9.0 Historical Changes in the Land-Use and Wetland Availability in Old Norfolk County

9.1 Land cover and land-use change in old Norfolk County

9.1.4.2 Potential benefits of increased corn production

1/ The production of tobacco has facilitated soil conservation in old Norfolk County, primarily due to the fact that a cover crop of rye is planted in the late summer or fall. However, tobacco has virtually no nutritional value for wildlife. In direct contrast, waste corn left in fields following harvest has become one of the most important wildlife foods in North America, and this is particularly true for waterfowl (Bellrose 1976; Baldassarre et al. 1983). Consequently, the increase in corn and concurrent decrease in tobacco, hay, pasture, and cattle (Gartshore et al. 1987) in old Norfolk County has probably had a substantial nutritional benefit to migratory ducks, geese and swans, and has probably increased the carrying capacity of Long Point Bay and old Norfolk County for staging waterfowl. As it is used primarily as a staging area, waterfowl numbers at Long Point are extremely low between 15 May and 1 October. Consequently, crop depredation by waterfowl is generally not a major problem in the region.