Adding Wellness to Diet-based Chesapeake Bay Best Management

Practices Using Biology to Build Self-replicating Bay Restoration

Michael CollinsCenter for Natural Capital

SoilKeepers

Presentation Highlights(Theory to Practice)

• Fractal Geometry reveals universe is repeating math patterns

• Water, plants, soil bacteria, human brain cells, and people same thing at different scales

• Environmental Policy could learn from Human Health Policy

• Wellness BMPs work and are cost effective, particularly after several years

A Healthy Bay Operates Just Like a Healthy Human Body

• We learned Euclidian geometry: – 2 dimensions (area)– 3 dimensions (volume)

• In nature we find that she works in fractions of dimensions (wow!)

• “Fractal Geometry” – a fairly new branch of mathematics - shows that life in the universe is repeating patterns of nature

• A fractional geometric equation produces breathtaking beauty found in every niche of the natural world

• The same geometric equation that creates lung tissue also creates trees…

If all life is patterned on the same geometric equations, might we

consider human health conceptual models in our quest for better

environmental policy?

Our Current Bay Health

Conceptual Model

The Pollution Diet

EPA TMDL Website:

…pollution diet…25 percent reduction nitrogen

…24 percent reduction phosphorus…20 percent reduction in sediment

pollution control measures… in place by 2025. “

Diet-based BMPs 1st Generation

Example: grass filter strips …control volume…treat pollutants

Diet-based BMPs2nd Generation

Example: green roofs, bioretention, rain gardens

- reduces runoff leaving site- mimicks hydrologic patterns

Our CurrentHuman Health

Conceptual Model

Wellness = Exercise + Diet

Lose Weight: Diet

Boost Energy: Exercise

Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease: Exercise

Prevent Diabetes: Diet

Relaxed Mind: Exercise

Prevent Cancer: Exercise + Diet

Wellness-basedBest Management Practices

would add exercise to diet-based BMPs!

Examples

Compost without Ripping Compost Extract

Healthy Soil BiologyNative Plant Biodiversity

Compost without Ripping

• Compost Amendment is a currently allowed BMP• However, ripping or tilling required, depth of application

way beyond what is needed, and not practical for suburban application

Compost Extract

Healthy Soil Biology

Native Plant Biodiversity

Case Study

Return on Investment (ROI) of Healthy Soil

and Native Plant Biodiversity

2014-2015

Healthy SoilApplying Wellness Based Best

Management Practices to Turn Dead Dirt into Living Soil

Healthy Soil is Alive!

Cost Effectiveness Comparison

• Metric – Nitrogen Cycling – Nitrogen produced by healthy soil biology!

• Fescue needs 3 lbs./1000 sq. ft./yr. • or ~ 135 lbs./acre/yr. • Exactly what the biology is now creating!

Synthetic Management Biologically Dead Soil

• No Nitrogen Cycling• Commercial Turf Builder – 38 lb. bag – 32% N

= 12 lbs./bag• 11 bags/yr. needed to provide fescue needs

for one acre lot• $600/yr. materials and labor• $6k/10 yrs. or $12k/20 yrs.

Carbon-based Management Biologically Dead Soil

• ~ $6000/acre year 1 for .25” compost or equivalent

• Assume no cost Years 2-10• $6000/decade cost • Payback = $6,000 over 10 yrs. • ROI (10 years) 0% • ROI (20 years) 100%

Synthetic Management Cost to Society of Nitrogen Loss

• University research shows 1-8% loss of synthetic N in runoff/yr.

• Best case = 1.3 lbs./yr./acre (1% of 132 lbs. N in 11 bags fertilizer)

• Assume urban N removal cost of $1k/lb.• Approximate cost to society of $10,000 every

10 yrs. • Unknown at this time N loss through runoff in

soils with healthy biology but probably low

Native Plant Biodiversity

Applying Wellness Based Best Management Practices to Turn Turf

into Wildlife Habitat

Naturalization Societal ROI for Phosphorus Reduction

• $4500 materials and labor install• $2250 Societal cost shared• Ches. Bay Program 2014 Urban Load average rate

1.5 lbs. P/acre• Assume .15 lbs. load for this lot• Assume 50% mass load P reduction for

vegetation = .075 lbs. P reduction• Assume $40,000 cost per lb. P reduction filter

strip• Society ROI 33%

Conclusions

• Time to consider 3rd Generation Wellness-based BMPs

• Wellness practices more expensive upfront but save money over long term with positive ROI

• Working with biology, mother nature provides most of the services we need at a cost less than human society can provide.