Release Date
2012
Description
AgBufferBuilder is a GIS-based computer program for designing vegetative filter strips around agricultural fields that utilizes terrain analysis to account for spatially non-uniform runoff (Figure 1). The core model is derived from the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD-W). A detailed description of the core model and its development is provided in Dosskey et al. (2011). The GIS program runs with ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, CA).
Supporting Information
The user's guide is available by clicking the Download button on the right.
The software is available as additional files listed at the end. Program test data sets are provided in the program folder called “Test Fields.”
These files are also available for download as additional files listed at the end:
- Recommended procedures for acquiring publicly-available digital elevation (DEM) and imagery from the USGS
- Demonstration Project-Field B: This zip file contains a complete set of prepared input files and results of both a design procedure and an assessment procedure.
- Example design output from AgBufferBuilder
File Size
AgBufferBuilder 1.0 for ArcGIS 10.0: zip file, 157 MB
AgBufferBuilder 1.0 for ArcGIS 10.1: zip file, 157 MB
Use's guide: PDF file, 2.4 MB
Recommended procedures for acquiring publicly-available digital elevation (DEM) and imagery from the USGS: PDF file, 989 KB
Demonstration Project-Field B: zip file, 3.3 MB
Example design output from AgBufferBuilder: PDF file, 265 KB
Rights
© 2012 Surendran Neelakantan, Tom Mueller, Mike Dosskey, and Eduardo Rienzi
The copyright holders have granted the permission for posting the software here.
Disclaimer
AgBufferBuilder and associated documentation is supplied as-is with no warranty, explicit or implied. The quality of results is highly dependent on the user's skill and ability to select input data and parameters that accurately represent the field site, to run GIS software, and to properly interpret the results.
Funding Information
Funding to support development of AgBufferBuilder was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska and Southern Research Station, Asheville, North Carolina to the University of Kentucky (grant no. 10-JV-11330152-119) and from Kentucky state water quality grants (SB-271) administered by the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Lexington, Kentucky.
Related Content
AgBufferBuilder: A Geographic Information System (GIS) Tool for Precision Design and Performance Assessment of Filter Strips, by M.G. Dosskey et al. Published in Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 70, no. 4, p. 209-217. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2489/jswc.70.4.209
A Webinar describing AgBufferBuilder conducted on September 2, 2015, for the Ohio Watershed Network.
VFSMOD-W: Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System, by Rafael Muñoz-Carpena and John E. Parsons. http://abe.ufl.edu/carpena/vfsmod/index.shtml
A Design Aid for Sizing Filter Strips Using Buffer Area Ratio, by M.G. Dosskey et al. Published in Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 66, no. 1, p. 29-39. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2489/jswc.66.1.29
AgBufferBuilder 1.0 for ArcGIS 10.0
AgBufferBuilder_1.0_for_ArcGIS_10.1.zip (161076 kB)
AgBufferBuilder 1.0 for ArcGIS 10.1
Obtaining_USGS_Data.pdf (980 kB)
Recommended procedures for obtaining USGS data
Demonstration_Project-Field_B.zip (3363 kB)
Demonstration Project-Field B
AgBufferBuilder_Figure_1.pdf (264 kB)
Example design output from AgBufferBuilder
Notes
Surendran Neelankantan developed the system architecture and authored all Python code. Tom Mueller was the project manager, was responsible the overall GIS design, and provided expertise with model builder. This project was originally conceived by Mike Dosskey, who also contributed to the overall design and quality control. Eduardo Rienzi provided counsel on hydrologic modeling and analysis and had a role in quality control.