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The threat of climate change is a great challenge to sustainable land management (USDA-NRCS, 2010a). Several publications have reported that over the last few decades, rainfall intensities have increased in many parts of the world, including in the United States. Without good, productive soils and the ecosystem services provided by them, the survival of our species will be in jeopardy. The future changes in climate that will drive erosion processes will significantly impact soil erosion rates, with higher projected erosion rates for the United States. These higher erosion rates will significantly contribute to lower soil productivity, lower soil organic matter content, lower soil quality, and higher rates of nutrient loss that will contribute to a reduction in the inherent soil fertility that is so important for maintaining viable economic systems and sustainability. These same hydrological changes will also include the occurrence of occasional droughts, and for some regions, such as the southwestern United States, projections suggest that there will be a decrease in precipitation and a drier region, which will have negative effects on plant productivity and increase the potential for wind erosion. Farmer management adaptations and use of conservation practices to adapt to a changing climate (e.g., no-till practices, crop rotations, precision conservation, crop selection and dates of planting, harvest, and tillage) have the potential to greatly reduce soil erosion rates. Conservation practices will be key and must be used as strategies for adaptation to climate change impacts on the soil resource. Examples of key strategies are the use of conservation tillage, management of crop rotations and crop residue (including use of cover crops where viable), management of livestock grazing intensities, improved management of irrigation systems, use of technologies, and precision conservation. Many other conservation practices also have the potential to reduce much or all of the potential acceleration of soil erosion rates that may occur under a change in climate that will bring more total rainfall with higher intensity rainfall events, or a change to a drier climate that will potentially bring higher wind erosion rates. One important adaptation practice will be to consider projected spatial changes in the hydrological cycle, such as wetter and drier regions, and periods of drought. This could help in the development and/or implementation of soil and water conservation policies that consider temporal and spatial effects from climate change at the regional level. These policies should also consider conservation practices that contribute to increased water-holding capacity in the soil profile, improved drainage practices, and the development of new crop varieties and cropping systems that are more resistant to drought.
