Mapping the Soil Vulnerability Index across broad spatial extents to guide conservation efforts

THE NEED FOR TARGETED AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION The 2008 Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Action Plan was developed in response to national water quality impairments that were largely caused by agricultural land uses within and around the US Corn Belt (Alexander et al. 2008; Mississippi River Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2008). plan prompted states create nutrient reduction strategies achieve a 45% total nitrogen (N) phosphorus (P) loads into River, thereby alleviate hypoxic zone (Mississippi Similar other state strategies, Iowa Reduction Strategy (INRS) promotes widespread voluntary adoption best management practices (BMPs) goals. INRS establishes goals 41% 29% reductions N P, respectively, from nonpoint sources 1980 1996 baseline (Iowa Department Agriculture Land Stewardship 2017). These are dependent on regional conservation funding infrastructure inform incentivize BMP at individual farm scales (Zimmerman 2019a).