Locations
The National Wind Erosion Research Network sites are located across the western United States, currently west of 90th meridian. The sites were selected to represent the range of soils and vegetation communities (ecological sites) and land use activities occurring in areas that are susceptible, or may be susceptible in the future, to wind erosion. This includes both croplands and rangelands that are used for food and fibre production, energy development (oil, gas and solar), recreational activities and agricultural research. Sites are managed by public agencies and private stakeholders who have an active interest in wind erosion research and management technologies.
What We Measure
Measurements of soil, vegetation, meteorological conditions, and sediment mass flux are made at all Network sites. The measurements provide information on where and when wind erosion and dust emission occur, the amount of sediment transported by wind, and the effects of biophysical controls and land management practices on the processes.
Where possible the Network uses data collection methods that are already nationally adopted and internationally applied. For example, vegetation measurements are consistent with those collected by the USDA National Resources Inventory (NRI) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) programs. It is intended that this consistency will increase the application of the Network data and models.
A complete description of the methods and instrumentation is provided in the Standard Methods for Wind Erosion Research and Model Development.
An overview of the study design can be found on the Research page.
Who is Involved
Participants in the National Wind Erosion Research Network include the Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Agricultural Research Service, USDA Long Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) Network, Bureau of Land Management, Holloman Air Force Base, The Nature Conservancy, and US Geological Survey.
