How Does Agriculture Affect Wildlife?

Agriculture, by definition, means to alter the natural environment in order to produce the foods required by humans, often on a large scale. Changing the landscape in this way has an inevitable effect on the native flora and fauna. This is particularly true in the modern day, as the use of pesticides and fertilizers can often lead to an even greater environmental impact. Knowing this has led many people, including both experts and laypersons, to ask the question: How does agriculture affect wildlife?

While agriculture certainly influences the environment, it does not necessarily have to be a negative one. Sustainable practices combined with responsible stewardship of the local environment can allow for maximum crop yields while minimizing harm to local plant and animal life.

Local farmers, including the 250 potato farmers in the state of Washington, have teamed up to help encourage sustainable agricultural practices and support local wildlife. In this article, we’ll discuss the various impacts food production has on local wildlife and what we’re doing to reduce those effects and protect our treasured native species.

The Impact: Land Conversion

The first and most obvious impact of agricultural practices on local wildlife is in land conversion: By transforming wild areas into farmland, the habitats of local organisms are destroyed or fragmented. Native animals, such as deer, become thought of as pests as they attempt to return to their original territories in search of food.

Fewer trees also means reduced habitat for local birds and other creatures that depend on the forests to survive. Of course, many agricultural practices also seek to use the best, most fertile land available, leaving only areas with less nutrient-dense soil and poorer sunlight available for the local wildlife.

What We’re Doing: Growing Potatoes That Require Less Land

One method of reducing the environmental impact of land conversion is to reduce the amount of land that needs to be converted in the first place. This can be done by investing in crops that require less land to thrive; potatoes are among the best products for this.

Potatoes are also highly nutrient-dense, meaning they can sustain human populations while eliminating the need to grow dozens of different crops across a wide area to achieve the same level of nutritional availability. They are also highly adaptable, meaning they can grow in many different environments, minimizing the need to convert the land excessively in the first place.

The Impact: Pesticides

Any farmer, of course, has to deal with insect populations as an expected part of the job. Many insect species are pests, damaging or killing crops and harming agricultural yields. Many farmers respond to these pest species by applying pesticides, which are effective for killing pest species but also have the unwanted consequence of harming beneficial insects as well, including critical pollinators that support local wildlife habitats. Pesticide runoff can also enter the environment, posing a threat to nearby plants and animals.

What We’re Doing: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

One way that we work to reduce the use of pesticides and minimize the harm done to beneficial species is through Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This refers to using a variety of complementary methods to reduce and eliminate the presence of pests while also minimizing the effects on beneficial species.

The first step is to design farmland areas in a way that reduces the ability of pests to invade in the first place. The next is to use modern technology to track pest species and predict their life cycles. In doing so, we can ensure pesticides are only applied when absolutely necessary, rather than using them in the haphazard way they have been used in the past.

The Impact: Fertilizers

Fertilizers are used to improve crop growth and yields, and they can be critical to the survival of many staple crop species. However, the same fertilizers can have a deleterious impact on the environment, largely due to the fact that they contain excessive amounts of nitrogen. Nitrogen encourages the growth of plant life, which is excellent if that’s what you’re using it for.

What We’re Doing: Crop Rotation and Growing Even More Potatoes

Fertilizers are necessary when soil cannot provide the necessary nutrients on its own. This means that the more certain crops are grown, the more fertilizers are required, as they tend to strip the soil of critical vitamins and minerals.

One method that helps to keep soil fertile without the need for additional fertilizers is called crop rotation. Different crops have different nutrient requirements. Therefore, switching up which plants are grown in a given plot can help to keep the soil from becoming overly depleted. Of course, if one is looking for a crop to switch to, potatoes are an excellent choice since they can adapt to most soils with ease.

For More Information

So, how does agriculture affect wildlife? The ultimate answer is however we allow it to. If local farmers, supported by the citizenry, work together to support wildlife and reduce their environmental impact, humans and animals that call an area home can both survive and thrive alongside one another. Washington potato farmers are working hard to support local wildlife, conserve water, minimize greenhouse gasses produced during farming, and more.

In this way, we are doing our part in the ongoing battle against climate disruptions while also providing a critical staple crop that our great state and the rest of the country depend on. Visit the Washington Potatoes website to learn more about what we’re doing to support sustainable agricultural practices.