Cover Cropping Systems and Their Potential Role for Providing Wildlife Habitat.

With increasing interest in cover cropping systems to promote soil health, water retention, water quality and reduce soil erosion, opportunities to promote critical habitat for wildlife also become available.  Past history has shown that a major shift in agriculture is not beneficial to wildlife.  Since the 1980’s this problem has been addressed through conservation programs utilizing native and non native perennial crops that are designed to protect our soil and create areas where wildlife can be sustained such as through the CRP program with limited success.  These areas are usually located along non profitable field edge or marginal soils. Conversely, annual cover cropping systems can potentially greatly increase suitable wildlife habitat, resulting in sustainable populations of bobwhite quail, ground nesting birds and pollinators by providing critical habitat throughout the growing season.   Adoption of these practices  will take a conscious effort on the part of the land manager but for the first time since the agricultural revolution we have the opportunity to increase critical habitat for many declining species while improving soil quality.  At the University of Missouri  Bradford Research we are exploring ways to incorporate functional agricultural management techniques into wildlife management in a modern agricultural setting.