USA - Conversion of grassland to crops relatively small
A study commissioned by a farm group says conversion of grassland to crops such as corn is “relatively small” in states such as South Dakota, not the alarming trend that some scientists and environmental groups see.That was one of the topics when the South Dakota Farm Bureau held its 96th annual meeting at the Ramkota Convention Center in Pierre on Nov. 22-23.Among the speakers was David Miller, the research and commodity services director for the Iowa Farm Bureau. Miller presented results from a recent report that challenge the assertion that South Dakota has experienced alarming levels of grassland conversion in recent years.The Farm Bureau’s findings confirm the results of previous studies including one by professors at South Dakota State University, which showed grassland conversion has increased since 2006. But the Farm Bureau report suggests the increase is relatively small, Miller said.The study comes from Iowa-based research company Decision Innovation Solutions. It focused on converted grassland from 2007 and 2012 across the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Of the approximately 8.5 million acres, 3 percent of the area studied experienced conversion.In South Dakota, 2.1 million acres or 4 percent of the total area in the state shifted from grassy habitat to non-grassy habitat during the period studied.Four counties including Tripp and McPherson have experienced what Miller referred to as high movement, with more than 75,000 acres being converted. The report further indicated 11 counties have seen 50,000 to 75,000 acres converted, 23 counties have seen 25,000 to 50,000 acres converted, and 27 counties have seen fewer than 25,000. Lincoln was the only county that experienced a net gain in grassland acreage.Focusing specifically on South Dakota grassland, Miller said, less than 1 percent of the state’s 28 million acres were converted each year from native prairie to cropland during the period studied. The majority of grassland converted to cropland was towards corn with 682,000 acres. 451,000 acres were converted to small grains and 414,000 to soybeans, according to the report.Although Miller acknowledged that South Dakota is losing approximately 200,000 acres of grassland a year, he contends it is quite negligible when considering the 48 million acres of land in the entire state. “For a land conversion that is under 1 percent, I don’t know if I would use the word ‘rampant,’” he said.But those who are monitoring grassland conversion for environmental groups disagree about the impact. The yearly loss is alarming, according to Craig Cox, Environmental Working Group senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “It depends on your perspective,” he said. “The grasslands and wetlands that are being lost in South Dakota are some of the most important in North America.”Cox pointed toward the decreased pheasant population this year as reason for concern. “It shows a substantial loss of habitat in South Dakota,” he concluded. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks reported statewide averages of 1.52 pheasants per mile in its 2013 pheasant brood survey, while in 2012 there were 4.19. Game officials say habitat loss is a factor that but they also cite effects of the 2012 drought and a wet, cold spring in 2013 as reasons for the decline in pheasant numbers.Miller believes the decrease in pheasants is more likely due to an environmental shift. “A less than 1 percent shift in grassland caused this?” he asked. “I don’t think so.” In any one-year change, weather such as flooding or blizzards was more likely to impact this year’s decrease in pheasant population, Miller suggested.He added that the conversion of more than 324,000 acres in South Dakota into wooded habitat further indicates that not all grassland conversion goes towards production. “If the concern is wildlife habitat, then this is clearly not a negative,” said Miller.A study performed by SDSU assistant research professor Christopher Wright suggested the conversion of land from livestock production to corn and soybean cultivation has reached a “tipping point” due to such factors as increased commodity prices, subsidized crop insurance and technological advancements.The Farm Bureau report noted that although increased crop prices certainly were a factor in grassland conversion, there were a number of other factors including the environment.The fact that the western part of South Dakota has seen the most movement in grassland conversion correlates to recent environmental changes, according to Miller. “As it gets wetter and warmer you will get more cropping,” he concluded.But beyond the various factors behind grassland conversion, Miller explained the Farm Bureau report sought to address reporting flaws in previous studies. Previous reports relied exclusively on data from the Cropland Data Layer prepared by the National Agricultural Statistics Service or NASS.But one problem with CDL data, Miller argued, was that prior to 2010, different satellites were used than those today. The old satellites misidentified certain classifications of grasslands, which led to the results being skewed, he said. To ensure their study had a relatively small error rate, the Farm Bureau report included farm and rancher land surveys.Despite the differences in methodology, the Farm Bureau report suggests that grassland conversion is finally being accepted as an important issue, according to Wright.Although it remains to be seen what happens in the future for agricultural and conservation groups regarding grassland conversion, Wright remains hopeful. “I’m optimistic that we can find a balance between all the different interests.”Source - http://www.capjournal.com/
