Meristem: Crop Science

Advancing technology for the mapping and assessment of wildlife habitat is driving new opportunities for farmers and ranchers to get more value from their habitat resources, says a prominent wildlife ecologist.

Technology such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has made the process of habitat mapping and assessment more practical and accessible for producers, says Harry Stelfox, a biologist and habitat classification specialist with 35 years experience studying the interaction between species and their habitats.

"This is a field of science that has rapidly grown from one that measured a small set of basic components to one with almost limitless opportunities to study how wildlife, insects and micro-organisms, vegetation, water, soil and a number of other factors interact with each other," he says. "In the process, it is offering producers more opportunity than ever to understand their habitat assets and the long-term contribution they make towards their farming operations."

A new and popular program offers producers a free option to have this process completed on their farms and ranches. Natural Advantage: The On-Farm Wildlife and Biodiversity Planning Service is managed by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) with funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Greencover Canada program. It uses trained biologists to help participants identify opportunities to enhance wildlife habitat on their operations.

Natural Advantage is driven by the concept of farmland as a collection of living organisms and habitats which all play a role in the soil's ability to grow food, says Stelfox. "It's a matter of thinking of wildlife habitat as a whole complex of dynamic, interacting features. We no longer look at agricultural systems and wildlife habitat as mutually exclusive. Instead, the goal is achieving a balance and integration between both."

A simple example is the role certain species of birds play in minimizing certain crop pests. "In order to take advantage of the benefits these birds offer, we need to be able to find food, cover and nesting for them. The process of coming to those conclusions begins with taking an initial inventory and assessment of all of the resources on a farm, including the habitat resources."

The ability of new technology to conduct the mapping and classification process with more speed and accuracy carries obvious technical advantages, says Stelfox. But in the larger context of habitat management, it lays a foundation of accurate information, easily adjusted over time, which may expand a producer's management options.

"In many ways, it comes down to the essential thinking behind the concept of ecological goods and services and the idea that if producers received meaningful incentives for their stewardship of natural resources such as clean water, air and habitat, these services would be maintained and expanded for the benefit of society," says Stelfox.

"This could lead to a situation where the value producers put into conservation of natural habitats and species is considered commercially viable in much the same way food production is today. Going forward, the stronger the basis of technical knowledge we have about the land as a dynamic living system, the better we will be able to fulfill this mandate."

For the full story, "Mapping technology drives new knowledge of wildlife habitat," visit the Meristem Land & Science Web site at www.meristem.com. Further information on the Natural Advantage program is available by contacting DUC wildlife biologists Brett Boukall at 403-348-5258 or Jolene Hillson at 780-439-5145.

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Mapping technology drives new producer opportunities for habitat value