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Closing yield gaps: perils and possibilities for biodiversity conservation
Ben Phalan1, Rhys Green, Andrew Balmford
1Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
Summary
Closing agricultural yield gaps can spare land for biodiversity but may harm farmland species. Strategic yield increases and reduced food demand are crucial for conservation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Increasing agricultural productivity, termed 'closing yield gaps,' presents a dichotomy for biodiversity conservation.
- Yield enhancement can negatively impact farmland species while simultaneously reducing pressure to convert natural habitats into cropland.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify optimal locations for closing yield gaps to benefit bird conservation within a land-sparing framework.
- To assess the potential negative impacts of yield increases on biodiversity.
Main Methods:
- Integration of global data on yield gaps, projected crop production (maize, rice, wheat), bird distributions, and yield-sensitivity data.
- Spatially explicit mapping to pinpoint areas for beneficial or detrimental yield gap closure.
Main Results:
- Closing yield gaps to meet projected 2050 demand could spare land equivalent to the Indian subcontinent.
- Significant yield increases on existing farmland are projected to reduce on-farm biodiversity.
Conclusions:
- A dual approach is advocated: constraining global food demand and identifying least-harmful yield-increasing methods.
- Effective land-sparing requires linking yield improvements to habitat protection, necessitating collaboration among conservationists, farmers, scientists, and policymakers.
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