Chris Merkord Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Cross-posted from the Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership: Balancing Grassland Bird Reproduction with Agricultural Production Grassland nesting birds have been in decline for decades largely due to lost habitat as agricultural practices changed and fire suppression allowed woody plant succession in grasslands. Breeding success in hay fields has declined as harvest has become more frequent and hay mowers have nearly tripled in speed. The hen is also often killed while defending the nest, making many fields ecological sinks. While there are a number of haying practice changes shown to help increase breeding success, many of these negatively impact feed quality and so remain unpopular with farmers. The presentation will take a comprehensive look at mitigating damage to grassland birds on the farm and help grassland bird conservationists identify opportunities to improve grassland bird habitat in working landscapes. Mark Ludwig is a fourth generation bird bander who joined in family banding trips on the Great Lakes as soon as he could walk. After graduating from MSU with a degree in Environmental Issues, he entered into several different agricultural ventures and received a short course degree in Grass Based Dairy Farming from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He returned to Michigan in 2004 and founded Sand Lily Farms with his wife Kim. Sand Lily is a grass based farm practicing permaculture and rotational grazing in Fennville MI. He works for the Allegan Conservation District helping farmers lower their environmental impact in Michigan’s largest agricultural county. Webinar Participation Details: Date: Thursday, May 24, 2012 Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT / 1:00 - 2:00 PM CDT Phone: 866-912-2391 Passcode: 1221990 Webex Link: http://www.mymeeting...IDWESTBIRDS&t=c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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