Though Illinois has traditionally been known as the Prairie State, agricultural land has become our dominant habitat type. Cropland primarily occupies areas of Illinois that were formerly prairie. Today, 85% of Illinois land is farmland; of that, two-thirds is devoted to corn and soybeans. By comparison, remnants of the original prairie occupy less than one-tenth of 1% of our state.

Some think that croplands have little to offer wildlife. Indeed, the most intensively farmed areas have little but miles of row crops broken up only by an occasional pocket or corridor of woodland, grassland, or wetland. But some species do use croplands as a primary habitat. And, with just a little accommodation, cropland can provide habitat for many species. See Table 6.1 for selected species that frequent croplands. Providing more grassland, woodland, and wetland habitat may seem the logical choice for landowners interested in wildlife. But because cropland occupies more than three-quarters of our state, any realistic focus on managing for Illinois wildlife must include agricultural lands. Moreover, improving habitat on farmland will benefit wildlife in nearby Grasslands woodlands, and wetlands.

What Defines Cropland Habitat

Croplands include fields whose. primary use is producing row crops (primarily corn and soybeans), small grains (primarily oats and wheat), fruit and vegetable crops (strawberries, tomatoes, green beans, melons, etc.), hay crops, forage, and orchard crops. These fields are regularly disturbed by activities such as planting, tilling, harvesting, mowing, and grazing.