New article in Conservation Science & Practice – Identifying focus zones for the conservation and promotion of priority birds in Swiss farmland
Agricultural landscapes are habitats for many animal and plant species, but often a balance must be found between food production and species protection.
In a new study, the potential distribution of 27 priority bird species was modelled for the entire Swiss agricultural area. In addition, the impact of agricultural production was projected using life cycle assessment (SALCA-biodiversity). Combining the two maps allows the identification of focus zones: zones with high distribution potential and low impact of agricultural production can be preserved (=conservation zones), while zones with high distribution potential and high impact identify regions with potential for improvement (=promotion zones). The method has the potential to be applied to other species, regions or ecosystem services in the future.
Read the article here: external page https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13286