A framework for identifying bird conservation priority areas in croplands at national level

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Global biodiversity loss necessitates integrating conservation into land-use planning, including agricultural areas.
• Croplands are vital for both food security and supporting diverse species, requiring strategic conservation efforts.
• Existing national-scale quantitative methods for cropland biodiversity conservation priorities are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a quantitative framework for identifying national cropland conservation priorities for bird species.
• To inform biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and resource allocation for effective conservation outcomes.
• To provide data-driven policy recommendations for cropland biodiversity conservation.

Main Methods:

• Calculated suitable bird habitat across China's croplands.
• Employed a complementarity-based approach to designate irreplaceable conservation priority areas.
• Incorporated species richness, threat level, and conservation percentage targets into priority area selection.

Main Results:

• Identified 6.76% of China's land area as cropland conservation priority for birds.
• The identified areas partially cover suitable habitats for all studied bird species.
• Analysis of landscape patterns and foraging traits informed area-specific policy suggestions.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework effectively identifies national-scale cropland conservation priorities for biodiversity.
• This approach supports the fulfillment of conservation targets within the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
• The methodology is adaptable for identifying priority areas for large-scale biodiversity conservation in other countries.