China's solar expansion policy reduces bird diversity

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Huiming; Zhang, Aixin; Wu, Kai; Cai, Yinyin; Li, Shanjun; Wang, Shouyang; Qiu, Yueming (Lucy); Huang, Shoujun; Phan, Thi Thuc Anh
• 署名单位: Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology; Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology; Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology; Central University of Finance & Economics; Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology; Stanford University; Stanford University; Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS; University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; Sun Yat Sen University; VinUniversity
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aee0747
• 发表日期: 2026-08-20
• 页码: 831-836
• 关键词: Renewable Energy; land-use; biodiversity; habitat; impacts; FUTURE

摘要

Could the global transition to renewable energy create a green dilemma that pits carbon reduction against biodiversity conservation? This study examined the effect of policies promoting solar photovoltaics on local avian biodiversity using a panel dataset covering 2344 counties in China from 2014 to 2023. Policies that favored photovoltaic expansion led to reductions in bird diversity, disproportionately affecting wealthier and nondesert regions, as well as widespread species. The mechanism operated primarily through land conversion: Cropland and grassland were transformed into developed areas, reducing the diversity of vegetation. Paradoxically, the leaf area index increased, a pattern we term inferior greening, whereby diverse natural landscapes were replaced by dense but ecologically homogeneous vegetation. We argue that future photovoltaic development should be accompanied by strict biodiversity safeguards, especially in economically developed regions with high habitat complexity.