Green Horizons

All agricultural actions performed on the land influence wildlife habitat. When the five practices of agroforestry are applied -- windbreaks, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, forest farming and alley cropping -- many benefits can be provided to a farm, such as improved water quality, soil stabilization and income opportunities from niche agricultural products. These practices may also help land and forest owners make decisions that are better able to accommodate the needs of a variety of wildlife species and create environmental sustainability.

The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, founded in 1996, works to develop the sound science behind combinations of agricultural and forestry practices that achieve a more diverse, sustainable agricultural system. This collaborative effort is uncovering new information about the wildlife benefits of agroforestry practices, including options for alternative income from lease hunting -- especially for mourning dove and bobwhite quail.

In Missouri, mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) offer an abundant and economically valuable resource for landowners. By providing favorable feeding areas within agroforestry plantings such as alley cropping, landowners can derive annual economic benefits from lease hunting of mourning doves. The Missouri Department of Conservation manages approximately 5,000 acres specifically for doves (89 areas total), with hunters requesting more hunting areas each year. There are approximately 40,000 dove hunters in the state; a figure translating to $5 million in expenditures.

Bobwhite quail are another valuable wildlife resource, with 426,590 quail harvested during Missouri's 2003--04 season. This figure may sound large, but during the 1969-70 season, 4 million birds were taken. Disappearing habitat appears to be the main reason behind dwindling quail numbers. Agroforestry, again, may offer opportunities to add or enhance quail habitat on agricultural lands.

Landowners and natural resource professionals are invited to attend a workshop on Saturday, May 5, addressing the components and benefits of agroforestry practices on wildlife habitat. Titled "Diversifying Farm Income through Agroforestry and Lease Hunting," the workshop is sponsored by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry and the Missouri Department of Conservation and will be held at the MDC James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area in Lee's Summit. Additional topics include the biology of dove and quail, and their connection to agroforestry; dove shooting field management; cost-share programs; lease hunting and timber production. A tour of selected areas of the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is planned for the afternoon.

Registration is free, but the workshop is limited to 30 participants. Registration deadline is Friday, April 27, 2007. To register, or for more information, contact Dusty Walter, UMCA Technology Transfer Specialist, at (573) 884-7991; or by email: WalterD@Missouri.edu. Additional information is available at: www.centerforagroforestry.org.