A National Wind Erosion Monitoring Network to support an all-lands wind erosion model [1]

Public concern about wind erosion in the United States rangelands is increasing. This concern has arisen as a consequence of changing and intensifying land use pressures which can lead to increased soil loss and dust emissions. However, there is relatively little research to support improved management. While much attention has been given to measuring and modelling wind erosion in US cropping systems, there is a dearth of information on the magnitude and frequency of wind erosion in rangelands and other land cover types. Resolving this knowledge gap is important for addressing the multiple impacts of land use and land cover change, including those related to soil nutrient loss and productivity, snow hydrology, public health and climate. Field measurements of aeolian sediment transport rates supported by predictive models are needed to quantify wind erosion across all land cover types so that the impacts can be assessed and management solutions identified and tested. We present a new National Wind Erosion Monitoring Network to support field assessments of wind erosion in all land cover types and the development of an all-lands wind erosion model. We describe the establishment of the network field sites, supported by the US Department of Agriculture’s Long-Tern Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Bureau of Land Management, and outline a standard methods protocol developed to ensure consistency in wind erosion monitoring and assessment across the network. The network will provide opportunities to evaluate controls on the timing and intensity of wind erosion in a number of land uses and land cover types across the United States. These data, in support of an all-lands wind erosion model, will provide much needed tools for managing wind erosion and its impacts.