Lasting benefits from short-term conservation agreements
The Prairie Pothole Region, which includes parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well as some U.S. states, is the most important landscape for breeding ducks in North America. This region is also strongly agricultural, and most of the land is privately owned. That’s why Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) offers a suite of landowner programs, allowing Prairie farmers to find conservation options that work for their own agricultural operation. These programs include options to protect habitat in perpetuity as well as short-term agreements. Many producers prefer the flexibility of a short-term agreement, and research shows that the such agreements can provide habitat benefits during the agreement period. But what about benefits beyond that? DUC’s Lauren Bortolotti and Carleton University’s Joe Bennett and Tim Alamenciak are collaborating on a study to assess the longer lasting, multifaceted benefits of such short-term agreements as part of overall conservation strategies for Prairie agricultural landscapes.
Science Matters. Through our Science Fund, the Alberta NAWMP Partnership supports research towards achieving our vision of maintaining healthy prairie, parkland and boreal landscapes that support sustainable bird populations and provide ecological and economic benefits to society.
We are grateful to everyone who contributes to this work and for their willingness to enable us to profile their research through our Science Stories Series. For additional Science Stories, visit https://abnawmp.ca/science/#science-stories. For further information regarding their work, contact the researchers directly or email the Alberta NAWMP Partnership Coordinator.
Agricultural landowners are key partners in Prairie habitat conservation, so Ducks Unlimited Canada offers a suite of landowner programs including options for short-term conservation agreements. credit: Ducks Unlimited Canada