Nature Communications (Sep 2020)

Cropland expansion in the United States produces marginal yields at high costs to wildlife

  • Tyler J. Lark,
  • Seth A. Spawn,
  • Matthew Bougie,
  • Holly K. Gibbs

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18045-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Conversion of natural ecosystems to cropland is a threat to most native wildlife. Here the authors quantify the impact of recent cropland expansion on the habitat of representative pollinator, bird, plant species across the conterminous United States, showing diminished crop yield returns at the cost of important habitat losses.