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AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATOR PROJECT Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada REPORT NO. 15 WORK PROJECT PLAN FOR 1996-1997 Environmental Indicator Working Group of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 333.76 A278 R 15 1996 October 996 c 1 3 A AGRICULTUREAND W I AGRI-FOODCANADA CENTRAL LIBRARY BIBLIOTHEQUE CENTRALE EDIFICE SIR JOHN CARLING BLDG. > OTTAWA, ONTARIO •«/ .. CANADA K1A0C5 s® .- rj^i£mMmm^ 1. Introduction. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Agri-Environmental Indicator (AEI) Project was initiated in 1993 in response to the recommendations ofseveral groups, including the Federal-Provincial Agriculture Committee on Environmental Sustainability (1990), the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council (1992) and the Auditor General ofCanada (1993). The Project is a collaboration between Research Branch, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and Policy Branch (which acts as departmental lead). The AEI Project is focused on six indicators and their associated components: farm resource management, risk ofwater contamination, agroecosystem biodiversity change, agroecosystem greenhouse gas balance, input use efficiency and soil degradation risk. Detailed descriptions ofthese indicators are available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada '. Information on the key activities and outputs generated through the AEI Project in 1995-96 is available from Banerjee (1996) 2. The full results ofthe AEI Project will be documented in a comprehensive report in 1998. This document presents the project work plan for the fiscal-year 1996-97. This work plan represents revisions to the original project work plan completed in 1995 and is based on the results ofthe AEI Project departmental workshop held on 18-19 June 1996 and the 20-21 June 1996 meeting ofthe Agri- Environmental Project Advisory Committee. The Plan covers the main areas ofactivity in 1996-97 but does not profile these activities in detail. 2. Project Management and Coordination Activities. The Inter-Branch Environmental Indicator Working Group ofAAFC will continue to oversee implementation ofthe project. The technical teams established to develop specific indicators will also continue in their work. Specific management/ coordination initiatives and activities in 1996-97 are described below: «& Advisory Committee on Agri-Environmental Indicators - Lead: Environment Bureau (T. McRae). Hold two meetings ofthe Advisory Committee in 1996-97; one (held) in June 1996 and the other in the fourth quarter ofthe fiscal-year. K^ Departmental Workshop ofPrincipal Investigators - Lead: Environmental Indicator Working Group (S. Smith, T. McRae). Hold a departmental workshop ofprincipal indicator investigators to assess progress, refine work plans and discuss shared issues (held June 1996). "3° AEI Project Communications Plan - Lead: Environment Bureau (T. McRae). Develop a project communications plan in consultation with the Communications Branch. This will include further development ofthe concept and approach for the comprehensive 1998 project report. *& Environment Canada Environmental Indicator Bulletin on Agriculture - Lead: Environment Canada (D. O'Farrell). Continue to provide technical support to Environment Canada. sp AEI Project Report for 1996-97 - Lead: Environmental Indicator Working Group. Initiate work i AgricultureandAgri-FoodCanada. "Agri-environmental indicatorproject: description ofindicatorsand project activitiesand outputsto 1998". Environmental IndicatorWorkingGroup, October 1995. Banerjee, R. 1996. "Agri-Environmental IndicatorProject: Summaryofactivities in fiscal-year 1995-1996". Environmental IndicatorWorkingGroup, AgricultureandAgri-Food Canada, April 1996. . on a summary report ofproject activities/accomplishments in 1996-97. "St- Input to OECD Joint Working Party - Lead: Environment Bureau (T. McRae). Provide input on agri-environmental indicators to the activities ofthe OECD JWP, and communicate results of JWP activities within AAFC. 3. Indicator Development Activities and Deliverables. Indicator development activities and deliverables for 1996-97 are listed in Table 1 below. TABLE AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES I. AND DELIVERABLES FOR 1996-1997 Indicator Component Developmental Activities Deliverable(s) / Lead(s) Farm Resource Soil 1. Obtain and analysedataon 1. Oct. 96: Reporton soil covertrends. Management agricultural land useand soil coverat 2. March 97: Report on methodsand results national and provincial levelsfor 1981 ofbare soil day calculations. and 1991. Lead - Huffman. Research. 2. Assembledataand calculate "bare soil days" formajorcropsand regions for 1981 and 1991. 3. Validate selected censusof agriculturevariables(summerfallow, crops, tillage) from Landsat imagery and ground-truthingofresidue levels. Farm Inputs 1. Analyse/compile and reportresults 1. July 96: Reporton Canada-level results. offarm inputsmanagementsurvey. 2. March 97: Reporton regional-level results. Lead -Culver, Policv. Risk ofWater Nitrogen 1. Revise methodology, obtain required 1. November 1996: progress reportwith Contamination dataand calculate nationally atthe SLC calculations forOntario. orecodistrict level for 1981 and 1991. 2. March 1997: national-level report. Leads- Macdonald, Milburn, Simard, Bowman, Chang, Zebarth, Research. Phosphorus 1. Develop draft methodology, obtain 1. March 97: Progressreporton required dataand calculateat methodology and Quebeccalculations. ecodistrict level forQuebec for 1981 Leads - Simard, Macdonald, Milburn, and 1991. Bowman, Chang, Zebarth, Research. Agro- Species level 1. Develop conceptual basis and 1. March 97: Conceptand methodspaper. ecosystem methodology forcalculatingthe Leads - 1. Smith, Tomlin. Research. Biodiversity indicatorcomponent. Change Habitat level 1 Assemble land use changedataat 1. June96: Drafthabitat bulletin developed. SLC scale(prairie region) for 1991. 2. March97: Expanded paperto document 2. Furtherdevelop and refineapproach, concepts, methods, assumptions, expandto 1981 baselineand national incorporation ofotherdata, etc. scale. Lead - Weins, PFRA. Greenhouse CH4 1. Assembledataand calculatemethane 1. Nov 96: Reporton methaneemissions GasBalance emissions from Canadian agriculture from Canadian agriculture. (livestock and farm animal manures) Lead - Desiardins, Research. for 1986 and 1991. . TABLE AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 1. AND DELIVERABLES FOR 1996-1997 Indicator Component Developmental Activities Deliverable(s) / Lead(s) N2 1. Assembledataand modelsand 2. March 97: progressreporton N2 calculate netemissionsofN from balancecalculations. 2 Canadian agriculture for [specify Lead - Desiardins. Research. years]. Input Use Fertilizers, 1. Updatecalculationsand validate 1. Dec96: Report on updatingand Efficiency energy, economic approach with available validation results. pesticides physical inputdata. Lead: Naravanan, Policv. Irrigation 1. Obtain and analysedataon system 1. Jan 97: Report on indicatorcomponent. Application efficiencies, system distribution (area) Lead: O'Brien. PFRA. System and environmental sensitivity/risk. Efficiency Soil Erosion 1. Incorporation oftillageerosion 1. Jan 97: National report on soil erosion Degradation factor intosoil erosion calculations. risk for 1981 and 1991. Risk 2. Calculation ofwind and water Lead: Wall, Research erosion risk at SLC scaleacross Canada. Salinity 1. Extensionofsalinity risk indexto 1 June96: Finalized journal articleon a full prairieregion and calculation of soil salinity risk index fortheCanadian index for 1981 and 1991 years. prairies. Ongoing refinement ofindex. 2. Nov 96: Reporton asoil salinity risk index fortheCanadian prairies. Lead: Eilers. Research Organic 1. Pilot study on useoftheCentury I. March 97: Pilot study progress report. Matter model to calculate changeto soil Lead: Wall, Research. organic matterquantity in Ontario agricultural soils. Soil 1. Investigate feasibility ofa 1. March 97: Progressreport. Compaction methodology toestimate riskofsoil Lead: Wall. Research compaction usingagricultural soils in Ontario. Additional information abouttheAgri-Environmental IndicatorProject isavailable from: Terence McRae Environment Bureau. Policy Branch Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 930 CarlingAvenue, Rom 367 Ottawa, Ontario KIA0C5 Telephone: (613) 759-7310 Facsimile: (613) 759-7238; E-mail: [email protected] ; IBl10THFfill! CANADIENNI Di LAGRICUlTURf 00143^3 3 T073 b Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada http://archive.org/details/projectworkplanf15agri