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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">*USDA-NRCS, Conservation Insight, October 2021</span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </o:p><br>
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*Summary<o:p> </o:p></p>
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<li><span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Small, diversified agricultural operations provide similar bird conservation value as other habitats recognized as important contributors to shrubland bird conservation
in New England. </span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </o:p></span></li></ul>
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Fifty-two percent of birds encountered on small, diversified farms in New England were shrubland species.
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Certain shrubland species were positively associated with open-habitat characteristics such as herbaceous vegetation and cover crops on farms, while others preferred greater coverage of tall, dense, shrub and woodland habitat as well as smaller field sizes.
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Most bird species considered crop pests were associated with bare ground, herbaceous rowcrops and larger field sizes.
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Farms complement other shrubland habitat types by supporting shrubland species that prefer open-habitat characteristics.
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Farmers can promote bird conservation on their farms, while also reducing numbers of pest bird species, by reducing field sizes, providing tall, dense vegetation in non-production areas and increasing cover of hedgerows, shrub, and woodland habitats<o:p> </o:p></p>
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*Link to article: https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/7538599/PDF<o:p> </o:p></p>
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