Rapid expansion of solar farms across China is contributing to a measurable decline in bird diversity, as cropland and grassland are cleared to make way for renewable energy infrastructure, according to a new study. Researchers describe the trend as a 'green dilemma' — one that sets carbon reduction goals against ecological conservation.

Key Findings of the Study

The research, led by Huiming Zhang of Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, analysed policy-driven solar growth across 2,344 Chinese counties between 2014 and 2023. By pairing that data with citizen-science bird observation records, the team found that stricter pro-solar policies were consistently associated with declines in bird biodiversity.

Both resident and migratory bird species showed significant reductions in areas of rapid solar development. The effects were notably stronger in wealthier and non-desert regions, where habitat-rich land is more likely to be converted. Species native to mountain environments — terrain poorly suited to solar installations — were largely unaffected.

The Siting Problem

A critical issue identified by researchers is how solar locations are selected in China. Sites are chosen primarily based on the government's Five-Year Plans to promote economic development in designated regions, rather than on land availability or sunlight intensity. This approach has led to installations on ecologically productive land.

While authorities mandated greening efforts to meet environmental requirements, the resulting vegetation growth was described as 'too homogeneous,' causing ecological quality to deteriorate rather than improve.

China's Solar Footprint and Climate Targets

China aims to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, and its solar footprint had already reached nearly 4,520 square kilometres by 2024 — an area roughly equivalent to the US state of Rhode Island. The scale of this expansion underscores both the ambition of China's clean energy drive and the urgency of addressing its ecological side effects.

What Researchers Are Recommending

'The main message is not to slow the renewable energy transition, but to make solar development more ecologically informed,' Zhang said. The research team has called for large solar projects to be sited in areas with lower ecological conflict, following thorough site assessments, and for limits on land conversion in productive, habitat-rich regions.

'Clean energy development and biodiversity conservation do not have to come at each other's expense, but careful siting and biodiversity safeguards are essential,' Zhang added. The findings point toward a path where renewable energy scale-up and wildlife protection can coexist — but only with deliberate policy reform.