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Farm*A*Syst Wildlife Habitat Assessment on the Farm Work SheetWildlife habitat enhancements are being ascribed an increasing value and importance on farm and ranch properties in Arkansas and across the nation. Fortunately, practices which promote development of wildlife habitat have as a side-effect improved water-quality protection for streams, ponds, lakes and groundwater reserves. All aspects of the hydrologic cycle are intimately connected . Watersheds, surface waters and groundwater are no exceptions. Runoff and sedimentation can be considered major threats to drinking water supplies. A valuable addition to the Farm*A*Syst program would be check sheets and fact sheets concerning best management practices for development or improvement of wildlife habitat, not only for their own intrinsic values, but because such land practices would also work toward non-point source pollution prevention. The following questions are a starting point for appraisal of existing wildlife habitat conditions, planning for habitat improvements, and integration of other wildlife habitat considerations into the Farm*A*Syst program. For your property evaluation to be valid and worthwhile, you need to read the accompanying Arkansas Farm*A*Syst - Wildlife Habitat Assessment on the Farm . In your evaluation, it may help to divide your farm into habitat types. The five main types of farm habitat are cropland grassland (including pasture) woodland aquatic (ponds or streams) and idle areas. The following questions will help you evaluate your current management of these habitat types in terms of benefits to wildlife. Ideally, you should answer "yes" to every question. Cropland Do you currently use conservation tillage methods such as crop rotation, no-till, and contour cropping. Conservation tillage residues provide both food and cover for wildlife. Do you perform land improvements for wildlife on set-aside acres and fallow fields? These areas can easily be enhanced for wildlife habitat. Do you avoid fall plowing? The plowing of cropland in the fall will increase erosion and eliminate crop residues that feed wildlife during the winter along with much needed winter cover. During harvest, do you leave a row or two of grain at the field edge? This standing grain provides food and cover for wildlife during winter months. Do you avoid heavy pesticide applications? When applied in excess of label instructions, pesticides may eliminate important wildlife food sources by destroying weed seeds and insects in non-crop areas. Are your farm's field draws and waterways vegetated to prevent erosion and sedimentation? These areas can be planted in vegetation favorable to bird and nongame wildlife nesting and foraging. Are habitat damage reduction procedures utilized in the aerial spraying of herbicides and pesticides? Grasslands Do you graze livestock on a rotation among several pastures? Rotating cattle through different pastures can improve both beef production and wildlife habitat. Do you top-dress pastures with fertilizer? Improved soil fertility will contribute to both wildlife and domestic livestock productivity. Are warm-season grasses included in your grazing system? Grasses that grow during the hot summer months -- warm-season grasses -- provide summer livestock grazing and wildlife food and cover. Are there legumes in your pastures? Legumes add nitrogen to the soil, help provide forage for cattle, and attract insects on which wildlife feed, and are very important source of protein for deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Do you delay mowing or haying until after nesting season? (Delay until after July 15) Do you mow or disc from the middle of the field outward to allow wildlife to escape? Forest and Woodlands Do you prevent cattle from grazing your woodlot? Woodlots and woodlot edges are prime wildlife habitat in Arkansas. Woodlots should be protected from the competition of grazing cattle. When you harvest timber or cut firewood, do you build brushpiles from the trimmings rather than burning them? Brushpiles around a woodlot leave an uneven, brushy edge which provides food and cover for wildlife. Have you maintained a border or edge between the woodlot and other habitat types? Fields that adjoin a wooded area are more attractive to wildlife when a grassy or shrubby border is established and maintained. Do you avoid cutting timber from February to July to allow for safe and successful nesting of woodland songbirds and birds of prey? Have you created wildlife openings and/or food plots within your woodlands? Such openings provide a diversity of cover and food for both game and nongame wildlife species? Does your forested land contain an adequate number (at least 5 per acre) of cavity or den trees? The retention of snag trees will greatly enhance the woodlands' ability to hold a more diverse wildlife community. Fencerows and Other Idle Areas Have you allowed fencerows to grow up in shrubs, vines and small trees? Fencerows provide travel lanes between different habitat types if woody plants are present. Do you avoid applying pesticides to fencerows? Destroying fencerow vegetation reduces both the food supply and the cover that these areas provide. Are brushy or grassy strips present between crops, pastures and woodlands? These buffer strips provide necessary cover, nesting and feeding areas for wildlife. Aquatic Habitats Have you left riparian management zones along streams which cross your property? Any stream running through the the property should be protected by a buffer zone (150 ft. minimum) of trees and other vegetation specifically designed for both wildlife habitat and water quality maintenance. Are roads and trails close to streams kept in suitable vegetative cover? This practice will greatly reduce stream sedimentation. Are cattle fenced away from streambanks on your property? Cattle destroy vegetation and promote streambank erosion. Where access to water is needed, a fence chute can be used to restrict cattle to one area of the bank. Are ponds, springs and seeps on your property fenced off from livestock usage? Livestock use of these areas will cause soil erosion / sedimentation and muddy water. Water troughs and other improvements can be utilized to allow livestock use of the areas, once they are fenced. Do you winter-flood any of your rice corn or grain sorghum fields? Flooded grain-crops can be very beneficial for waterfowl and shorebirds, especially during the late winter when the weather is at its coldest. Do you maintain any wet, marginal crop production lands as wetlands, or seasonally manipulate waterlevels on existing wetlands? Consider flood frequency and duration, loss of time and money in replanting and/or low yield, fall and winter conditions, winter cover, and available incentive programs. If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, you
might consider adding these practices to your management plan. |
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