international research group FoundChina’s large-scale development of solar energy could have negative environmental impacts—a reduction in bird diversity. Scientists from China, Vietnam and the United States analyzed the impact of government support for solar energy on the biodiversity of more than 2,300 administrative areas in the country from 2014 to 2023. The findings left them unhappy.
Image source: AI Generation ChatGPT/3DNews
There is a clear, statistically significant negative correlation between government activity in solar energy development and the number of bird species, according to research published in the journal Science. The authors estimate that for every one-standard increase in support for solar energy, the bird diversity index decreases by approximately 2.1%. Simply put, the more money and land allocated to solar farms, the fewer bird species subsequently live in these areas.
To conduct the analysis, the researchers used not only data on the area of solar power plants, but also a special indicator of the “rigidity” of national support for photovoltaic policies. This approach makes it possible to accurately assess the impact of the mechanisms that stimulate the construction of solar facilities, rather than just installed capacity. As an indicator of bird community status, we use Shannon Diversity Index —An ecological parameter that takes into account the number of species and the evenness of their population distribution. Bird data come from observations from the China Birding Recording Center, combined with solar energy policy and land use maps.
Scientists say the main reason for the decline in biodiversity is changes in habitat structure. Large-scale solar farms require land conversion, which can result in loss of feeding areas, destruction of nesting sites and fragmentation of remaining natural areas. The most obvious impacts are seen in economically developed areas and areas with inherently complex ecosystems, where the impact of replacing natural landscapes with solar infrastructure is even greater. However, no statistically significant damage to birds was found in arid desert areas where initial biological activity was low.
The researchers point out that solar energy itself is not the only harm to nature: solar panels can create shaded areas, promote vegetation growth, and form new shelters for many insects, birds, and animals. However, environmental impact depends heavily on the location of the object. The authors of this work recommend taking into account the biological value of the territory when planning new solar power plants, especially in areas along bird migration routes. They argue that the energy transition must be accompanied by stronger environmental protection so that lower carbon emissions do not lead to hidden losses in biodiversity.
“Our findings highlight a key environmental dilemma: Without careful spatial planning, policy-driven solar expansion may inadvertently threaten local biodiversity. – says the article. “We believe that future photovoltaic development must be accompanied by strong biodiversity conservation measures, especially in economically developed areas with high habitat complexity.”
If you find an error, select it with your mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.
