A spatially explicit approach for identifying, prioritizing, and estimating costs associated with potential...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Ecosystem Services
• Conservation Planning

Background:

• Land-use change in the US Corn Belt has degraded ecosystem services.
• Restoring floodplains offers significant conservation opportunities.
• Prioritizing conservation efforts for maximum environmental and financial benefit is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize potential floodplain easement opportunities in Iowa.
• To evaluate the costs associated with restoring these high-priority areas.
• To develop an accessible approach for conservation planners.

Main Methods:

• Utilized geospatial data (flood return intervals, field boundaries, land use).
• Identified 141,314 potential easement opportunities, prioritizing 2707 high-priority sites.
• Estimated costs using soil, crop productivity, land value, and vegetation data.

Main Results:

• Identified 2707 high-priority floodplain easement locations totaling 56,300 ha.
• Estimated annual costs for restoring high-priority easements at $84.8 million USD.
• Developed a replicable methodology for conservation planning.

Conclusions:

• Floodplain easements present a viable strategy for restoring ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes.
• The developed prioritization and costing approach can guide conservation investments.
• This methodology can be applied in Iowa and other agriculturally dominated regions.