UMD Study Links Pro-Solar Policies to Decline in Bird Diversity

Going green isn’t always greener, according to new University of Maryland research that found that stronger policies promoting large-scale solar energy projects in China were linked to declines in bird diversity largely because of changes in how land was used. 

Most previous research has focused on what happens after solar farms are built. In this new study published Aug. 20 in Science, School of Public Policy Professor and Roy F. Weston Chair in Natural Economics Lucy Qiu and her co-authors examined what happens earlier, when government policy helps determine where solar development occurs and how quickly it expands. 

They developed an index measuring the strength of solar policies at the provincial, municipal and county levels in 2,344 counties in China from 2014 to 2023, then combined it with bird observation, environmental and socioeconomic data. 

Policies that encouraged solar expansion were associated with more conversion of cropland and grassland into developed areas, changing the habitats birds rely on. The team also found that, in some places, the amount of vegetation increased even as the habitat lost variety. “So more greenery does not always mean better habitat for wildlife,” said Qiu.

The impact on bird diversity also differed by location. Declines were concentrated outside China's arid Three-North region and in nondesert areas, where habitats tend to be more complex. Researchers did not find a significant effect on bird diversity in the desert regions they studied.

Qiu said the findings show why sunlight and construction costs should not be the only considerations for policymakers choosing locations for solar projects. Land use, vegetation, habitat quality and biodiversity should also factor in. When possible, projects should be directed toward already developed, degraded or other areas where they would create fewer ecological conflicts. 

Although the study focused on China, the questions it raises are relevant anywhere governments are making decisions about expanding renewable energy. 

“The goal should be not just more solar,” said Qiu, “but better-sited and better-managed solar.”