Wildlife and agriculture: Can they coexist?

Excerpt

PRIVATE agricultural land provides a majority of the existing and potential wildlife habitat in the United States. No wonder agricultural activities influence wildlife more than any other human activity.

Historically, agricultural practices on private land created many different kinds of wildlife habitat. Odd areas, shelterbelts, hedgerows, and fields in rotation provided havens for wildlife species that preferred relatively undisturbed areas to rest, reproduce, and find protection from predators or the weather. Cultivated fields offered food sources that were important for many species, such as the waste grain that fueled the long flights of migratory birds. Some ground-nesting birds built nests and raised young in cultivated fields.

Despite the adaptation of many wildlife species to life on and around agricultural land, wildlife and fish populations have declined over much of the agricultural landscape in the Umted States in recent decades. Many individuals and organizations are concerned about the future welfare of wildlife and fish populations in the face of these declines.

Wildlife values and benefits

Landowners across the country place a high though unquantifiable value on wildlife. In the Northeast landowners perceive wildlife as an important part of the landowning experience (12). Throughout the Midwest a majority of landowners enjoy experiencing …