Print This PageReducing the Environmental Impact of Agriculture
Waterbirds and Farm Stewardship
Waterbirds are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health. To study the impact of row-crop agriculture on U.S. waterbird populations, the National Audubon Society, Monsanto, and the Monsanto Fund launched a three-year collaboration called “Waterbirds on Working Lands.”27
72 percent of the 137 waterbird species studied had either stable
or increasing continentwide populations over the past 20 years.
The project recognized that since most farmers are already conscientious stewards of their farmland, results could be further enhanced by identifying and sharing best practices. Audubon provided the project staff and conducted the research and literature reviews. A grower advisory board provided valuable insight to the project. The Monsanto Fund provided the $2.1 million funding, and Monsanto helped with agricultural expertise.7
The Audubon Society drew up an inventory of 137 species of waterbirds at potential risk in seven bird conservation regions that include much of the Mississippi River watershed. An analysis of data revealed that 72 percent of the species studied had either stable or increasing continentwide populations over the past 20 years. The rest of the species were decreasing.
The report found that waterbirds tended to do better in the areas with the highest proportion of land devoted to row crops. Birds there increased by 3.78 percent a year compared with 1.54 percent a year for the same species overall on the continent.27
The Audubon Society attributes these improvements to several factors: less use of harmful pesticides, more activity by wetland and farm conservation programs, and more farmers who left excess grain in their fields for waterbirds — often because of conservation tillage practices. All of these practices can accompany proper row-crop management.
Efforts are now focused on encouraging further farmland stewardship. Recommendations to enhance farmlands included optimized nutrient management plans, greater use of minimum tillage systems, and use of integrated pest management practices. These practices may involve the use of low-toxicity agrichemicals and pest-resistant cultivars, harvest management to allow early nesting, and field border and edge management practices to protect waterbird habitats.
The joint project not only produced a robust work product; it also gave all of the organizations involved a better understanding about how to work together. According to Tess Present, Audubon vice president of conservation planning support and Waterbirds Project lead, “The Waterbirds on Working Lands Project enabled Audubon to better understand the concerns and issues of the farmer community, and how we could better work together to conserve wildlife habitat and biodiversity.”
John Anderson, a Monsanto Technology Development Manager, concurred. “Audubon and Monsanto have similar goals in helping farmers to maintain their economic viability and to meet growing food demands while creating the least environmental impact. Strong partnerships like this one, which included farmers and focused upon results, achieve goals constructively and collaboratively.”
