Planting trees as windbreaks on farmland can sharply cut populations of grassland and wetland birds, according to new research in central Japan.
Researchers surveyed birds around Lake Kahokugata in February and March 2021 and again in June 2023. They found grassland bird abundance more than 70 percent lower at sites next to shelterbelts than at open sites one kilometer away.
Corresponding author Masumi Hisano of Hiroshima University said shelterbelts act like ecological walls that support edge species but limit space for open-habitat birds and may increase predator exposure.
The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, urges planners to balance tree planting with the needs of wetland species in agricultural landscapes.
Hisano noted that many conservation programs promote trees without considering these trade-offs for birds that rely on open wetlands.