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A ten-year study analyzed 2,344 Chinese municipalities and associated more intense photovoltaic expansion policies with a reduction in bird biodiversity, particularly in wealthier, non-desert regions.
A study analyzing 2,344 Chinese municipalities between 2014 and 2023 linked more intensive solar energy policies to a reduction in bird diversity, showing a decline of 2.10% in the local index for each additional standard deviation in the intensity of incentives.
Study tracked 2,344 municipalities over ten years
The research was led by Huiming Zhang from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, combining bird observations, data on solar infrastructure expansion, and regional economic information.
The survey covered the period from 2014 to 2023 and aimed to measure how the advancement of photovoltaic generation and associated policies related to changes in bird diversity at a local scale.
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According to the researchers, stricter solar expansion policies were associated with significant reductions in the bird biodiversity index.
“The results revealed that more rigorous policies promoting the expansion of solar energy were associated with significant declines in bird diversity,” the researchers stated.
According to the team, an increase of one standard deviation in the intensity of these policies corresponded to a reduction of 2.10% in the bird biodiversity index.
Solar energy expands over large rural areas
The expansion occurs as China leads the way in solar manufacturing and generation. The country has surpassed its target of 1,200 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity set for 2030 ahead of schedule.
Large-scale photovoltaic installations require extensive continuous areas. As this infrastructure advances, thousands of square kilometers of rural land are being transformed to accommodate the projects.
According to the analyzed information, the replacement of open fields and agricultural land with solar installations affects habitats used by birds.
The harms identified were more evident in wealthier, non-desert regions, where land conversion occurred more rapidly.
In these areas, pastures and fertile farms have also been occupied by photovoltaic enterprises. The process replaced areas used by birds with structures associated with solar generation.
The study noted that the most common bird species experienced the most pronounced losses.
Areas with panels appeared greener from satellite view
Another highlighted result from the research involves a discrepancy between the appearance of areas observed from satellites and the conditions of local vegetation.
Satellite monitoring showed that locations occupied by solar installations frequently had higher leaf area index values. Consequently, these regions might appear greener when viewed from orbit.
On the ground, however, data demonstrated a reduction in plant diversity. This phenomenon was termed “lower green” and indicates that a greener appearance did not necessarily correspond to the maintenance of the previously existing plant variety.
Birds were used as sensitive indicators of these ecological changes. Tracking their movements showed effects related to the degradation of vegetation and the availability of food sources in habitats.
Researchers discuss costs of biodiversity loss
In a perspective article accompanying the study, researcher Yuanning Liang emphasized the need to economically consider environmental effects when analyzing public policies.
“Without this valuation, the analysis of public policies does not give due weight to conservation,” Liang stated.
The material also places the results within a broader challenge faced by renewable sources.
Wind energy faces criticism related to bird and bat mortality from collisions with turbine blades. Large hydropower dams, in turn, can fragment rivers, block migratory fish species, and alter natural sediment flows.
In the case of solar energy, researchers indicate that the expansion of infrastructure must also consider its effects on habitats and biodiversity.
Among the mentioned possibilities are installation on degraded land, sharing areas with agricultural activities, and developing planned infrastructure to reduce ecological impacts.
With information from interestingengineering.
