GAME AND WILD-FUR PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION 



27 



were estimated by experienced biologists and economists who are fa- 

 miliar with agriculture and other land use conditions, and with wild- 

 life and its administration, production, and utilization throughout the 

 Nation. 



A study of the percentages in table 3 indicates that the agricultural 

 use of tlie land is relatively favorable to the production of cover and 

 food for game and fur animals as compared with most nonagricultural 

 uses. According to these estimates, it is believed that 48 percent of the 

 land in farms and 81 percent of the agricultural land not in farms are 

 providing food and cover for game and fur animals, and 59 percent 

 of the agricultural land provides 81.6 percent of the wildlife habitat 

 of the country. 



According to this table, when all agricultural land is compared with 

 all nonagricultural land, 59 percent of the former and 68 percent of the 

 latter are providing food and cover for game and wild-fur animals. 

 Some species depend for their existence upon agricultural land, or 

 rather upon the conditions which -agricultural pursuits create, and 

 where these species are important game species, agriculture and the 

 land devoted to it will be of even greater importance to wildlife pro- 

 duction than is here indicated. 



Table 3. — Estimated acreage providing food and cove?* for wildlife, by classes 



of land. 1935 





Ownership 



Total 

 area 



Per- 

 cent- 

 age 

 now 

 pro- 

 viding 

 food 

 and 

 cover ' 



Providing food and cover 



Class of land 



Area 2 



Per- 

 cent- 

 age of 

 all food 



and 

 cover 



Per- 

 cent- 

 age of 

 total 

 land 

 area 

 of the 

 United 

 States 



Agricultural: 



Land in farms: 



Cropland ._ ... . .. 



Private 



do 



do 



do 



1,000 acres 

 3 415, 335 

 3 409, 805 

 3 185, 475 

 3 43, 900 



Percent 

 25 

 50 



85 



85 



1,000 acres 

 103, 834 

 204, 902 

 157. 654 

 37, 315 



Percent 

 9.0 

 17.8 

 13.7 

 3.2 



Percent 

 5.4 



Open pasture 



Woodland 



All other land 



10.8 

 8.3 

 2.0 



Total 



1. 054, 515 



48 



503. 705 



43.7 1 26.5 





Public 



Private . 





Land not in farms: 



Forest and woodland grazed __ 

 Do 



* 132, 612 



* 143, 100 

 < 163. 353 



* 97, 700 



80 

 90 



75 



80 



106, 089 

 128. 790 

 122.515 



78, 160 



9.2 

 11.2 

 10.7 



6.8 



5.6 

 6.8 



Nonforest and woodland 



Public 



6.4 



grazed. 

 Do 



Private 



4.1 







Total ..: 



5 536. 765 



81 



435.554 37. 9 : 22.9 









All agricultural land. _- 



1,591.280 



59 



939.259 81.6 f 49.4 















1 These percentages were estimated by biologists and economists who are thoroughly 

 familiar with land use, agriculture, and wildlife habitat in each State and were based upon a 

 study of each class of land. 



2 The figures in this column show only the acreage providing food and cover : they do 

 not consider quality of food and cover which really determine the wildlife carrying 

 capacity of the area. 



3 Data from the 1935 agricultural census. 



* Compiled from Part III of the Supplementary Report of the Land Planning Committee, 

 National Resources Board, pp. 35-48. 



5 Agricultural land not in farms is really greater than shown because considerable other 

 land is grazed by domestic animals and some other land is used for crops, particularly in 

 urban areas and on Indian reservations. 



