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WILDLIFE HABITAT
Citation:
FREEMARK LINDSAY, K. E., M. SANTELMANN, J. SIFNEOS, D. WHITE, AND D. KIRK. WILDLIFE HABITAT. Chapter 13, Nassauer, Joan Iverson, Mary V. Santelmann, Donald Scavaia (ed.), From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and Environmental Implications of Alternative Agricultural Futures. Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, DC, , 147-163, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
Habitat change statistics were used to estimate the effects of alternative future scenarios for agriculture on non-fish vertebrate diversity in Iowa farmlands.
Description:
Habitat change statistics were used to estimate the effects of alternative future scenarios for agriculture on non-fish vertebrate diversity in Iowa farmlands. Study areas were two watersheds in central Iowa of about 50 and 90 square kilometers, respectively. Future scenarios were oriented to production agriculture, water quality improvements, and biodiversity protection, respectively. A scenario representing estimated land cover at the time of Euro-American settlement was also evaluated. The biodiversity and water quality scenarios had increases in native vertebrate diversity compared with the current landscape for most taxonomic groups. The production scenario had decreases for most groups. Monte Carlo simulations of errors in assignment of species to habitats produced coefficient of variation estimates that varied from over 100% for mammals in several scenarios to as small as 0.5% for birds in one scenario. Future changes in agricultural practices in the Corn Belt could result in either increasing or decreasing native vertebrate diversity, depending upon the choice of practices.