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Webinar

Emerging Findings on the Effects of Cover Crops on Grassland Birds

Event Date
April 25, 2024
Location
Virtual
Green cereal rye, used as a cover crop. There's a house in the distance and a road to the far right of the image. There are blue skies above.

On April 25, 2024, Dr. Adam Janke of Iowa State University and Dr. David Buehler of the University of Tennessee shared new findings on the effects of cover crops on grassland birds in this one-hour webinar supported by USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project. The recording is now available.

Registration

This virtual webinar was hosted on Microsoft Teams. Registration was not required.

Access Other Webinars in the Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series

As the use of cover crops to improve soil health and reduce water quality concerns on working cropland has increased in recent years, questions have emerged regarding the value of cover crops to wildlife. For example, do cover crops provide needed habitat for grassland birds, a group that has experienced widespread population decline in recent decades? What is the value of cover crop fields to grassland birds during the winter, spring migration, and breeding periods compared to cropland fields without cover crops or areas of perennial cover?

In April 2024, Dr. Adam Janke of Iowa State University and Dr. David Buehler of the University of Tennessee answered these questions and more during our one-hour Conservation Outcomes Webinar. The recording of this webinar, available below, shares findings from recent studies examining bird use of cover crops in Iowa and Tennessee conducted in partnership with USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project. Findings may support on-the-ground cropland management decisions informed by a better understanding of the potential role of cover crops in grassland bird conservation efforts.

  • Webinar Recording: The recording of this one-hour webinar is available via the NRCS YouTube channel.
  • Presentation Slides: You may access slides presented by Dr. Janke and Dr. Buehler during the webinar event.
  • Additional Resources One-Pager: This one-pager includes publications and other resources referenced during the webinar.
  • Associated Conservation Insight: This publication details study methodology and associated findings on grassland-breeding bird responses to the integration of cover crops in a corn-soybean cropping system in Iowa.