|
|
 |
Building Agricultural Land Management Scenarios with GIS
What benefits are apparent that would create the need for research to be carried out at the farm level? By mapping a farm's attributes at the field level and including knowledge regarding input costs, potential returns for different crops, and probabilities of climatic conditions, the researcher can build potential impact scenarios. By analyzing these results, options can be provided to the farmer, based on a predetermined acceptable level of risk. Agricultural crop modeling can be included to demonstrate potential effects from events such as a flood or frost.
From predicting the livestock carrying capacity of extensive rangelands to providing managers with soil erosion risk indicators, the spatial analysis capabilities found within a GIS can greatly assist research staff in answering the questions demanded of them. |
Land management practices in agricultural areas need to be seriously considered and researched before they are ever implemented. Maintaining the status quo can, in some situations, be as damaging to the farmland as ill-thought, out-of-state policy decisions. Either at the local farm level or at national scales, events outside of the control of the farmer can have substantial impact on a person's livelihood. Climatic change, increased population pressure, and legislation controlling certain farming activities and commodity prices are but a sample of events that need to be considered. So how does an agricultural researcher evaluate and measure the impact of these influences and subsequently develop new and successful farm management scenarios? One solution comes in the form of computer modeling and implementing a GIS to take into consideration the natural variations found in any piece of farmland.
If we consider the reasons that applied research is performed, for example the development of a successful land management decision support system, any results would primarily serve the user, whether a farmer or policy maker, to assess potential risks and opportunities.
On a smaller scale—a watershed or county district—indications of the relative importance of the variability of both biophysical and cultural landscape attributes could be included.