Researcher(s):
Julia Neish
ENVS course(s): 295 Initiated: September 2017 Completed: Go to project site
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Soil can act as a carbon sink, but its ability to sequester carbon is contingent on its structure. In addition to its central role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem vitality, there is a strong correlation between soil composition and nutrient density of agricultural crops. When addressing food security in conjunction with adapting to further effects of anthropogenic climate change, the role of soils must be considered. According to the UDSA, over forty percent of land in the Unites States is farmland and agricultural activities contribute almost thirty percent to total soil degradation in the United States. Soil is being depleted about eighteen times faster than it is being built back up (USDA), but a shift in farming practices could slow that down. I hope to discover what is complicating or preventing such changes.
I plan to speak with farmers about their priorities and concerns to see where soils fit into that equation. Through a series of prepared interview questions, I hope to learn what motivations drive decisions regarding farming practices, how open farmers seem to experimentation and change, and what hurdles they face to implementing alternative practices. These findings will provide a better framework for me going forward as I continue thinking about ways to reform the agricultural system.