Rates of Historical Anthropogenic Soil Erosion in the Midwestern United States

Erosion degrades soils, reduces crop yields, and diminishes ecosystem services. The total amount of soil that has been eroded since the initiation farming is unknown in most agricultural landscapes, which hinders assessment erosion trends. In Midwestern U.S., caused native prairie remnants to become perched above surrounding farmland, providing an opportunity measure historical rates. We use high-resolution topographic surveys conducted across erosional escarpments at boundary between 20 prairies adjacent fields show median reduction thickness ranges from 0.04 0.69 m, corresponding rates 0.2–4.3 mm year?1, with a value 1.9 year?1. used association measured curvature predict regional integrated beginning present. estimate rate 1.8 ± 1.2 nearly double considered tolerable by U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA). Current loss predictions USDA National Resources Inventory (NRI) Daily Project (DEP) are lower than our historically averaged factor 3 8, respectively. suggest NRI DEP underpredict because they do not include tillage erosion, process shown be important throughout Our findings indicate further implementation conservation practices needed reduce high centennial-averaged we sustainable levels.