VEB-econ: An Outreach Tool for Designing Vegetative Environmental Buffers

Authors

• John Tyndall, Iowa State University
• Jesse Randall, Iowa State University
• John VanDyk, Iowa State University

Volume

56

Issue

7

DOI

10.34068/joe.56.07.06

Abstract

Vegetative environmental buffers, or VEBs, are rows of trees and shrubs purposefully planted to mitigate livestock odor. In this article, we present VEB-econ, a free-to-use geographic information system–based decision support tool Extension professionals can implement when working with livestock producers in designing site-specific VEBs. A soil database links tree and shrub species recommendations to soil-based suitability guidelines. VEB-econ estimates annualized cost for tree establishment and management and opportunity costs and factors in potential Natural Resources Conservation Service cost-share payments. Additionally, VEB-econ can be used to design field windbreaks. VEB-econ is designed specifically to be useful to Extension professionals and other air quality stakeholders.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Tyndall, J., Randall, J., & VanDyk, J. (2018). VEB-econ: An Outreach Tool for Designing Vegetative Environmental Buffers. Journal of Extension, 56(7), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.56.07.06