Over the past half-century, farming practices in the US Corn Belt have shifted production from hay, small grains, and pasture, to exclusively corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) production using larger field sizes and reducing overall perennial vegetation cover (Corry, 2016). As a result, wildlife populations such as grassland birds have declined significantly (Evans & Potts, 2015; Shaffer & DeLong, 2019). Efforts to mitigate agricultural impacts on farmland bird populations are limited by increasing agricultural intensification (Stanton et al., 2018). Solutions have been proposed by reconciling agricultural practices with habitat production through diversification, improved farm design, and the formation of coalitions among farmers, citizens, and government agencies to increase wildlife-friendly habitat practices (Kremen & Merenlender, 2018; Landis, 2017; Rosenzweig, 2003). Fundamental to this challenge is addressing knowledge gaps in understanding how social and ecological systems interact, and how diverse value systems negotiate landscape management (Ellis et al., 2019; Mastrángelo et al., 2019).
Farmer identities influence wildlife habitat management in the US Corn Belt
Year: 2021
