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Development of land use scenarios and estimation of ecosystem services for the Future Midwestern Landscapes Study
Citation:
BRUINS, R. J., E. R. SMITH, L. Tran, H. SANDER, AND L. Wainger. Development of land use scenarios and estimation of ecosystem services for the Future Midwestern Landscapes Study. Presented at Heartland Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop, Chicago, IL, October 17 - 18, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of EPA's Future Midwestern Landscapes (FML) Study is to improve understanding of the trade-offs among ecosystem services under alternative future scenarios that affect land use and management. The study will first explore how Midwestern landscapes might change in response to (a) a business-as-usual scenario (increasing feedstock production to meet biofuel targets) or (b) an aspirational scenario of increased conservation measures to emphasize multiple services. Then it will model changes in ecosystem services corresponding to these scenarios, illustrating how and where services will change.
Description:
The Midwest is an important supplier of ecosystem services including food, fiber and fuel to the nation and the world, but these benefits of nature have come with trade-offs that include degraded water quality in the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie, loss of migratory bird habitat, decreased natural storage of flood water, and declines in soil productivity. Investments in erosion control and other conservation practices have significantly improved the protection of Midwest resources, but pressures are increasing with the growing demand for biofuel feedstocks such as corn.