New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences is an engine for economic and community developmentin New Mexico, improving the lives of New Mexicans through academic, research, and Extension programs.
Amy C. Ganguli([email protected])
Roadmap & Disclaimer
Goal: Introduce a new USDA project addressing water and other agricultural production issues
• Terminology review
• Rationale
• Project components
Disclaimer
Agroecosystem Concept
(Courtney White, 2010)
Resistance
Photo Credit: Johnny Milano
Resilience
Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel
Photo credit: Henry Phillips
Resistance & Resilience
Ecological Thresholds
Image credit: www.sfnps.org
Useful concept for designing adaptive strategies!
Agroecosystem Resilience
“… the capacity of a system to adapt reorganize and maintain key functions in the case of turbulent and unpredictable change in its environment”
-Casey Hoy
New Day New Story?
Issues: Drought and Climate Variability
• Groundwater in this region is highly variable
• Tritium isotope measurements indicate groundwater recharge is rare and occurring primarily along shallow watercourses
• Some towns (e.g., Clovis, NM) are facing harsh realities
Issues: Dwindling Groundwater
• Some producers have experienced several wells and/or springs dry up
• Wells can fluctuate up to 30-40ft over 6 months due to high volume pumping
• Some Producers have been forced to haul water, invest in new wells, switch practices, etc.
Issues: Dwindling Groundwater
Issues: Changing Land Use and Land Cover
(Vadjunec et al. 2018)NM TX
Putting Things into Perspective
Bottom up Approaches to
Sustainable Agriculture
Producer/Scientist Partnerships
The ARID Project
Participatory approaches
to Agroecosystem Resilience
In times of Drought
The ARID Project
Fact: short and long-term
management strategies that are
proactive rather than reactive are
essential for maintaining ecological,
social, and economic resilience.
The ARID Project
Premise: sustainable management
solutions are more effectively
developed and more likely adopted
using participatory approaches
including citizen science.
The ARID Project
• Integrated research and extension objectives
• Builds on previous work
• 5 Year project
ARID Multidisciplinary Team
The ARID Project
Research Areas
• Water (groundwater and precipitation monitoring)
• Social Science & Policy
• Land Use and Land Cover Change
• Sustainable Agronomic Practices
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
The ARID Project
Research Locations• 45 households in
- Union County, NM
- Cimarron, OK
- Las Animas, CO
• Sustainable ag. practices (Clovis, NM)
• Potential expansion
Citizen Science & Participatory Project Benefits
• Fosters stakeholder and community engagement
• Research contributions and discovery of new information
• For change to take root it needs to happen from the top down
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
Groundwater Measurements
• Static water levels (2x/year)
• Tritium isotopes, general chemistry, and trace metals (yrs1 & yr3)
• Select wells monitored for daily water level and temperature fluctuations
• Aquifer mapping
Precipitation Monitoring
Isotope Analysis• Monthly (10 locations)• Visit poster #49 for more
information
Precipitation Quantity• CoCoRaHS citizen science
(daily measurements), includes hail and snow
Poster #49 Victoria Blumenberg
Land Use & Land Cover Assessment
sUAS• Quantify changes in
land use and land cover spanning periods of prolonged drought
• Document fine scale landscape dynamics to show how the landscape may be changing (e.g., woody plant encroachment)
Small Unmanned Aerial Systems
(AKA Drones)
Photo credit: Austin Boardman
Social Science & Policy Components
• Household decision making
• Livelihood impacts and adaptation to drought
• Gendered differences on drought perception and adaptation
• Impacts of policy and associated communication on decision making
• Farms in this region
have been transitioning
to dryland production
where they face
challenges due to water
limitations, soil erosion,
soil fertility depletion,
and low productivity
Crop diversification through cover cropping
Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Sustainable Agriculture
Does this improve soil health and increase resilience?
• Website: ARID.nmsu.edu
• Fact Sheets or Extension Publications
• Technical Publications and Reports
• Presentations
• Workshops
• Social Media
ARID Outreach Model
Twitter: @AgroEcoResil
Instagram: @agroecoresilience
ARID Social Media
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
Bottom up Approaches to
Sustainable Agriculture
Producer/Scientist Partnerships
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
New Mexico State Universityaces.nmsu.edu
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences is an engine for economic and community developmentin New Mexico, improving the lives of New Mexicans through academic, research, and Extension programs.
Questions?
