Photo by Doris Dumrauf/Alamy
Researchers at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology reached this conclusion. According to *Science*, they analyzed data from 2,344 Chinese counties for the years 2014–2023. The more actively the government promoted the development of solar energy, the more bird diversity declined. According to the study authors’ calculations, the intensification of such policies was accompanied by a 2.1% decrease in the bird biodiversity index.
The cause turned out to be not the solar panels themselves, but the land they occupy. Large-scale photovoltaic projects require extensive areas, and in a number of regions, meadows and farmland were converted for this purpose. Along with the land, birds lost their usual feeding and nesting grounds.
The effect was particularly noticeable in wealthier regions, where solar energy was developing rapidly and there was less available land. Moreover, this isn’t just about rare species: the decline in biodiversity has also affected widespread bird species, including both migratory and resident species.
This process also has an unexpected visual effect. From a satellite, solar power plant sites sometimes even appear greener. Vegetation remains beneath the panels, and green cover indices may increase. But on the ground, the picture is different: the number of plant species is decreasing, and the habitat is becoming simpler and poorer.
Researchers call this “insufficient greening”: the area formally becomes greener, but loses ecological diversity.
The study’s authors are not calling for an end to solar energy. On the contrary, they believe that the next stage of its development must take into account not only electricity generation but also the impact on nature.
The solution is to seek out already degraded land for new projects, where solar power plants will not compete with agriculture and natural ecosystems.
For China, which has committed to the large-scale development of renewable energy, the study’s conclusion is clear: the question now is not only how many solar power plants to build, but also what land to allocate for them.
