Green Horizons

Agroforestry has traditionally involved the establishment and management of trees, shrubs and grasses in various configurations to conserve water, air and soil resources. Agroforestry practices have also offered farms the opportunity to earn income from alternative crops; either those directly from trees, such as nuts and fruit crops, or from products that thrive in shade environments, such as shiitake mushroom or ginseng. A new publication has been produced by the MU Center for Agroforestry in cooperation with MU Fisheries and Wildlife Extension Specialist, Dr. Bob Pierce. This publication emphasizes the integration of agroforestry and farming practices specifically for the benefit of wildlife species.

This publication provides information on white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, bobwhite quail, waterfowl and mourning doves. It is not designed to provide comprehensive information on habitat for all of those species, rather it briefly describes the needs of each species and provides ideas on how agroforestry can be applied to help meet habitat requirements and improve the likelihood of a farm keeping populations of the desired wildlife. And, should you want more information on any of those wildlife species, there is a good list of resources at the end of the document. Most of the additional information is available through links to Web sites.

The goal of this publication isn’t to remove farm land from production. At the MU Center for Agroforestry we believe that active and productive farms can also be managed to support a wide spectrum of wildlife species. Our hope is that it will give landowners and farmers ideas on how to incorporate management of trees, shrubs and grasses with their current farm practices so wildlife will benefit.

For more information on the publication "Integrating Agroforestry Practices for Wildlife Habitat," go to www.centerforagroforestry.org