Program for supporting honey bees in the Great Plains. CR Otto, H Zheng, AL Gallant, R Iovanna, BL Carlson, MD Smart, S Hyberg 2016 2018 West, Midwest Link
Climate Resilience, Wildlife Habitat, Pollinators, Cover Quality US Geological Survey Developed ecosystem service quantification tools used to evaluate effects of conservation programs on ecosystem function, including wildlife habitat, carbon storage, native plant species richness, pollination services, and soil health. DM Mushet 2016 2016 National/Nonspecific Link
Wildlife Habitat Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Summarized the results of the 2016 and 2017 field seasons including post-stratification analysis to estimate avian population density on CRP lands, agricultural lands and native grassland. D Pavlacky 2016 2018 West, South Link Link
Ecosystem Services USGS Fort Collins Science Center Employed on-site assessment of fields currently and previously enrolled in CRP to improve CRP benefit estimates. M Vandever 2016 2018 National/Nonspecific Link Link
Economic Studies USGS Fort Collins Science Center Evaluated the extent to which CRP has been successfully implemented on the ground and provided their intended benefits. MW Vandever 2016 2020 West Link
Behavioral Studies US Geological Survey Evaluated the extent to which expired CRP fields in different states and conservation practices retained their CRP covers after three years out of the program. MW Vandever, SK Carter, TJ Assal 2016 2020 West, Midwest, South Link
All US Geological Survey Quantified soil erosion characteristics and vegetation cover across 10 conservation practices MW Vandever, SK Carter, TJ Assal, K Elgersma, A Wen, J Welty, R Arkle, R Iovanna 2016 2020 West, Midwest, South Link
Grasslands, Wildlife Habitat US Fish and Wildlife Service, Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Developed species specific density and distribution model for grassland birds on CRP land and the effects of shrinking enrolled acreage. SP Fields 2016 2018 West Link
Pollinators Iowa State University Assessed native bee communities and predatory ground beetle assemblages in current CRP contour buffer and filter strips of various forb vegetation mixes using a variety of common sampling methods during the growing seasons in 2014 and 2015. AL Moorhouse 2015 2016 West Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Summarized plant–pollinator interaction data collected from 2012–2015 on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private lands enrolled in U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in eastern North Dakota CRV Otto, S O'Dell, RB Bryant, NH Euliss, RM Bush, MD Smart 2015 2017 West Link
Grasslands, Economic Studies University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Department of Crop Sciences Evaluated benefits and economic feasibility of perennial bioenergy feedstock production on CRP land compared with conversion to row crop production. EK Anderson 2015 2016 Midwest, South, West Link
Wildlife Habitat USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Measured effectiveness of USDA conservation efforts on lesser prairie chicken, greater sage grouse, and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse populations. G Gillette 2015 2019 West Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Cover Quality US Geological Survey Assessed neonicotinoid (insecticide) residues in groundwater, surface runoff water, soil, and native plants adjacent to corn and soybean crop fields with a history of being planted with neonicotinoid-treated seeds from 2008 to 2013. ML Hladik, S Bradbury, LA Schulte, M Helmers, C Witte, DW Kolpin, JD Garrett, M Harris 2015 2017 West Link
Pollinators, Economic Studies US Geological Survey Quantified the relationship between growing season land use and colony health and population size, and the resulting economics of the differential rental rates for pollination services, and the profitability of subsequent beekeeper management strategies and techniques. M Smart, C Otto, B Carlson, C Roth 2015 2018 West Link
Pollinators, Economic Studies University of Minnesota Made recommendations for policies that would assist the honey bee population in recovering and presented the economic benefits of the species. M Spivak, Z Browning, M Goblirsch, K Lee, C Otto, M Smart, J Wu-Smart 2015 2017 National/Nonspecific Link
Water Quality and Quantity USDA Agricultural Research Service Measured water quality impacts of riparian buffers installed by CRP and CREP in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. P Kleinman 2015 2019 Northeast, South Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Economic Studies Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition Measured nitrogen and phosphorus removal by agricultural tile drains, evaluated their cost-effectiveness, and developed outreach materials regarding their use. SW Baker 2015 2016 Midwest, West Link
Water Quality and Quantity Soil and Water Conservation Society Calculated the cost effectiveness of wetlands designed and sited for nitrate removal. S Hyberg, R Iovanna, W Crumpton, S Richmond 2015 2015 West, Midwest Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Quantified the combined effects of land cover and climate change on a species of conservation concern in the Great Plains, the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. BE Ross, DA Haukos, CA Hagen, JC Pitman 2014 2016 West Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Investigated changes in biofuel crop production and grassland land covers surrounding registered commercial apiaries in North and South Dakota from 2006 to 2014. CR Otto, CL Roth, BL Carlson, MD Smart 2014 2016 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Investigated reproductive success and habitat of nests and broods of the lesser prairie-chicken. Valuated the species' response to trees. JM Lautenbach 2014 2015 West Link
Wildlife Habitat, Pollinators USGS Fort Collins Science Center Examined the role of CRP in providing habitat for amphibians and pollinators. RA Reeves, CL Pierce, MW Vandever, E Muths, KL Smalling 2014 2016 National/Nonspecific Link
Wildlife Habitat US Fish and Wildlife Service, Habitat and Population Evaluation Used spatially explicit landscape-scale models of species-habitat relationships to estimate the benefits of CRP grasslands for waterfowl and grassland passerine birds. RG Drum, CR Loesch, KM Carrlson, KE Doherty, BC Fedy 2014 2015 West Link
Pollinators Pollinator Partnership Increased the understanding of the relationship between honey bees, native bees, and selected plants established under different Conservation Reserve Program covers. V Wojcik 2014 2018 West Link
Pollinators USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Identified specific plants that could be readily incorporated into CRP seed mixes to enhance pollinator health and productivity in North Dakota. C Otto, N Euliss 2013 2019 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Documented changes in the area extent and connectivity of grasslands in the identified Lesser Prairie-Chicken range in Kansas from the 1950s to 2013 using remotely sensed data. DA Spencer 2013 2014 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Evaluated female prairie-chicken survival, movement, space use, and effects of anthropogenic features during the breeding seasons of 2013 and 2014. RT Plumb 2013 2015 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Estimated the survival rate and home-range size of the Lesser Prairie Chicken during the nonbreeding season. SG Robinson, DA Haukos, RT Plumb, JM Lautenbach, DS Sullins, JD Kraft, JD Lautenbach, CA Hagen, JC Pitman 2013 2017 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Kansas State University Quantified the mortality rate of the Lesser Prairie Chicken due to fence collisions using GPS marked birds SG Robinson, DA Haukos, RT Plumb, CA Hagen, JC Pitman, JM Lautenbach, DS Sullins, JD Kraft, JD Lautenbach 2013 2016 West Link
Wildlife Habitat US Geological Survey Compiled annotated bibliography of documents relevant to CRP as it relates to wildlife habitat. AW Allen 2012 2012 National/Nonspecific Link
Grasslands Colorado State University, USGS Fort Collins Science Center Studied impact of grazing on secondary succession in the shortgrass steppe of Colorado. DG Milchunas 2012 2013 West Link Link
Behavioral Studies, Pollinators USGS Cooperative Research Units Quantified impacts of targeting CRP reenrollments on pollinator services in the Southern High Plains. D Leslie 2012 2015 South Link Link
Economic Studies Colorado State University Estimated the economic contribution, impacts, and benefits of deer, waterfowl and upland game bird hunting in North and South Dakota during 2014/2015 hunting season, and their dependence on CRP land. Calculated the effects of a 50% reduction in CRP lands. JL Loomis 2012 2015 West Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Economic Studies US Army Corp of Engineers Quantified the flood reduction benefits that CRP lands provide to downstream urban areas. J Smith, C Hawes, G Karlovits, R Eberts III 2012 2013 West Link
Economic Studies, Ecosystem Services US Army Corp of Engineers - Rock Island District Quantified the ecosystem service benefits of CRP lands and compared them to the cost of land rental payments. KA Johnson 2012 2016 Midwest Link
Water Quality and Quantity USGS Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Texas Tech University, Oklahoma State University Estimated the impact of CRP on local and regional groundwater levels in the Ogallala Aquifer. KR Mulligan 2012 2013 Midwest, South Link
Wildlife Habitat US Geological Survey Examined the presence of pesticides and nutrients in water and sediment as indicators of habitat quality and assessed the bioaccumulation of pesticides in the tissue of two native amphibian species at six wetlands (3 restored and 3 reference) in Iowa. KL Smalling, R Reeves, E Muths, M Vandever, WA Battaglin, ML Hladik, CL Pierce 2012 2015 West Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Wetlands, Economic Studies The Nature Conservancy Studied the technical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of CP39 wetlands at nutrient removal in the Mackinaw River of Illinois. M Lemke 2012 2016 Midwest Link
Pollinators, Cover Quality, Wildlife Habitat USGS Fort Collins Science Center Monitored and evaluated effects of CRP practices on native pollinators, native and non-native vegetation, and key wildlife habitat and plants. M Vandever 2012 2015 National/Nonspecific Link
Wildlife Habitat USDA, Farm Service Agency Conducted GIS analyses to identify species currently or potentially impacted by CRP practices based on proximity to cropland fields and reviewed a full list of the Conservation Practices to group together those with similar impacts on wildlife. N Benton, G Hammerson, J McNees, S Menard, R White 2012 2012 National/Nonspecific Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Wetlands, Pollinators, Ecosystem Services USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Developed a model to quantify effects of USDA and DOI wetland conservation activities, including pollinator and ecosystem services. N Euliss 2012 2016 National/Nonspecific Link
Ecosystem Services, Grasslands, Wetlands USFWS Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Identified critical conservation areas and quantified ecosystem services provided by Prairie Pothole Region grasslands and wetlands. R Johnson 2012 2015 Midwest Link
Water Quality and Quantity USGS Nebraska Water Science Center Studied impacts of CRP on groundwater recharge in the Ogallala Aquifer. V McGuire 2012 2013 Midwest, South Link
Pollinators Pollinator Partnership Estimated the effects of CRP on native and non-native pollinators and pollinator services. LD Adams 2011 2017 National/Nonspecific Link
Water Quality and Quantity Oklahoma State University Examined the presence of pesticides in sediments of wetlands split among the three dominant land use types, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), cropland, and native prairie, in North and South Dakota. ST McMurry, JB Belden, LM Smith, SA Morrison, DW Daniel, BR Euliss, NH Euliss, BA Tangen 2011 2016 West Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Compared pollen identification results derived from light microscopy and DNA sequencing techniques with samples collected from honey bee colonies embedded within a gradient of intensive agricultural landscapes in the Northern Great Plains throughout the 2010–2011 growing seasons. MD Smart, RS Cornman, DD Iwanowicz, M McDermott-Kubeczko, JS Pettis, MS Spivak, CRV Otto 2010 2017 West Link
Wildlife Habitat, Grassland Playa Lakes Joint Venture Estimated contributions of CRP habitat to meeting population goals for key grassland birds including the grasshopper sparrow, lesser prairie-chicken, and mountain plover. M McLachlan 2010 2010 South, West Link
Pollinators US Geological Survey Investigate a metagenetic classification of pollen forage collected by honey bees in agricultural and uncultivated grassland landscapes of North Dakota, a major summering ground for commercial hives RS Cornman, CRV Otto, D Iwanowicz, JS Pettis 2010 2015 West Link
Wildlife Habitat The Wildlife Society Collection of literature that addresses the benefits to fish and wildlife from conservation practices. Edited by JB Haufler 2007 2007 National/Nonspecific Link
Behavioral Studies, Wildlife Habitat, Economic Studies Southwick Associates Polled a random sample of 4,000 CRP enrollees to assess recreational use of their CRP lands and associated revenue generated from recreational use of these lands. TG Allen, DJ Witter 2007 2008 National/Nonspecific Link
Wetlands, Ecosystem Services Iowa State University, US Geological Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service Estimated environmental services provided by 27 CREP wetland sites in the Prairie Pothole Region of north-central Iowa. W Crumpton 2007 2009 Midwest Link
Wildlife Habitat Mississippi State University Developed a monitoring protocol to estimate priority songbird population response to implementation of CP33 at regional and state levels KO Evans, W Burger, MD Smith, S Riffell 2006 2009 National/Nonspecific Link
Wildlife Habitat US Fish and Wildlife Service, Habitat and Population Evaluation Assessed the response of grassland birds to the CRP in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota and South Dakota. ND Niemuth, FR Quamen, DE Naugle, RE Reynolds, ME Estey, TL Shaffer 2006 2007 West Link
Water Quality and Quantity, Wetlands, Economic Studies Iowa State University Estimated the nitrate load reduction benefits due to filtering by wetlands in subbasins of the Mississippi River. WG Crumpton 2006 2006 Midwest Link
Wildlife Habitat Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Examined use of CRP lands by grassland and shrubsteppe-obligate wildlife in the Columbia River Basin MA Schroeder, WM Haegen 2005 2006 West Link
Erosion, Water Quality and Quantity, Climate Resilience Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Studied soil, water, and air conservation impacts of CRP by estimating how field and buffer practices affect the amount of soil and nutrients leaving the field. Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute 2004 2007 National/Nonspecific Link
Wetlands, Water Quality and Quantity, Wildlife Habitat, Erosion, Cover Quality, Ecosystem Services US Geological Survey Evaluated catchments to estimate ecosystem services in restored wetlands relative to cropland and native prairie baselines. RA Gleason 2004 2008 Midwest, West Link
Behavioral Studies, Wildlife Habitat, Erosion, Water Quality and Quantity, Cover Quality US Geological Survey Held a CRP symposium including papers on topics such as impact on biodiversity, quantifying CRP benefits, impact on the prairie pothole region, economic impacts, haying/grazing, impact on birds, and more; as well as opinions on CRP from stakeholders such as the National Grain and Feed Association and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. GA Norton 2004 2005 National/Nonspecific Link
Behavioral Studies US Geological Survey Surveyed CRP participants on satisfaction with services provided by NRCS and FSA, impact of CRP on rural economies, environmental and wildlife concerns related to CRP, and other CRP concerns. MW Vandever 2004 2006 National/Nonspecific Link
Wildlife Habitat, Grasslands, Wetlands US Fish and Wildlife Service, Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Estimated annual waterfowl and grassland bird population increases from CRP enrollment 1992-2004. RE Reynolds 2004 2007 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Western EcoSystems Technology Evaluated benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to ring-necked pheasant populations. RM Nielson 2004 2006 West, Midwest Link
Wildlife Habitat US Fish and Wildlife Service, Habitat and Population Evaluation Analyzed breeding duck and wetland data for 1992–2004 relative to the Conservation Reserve Program in the Prairie Pothole Region to estimate the change in duck carrying capacity and productivity associated with the CRP and to identify areas where the application of CRP cover will provide the greatest benefits for duck production. RE Reynolds, CR Loesch, B Wrangler, TL Shaffer 2004 2007 West Link
Wildlife Habitat Mississippi State University Delivered two projects in one paper; a retrospective analysis of range-wide response of bobwhite and grassland birds to the conservation reserve program and development of spatial data for future monitoring of a select new CRP practice, CP33. SK Riffell, LW Burger 2004 2006 South, West Link
Behavioral Studies, Wildlife Habitat, Economic Studies US Geological Survey Described survey participant opinions about personal affects of the CRP, wildlife issues, and USDA administration of the program. AW Allen, MW Vandever 2001 2003 National/Nonspecific Link
Farm Service Agency
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE