Surprising Study Finds More Trees Can Mean Fewer Birds

Planting trees is usually sold as a win for biodiversity. Many experts say that humans must plant more and more trees to save our planet Earth and also our future. But new research shows the picture isn't that simple, especially for birds that depend on open landscapes. Scientists studying farmland wetlands on Japan's western coast found that "shelterbelts", the rows of trees farmers plant to block wind, don't help all bird species equally, Science Daily reported.

Published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the study shows that while some birds gain habitat from the trees, others that rely on open grassland and wetlands decline in abundance and diversity.

The issue is trade-offs. Conservation programs often push tree and hedgerow planting to boost wildlife, and evidence from Europe and North America backs that up for croplands and grasslands. But wetlands like rice paddies - common across Asia and shrinking worldwide - work differently. Many birds there need wide-open spaces, and tree lines can fragment those habitats.

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"The central question of our study is, 'Do shelterbelts and other woody linear features benefit all farmland birds equally in agricultural wetland landscapes, or do they create trade-offs by disadvantaging species that depend on open habitats?'" Masumi Hisano, the corresponding author and assistant professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, said as quoted by Science Daily.

Hisano added that "our study provides clear, quantitative evidence that small-scale landscape features can have large ecological consequences, directly relevant to land-use planning and environmental management".

According to the researchers, the conservation can't be one-size-fits-all. Adding trees may help woodland species, but it can come at the expense of birds adapted to open, wet farmland. Land-use changes need to account for those differences to avoid unintentional losses.

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"Ultimately, our goal is to help design evidence-based agri-environmental policies that work in wet-farmed landscapes worldwide. Rather than promoting a single solution, such as planting more trees everywhere, we aim to support landscape-level planning that combines open habitats and woody features in ways that sustain diverse bird communities and the ecosystem functions they provide. By doing so, agricultural wetlands can remain productive for people while continuing to serve as vital habitats for wildlife in a rapidly changing world," said Hisano.