Could some farming practices benefit tropical birds? | @GrrlScientist

Conversion of tropical forests to farms is a big driver of wildlife extinctions. But a new study shows that some farming practices have the potential to simultaneously protect natural habitats and boost farm yields

One of the main drivers of extinction is habitat loss that arises when tropical rainforests are converted to farms -- a trend that is escalating at a dramatic rate. But are some farming practices less harmful to local birds and other wild animals? This was the question asked in a study published today in the journal Current Biology. In this study, the authors recorded the overall diversity of bird species living on land-sharing cattle farms -- these appear to be wildlife-friendly because they include isolated trees and forest patches -- and compared it to land-sparing cattle farms that lack trees and forest patches and to neighbouring contiguous forest. The researchers found that land-sharing cattle farms retain less total bird biodiversity than do more intensive land-sparing cattle farms -- but only if the neighbouring contiguous forest is protected from human exploitation. Additionally, they found that overall avian biodiversity drops off faster for land-sharing cattle farms that are located farther away from contiguous forest.