“Shallow water habitat management influences soil CO2 efflux from agricultural fields in the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB), USA” with Amitava Chatterjee.

The Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB) serves as a critical stopover habitat for migratory birds traveling between Canada and Central and South America, presenting both challenges and opportunities for habitat conservation. To support these birds, farmers in the region flood agricultural fields in the winter, creating temporary wetlands that provide habitat and essential food sources. This practice has increased bird stopovers but raises concerns about soil health, as flooding can alter soil properties. In this episode, Dr. Amitava Chatterjee shares his insights on research related to the effects of flooding on soil properties in agricultural lands in the LMRB and how it contributes to maintaining sustainable stopover habitats for migratory birds.

Tune in to learn:

·         What migratory bird stopovers are

·         How flooding of agricultural lands helps migratory birds

·         How flooding of agricultural land affects soil health

·         How flooding affects soil microbial activity

·         What are the long-term impacts of agricultural land flooding

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode’s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20365

This paper is always freely available.

Contact us at [email protected] or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.

If you would like to reach out to Amitava Chatterjee, you can find him here: [email protected] https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/ames/nlae/people/amitava-chatterjee/

 

If you would like to reach out to Sourajit Dey from our Student Spotlight, you can find him here: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/sourajit-dey-100208215

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b4E7B4200-A859-EF11-A316-6045BD029381%7d 

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/cTaB7JIZ2cH1QqtVLw5JjYvca7I8sqlKOZGVC9CenIfIxy2o7zVbfXSM16t-ROCHR2T8yeGfZrOLtgLBFV5FDOfDXUw?loadFrom=SharedLink 

“Flooding Fields May Be a Win-Win For Farmers and Birds in the Mississippi Delta” article: https://tellus.ars.usda.gov/stories/articles/flooding-fields-may-be-win-win-farmers-and-birds-mississippi-delta

“Flooding Fields in the Mississippi Delta Helps Crop Yields—and Shorebirds” article: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/flooding-fields-in-the-mississippi-delta-helps-crop-yields-and-shorebirds/#

“Soil carbon mineralization, enzyme activities, and crop residue decomposition under varying soil moisture regime” article in Soil Science Society of America Journal: https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20601

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/18529.wba                           

Conservation Incentive Program: Winter-Flooded Rice Fields for Waterfowl Habitat: https://youtu.be/yzOFy0weIx0?si=QoTRQHwHdwF5ZGo9

MDWFP Waterfowl Program - Mississippi Land Conservation Assistance Network: https://www.mississippilandcan.org/local-resources/MDWFP-Waterfowl-Program/20187

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/waterfowl-program.aspx

https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/ames/nlae/

Thank you to Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.