Agriculture

The helpful ladybird beetle (Adalia bipunctata). 

Agriculture is a prominent feature within the Davis Creek Watershed.  Nearly 30% of the watershed is dominated by this land use, with a majority occurring in the headwaters of the Creek, located in the southern portion.  Pressures of residential or urban development constantly jeopardize these productive fields.

Agriculture serves a critical human need by providing us the bounty to maintain our current lifestyle.  The conversion of natural areas into farmland though has resulted in the loss of wildlife habitat.  Much of Michigan that is currently agricultural was originally wetland.  Much of the Davis Creek watershed was originally forest, savannah or prairie.

Efficient farming requires large tracts of contiguous land.  As a result, wildlife habitat often becomes fragmented into small, discrete patches lacking corridors between undisturbed areas.  The best options for meeting both human needs for crop production and wildlife needs for habitat require careful planning and attention to the original characteristics of the area.

Some species have demonstrated the ability to adapt to human-altered landscapes.  Certain bird species which bountifully inhabited the grasslands once common in this area, are able to adapt to agricultural landscapes.  The Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is one such species, gracing the edges of farmed fields.  It has historically been recorded within the Davis Creek Watershed, though no recent observations have been made.  This bird is listed as "Threatened" in other states, and is becoming more rare in Michigan.

Click the birdhouse to hear the song of the Upland Sandpiper.

Black swallowtail butterflies (Papilio spp.), another example of a species which has adapted to habitat changes, feed on the non-native but abundant Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota).