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Publications | Conservation Effects Assessment Project

USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project, CEAP, provides a suite of publications highlighting the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation’s working lands. 

Croplands

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Corn in the foreground, with trees and a barn in the background and cloudy blue skies above.
The below publications provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation across croplands at both national and regional scales. Categories including national reports, regional reports, a bibliography, and other articles. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

National Reports

 

Regional Reports

 

Bibliography

 

Other Articles

Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights
Specialty crops grow in a field, with trees and blue skies in the background.
The below includes Conservation Insights fact sheets on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's croplands. 
Webinars and Blogs
A tractor planting into green cover crops in the foreground, with grain bins and cloudy blue skies in the background.
The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's croplands. Blogs related to CEAP croplands assessments are also included. Both webinars and blogs are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

  • April 29, 2021 – NRCS Conservation Practices Delivering Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Carbon Sequestration Benefits: Webinar Recording 
  • June 25, 2020 – Tillage Management and Structural Conservation Practices: CEAP II Report on Changes in Adoption Rates: Webinar Recording

Blogs

Farmer Survey Documents
Soybeans are planted into corn residue and wild mustard, with trees to the left and cloudy blue skies above.
The below documents provide farmer questionnaires and respondent booklets, in descending order by date, for farmer surveys conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in support of CEAP croplands assessments.

Grazing Lands

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Rangeland with vegetation in the foreground, and mountains with cloudy skies in the background.
The below publications provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's grazing lands. Categories include reports and articles and bibliographies. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

Reports and Articles

 

Bibliographies

Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights and Science Notes
Three black cows grazing on rangeland.
The below fact sheets include Conservation Insights and Science Notes on the effects of voluntary conservation on grazing lands. Fact sheets within each category are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Insights

 

Science Notes

Webinars
An aerial view of cows on rangeland walking towards a water source.
The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's grazing lands. Webinar recordings are organized in descending order by date.  

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

  • February 25, 2021 – Rangeland Analysis Platform: Integrating Production and Economics into Area-Wide Planning: Webinar Recording
  • November 12, 2020 – Linking Ecosystem Service Values to Rangeland Practices in the Central Great Plains: Webinar Recording
  • July 23, 2020 – Quantifying Restoration Outcomes in Frequent-Fire Forests: Webinar Recording
  • April 23, 2020 – Conservation Outcomes on America’s Western Grazing Lands with NRCS’s Working Lands for Wildlife: Webinar Recording
Tools
The head and neck of one sheep grazing in a green pasture.
The below tools provide site-specific information and support management decisions across a wide range of working lands, including grazing lands.
  • SSURGO-Query Tool: Conservationists, soil scientists, ecological site specialists, and land owners or managers may use the SSURGO-Query Tool, or SSURGO-QT, to query specific soil properties or characteristics within an ecological region, at the soil mapping scale. This tool includes the most pertinent soil characteristics that influence vegetation and water dynamics for uses including vegetation and livestock management, cropping or yield limitations, and ecological modeling for any land use. Users may select from one or more of the 151 specific soil physical, chemical, hydrological, and climate regime characteristics for all soils mapped by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to populate the map and understand how their soils may affect their goals and objectives.

 

  • VGS – Vegetation GIS Data System: VGS is a data system designed for both field data collectors and data managers that offers standard protocols supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Forest Service, and others. Users may leverage VGS to interpret indicators of rangeland health, assess pasture conditions, or a suite of other applications on any type of land, including rangeland, cropland, and forests. VGS handles both qualitative and quantitative data, photos, geocoordinates, and support documents and performs background calculations for instant display of results, including the ability to compare past and present data and imagery.

Wetlands

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Wetlands in the foreground, with a tree line and light blue skies in the background.
The below publications provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's wetlands. Categories include reports and articles and bibliographies. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

Reports and Articles

 

Bibliographies

Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights and Science Notes
Wetlands, with blooming plants in the foreground and tress below blue skies in the background.
The below fact sheets include Conservation Insights and Science Notes on the effects of voluntary conservation on wetlands. Fact sheets within each category are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Insights

 

Science Notes

Webinars and Blogs
Wetlands with a bird box, with cloudy blue skies above.
The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation's wetlands. Blogs related to CEAP wetlands assessments are also included. Webinar recordings are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

  • March 25, 2021 – Quantifying Ecosystem Functions to Facilitate Wetland Monitoring and Assessment: Webinar Recording
  • October 22, 2020 – Quantifying Conservation Effects on Multiple Wetland Ecosystem Services: Understanding Tradeoffs is the Name of the Game: Webinar Recording

Blogs

Wildlife

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
A golden-winged warbler perched on a tree limb.
The below publications provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation on wildlife. Categories include reports and articles and bibliographies. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

Reports and Articles

Bibliographies

Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights and Science Notes
A gopher tortoise in vegetation.
The below fact sheets include Conservation Insights and Science Notes on the effects of voluntary conservation on select wildlife species. Fact sheets within each category are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Insights

 

Science Notes

Webinars
Male lesser prairie-chicken.
The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation on wildlife. Webinar recordings are organized in descending order by date.

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

Watersheds

Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
An aerial view of a river running through agricultural land, with wooded mountains and cloudy blue skies in the background.
The below reports, journal articles, and bibliography provide data and associated insights on the effects of voluntary conservation in select watersheds. Within each category publications are organized in descending order by date.

Publications and Journal Special Issues

 

Individual Watershed Reports

 

Individual Watershed Summaries

 

Other Journal Articles

Fact Sheets: Science Notes
Aerial view of a river running through agricultural land, with fields and trees.
The below includes a Science Notes fact sheet on the effects of voluntary conservation within a specific watershed.

Science Notes

Webinars, Blogs, and Videos
Green vegetation grows on both sides of a stream.
The below Conservation Outcomes Webinar recordings feature scientists and other subject matter experts speaking on the effects of voluntary conservation for watersheds. Webinars are organized in descending order by date. Blogs and videos related to CEAP watersheds assessments are also included. 

Conservation Outcomes Webinars

  • January 28, 2021 – Development of the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework and Use by NRCS for Watershed Planning: Webinar Recording
  • May 28, 2020 – Measuring and Understanding the Effects of Conservation within Watersheds: Webinar Recording

Blog

Video

Phosphorus Modeling Documents
Edge-of-field monitoring equipment near water, with a cropland field in the background.
Below are phosphorus modeling documents and associated resources related to CEAP Watersheds Studies.

Additional Resources

Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)

USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to quantify the effects of conservation practices across the nation’s working lands.

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Frequently Asked Questions | Conservation Effects Assessment Project

This webpage provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).

Last Updated: February 28, 2023

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Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series

The bi-monthly Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series provides key findings, data, and tools to support producers and partners in pursuing voluntary conservation efforts across the nation's working lands. 

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Contacts

Name Position Phone Number Email
Chris Lester
Acting Modeling Team Lead and Croplands Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project
Carrie-Ann Houdeshell
Acting Grazing Lands Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project
Joe Prenger
Wetlands Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project
Charlie Rewa
Wildlife Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project
Lisa Duriancik
Watersheds Lead, Conservation Effects Assessment Project