Apex Simulation: Enviromental Benefits of Agroforestry and Grass Buffers on Corn-soybean Watersheds

Agricultural practices have often been scrutinized for degradation of water quality in rivers, lakes and estuaries in the U.S. (USEPA, 2013). Studies at various scales ranging from small plots, farms, fields, to watersheds are being conducted to evaluate conservation effects on non-point source pollution (NPSP; Mudgal et al., 2012; Udawatta et al., 2011a, 2011b). However, In situ studies at the watershed scale have inherent problems such as high costs due to their large scale and complex nature, private ownership of land and results not timely enough to avoid any negative consequences of current practices.