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

Author

Listed:
  • Tyler J. Lark

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Seth A. Spawn

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Matthew Bougie

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Holly K. Gibbs

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

Recent expansion of croplands in the United States has caused widespread conversion of grasslands and other ecosystems with largely unknown consequences for agricultural production and the environment. Here we assess annual land use change 2008–16 and its impacts on crop yields and wildlife habitat. We find that croplands have expanded at a rate of over one million acres per year, and that 69.5% of new cropland areas produced yields below the national average, with a mean yield deficit of 6.5%. Observed conversion infringed upon high-quality habitat that, relative to unconverted land, had provided over three times higher milkweed stem densities in the Monarch butterfly Midwest summer breeding range and 37% more nesting opportunities per acre for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains. Our findings demonstrate a pervasive pattern of encroachment into areas that are increasingly marginal for production, but highly significant for wildlife, and suggest that such tradeoffs may be further amplified by future cropland expansion.

Suggested Citation

  • Tyler J. Lark & Seth A. Spawn & Matthew Bougie & Holly K. Gibbs, 2020. "Cropland expansion in the United States produces marginal yields at high costs to wildlife," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18045-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18045-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Meng Wang & Qingchen Xu & Zemeng Fan & Xiaofang Sun, 2021. "The Imprint of Built-Up Land Expansion on Cropland Distribution and Productivity in Shandong Province," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Massigoge, Ignacio & Carcedo, Ana & de Borja Reis, Andre Froes & Mitchell, Clay & Day, Scott & Oliverio, Joaquin & Truong, Sandra H. & McCormick, Ryan F. & Rotundo, Jose & Lira, Sara & Ciampitti, Igna, 2023. "Exploring avenues for agricultural intensification: A case study for maize-soybean in the Southern US region," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    3. Spawn-Lee, Seth A. & Lark, Tyler J. & Gibbs, Holly & Houghton, Richard A. & Kucharik, Christopher J & Malins, Chris & Pelton, Rylie & Robertson, G. Philip, 2021. "Refuting recent claims of an improved carbon intensity of U.S. corn ethanol," EcoEvoRxiv cxhz5, Center for Open Science.
    4. Eric Strobl, 2022. "Preserving local biodiversity through crop diversification," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(3), pages 1140-1174, May.
    5. Eric G. O’Neill & Caleb H. Geissler & Christos T. Maravelias, 2024. "Large-scale spatially explicit analysis of carbon capture at cellulosic biorefineries," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 9(7), pages 828-838, July.
    6. Qiang Wang & Yuanfan Li & Rongrong Li, 2024. "Rethinking the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis across 214 countries: the impacts of 12 economic, institutional, technological, resource, and social factors," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    7. Stefanie Christmann & Youssef Bencharki & Soukaina Anougmar & Pierre Rasmont & Moulay Chrif Smaili & Athanasios Tsivelikas & Aden Aw-Hassan, 2021. "Farming with Alternative Pollinators benefits pollinators, natural enemies, and yields, and offers transformative change to agriculture," Post-Print hal-03355596, HAL.
    8. Ruiqing Miao & David A. Hennessy & Hongli Feng, 2022. "Grassland easement evaluation and acquisition with uncertain conversion and conservation returns," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 70(1), pages 41-61, March.
    9. Yuling Fang & Shixin Wu & Guanyu Hou & Weiyi Long, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Changes and Driving Mechanisms of Cropland Reclamation and Abandonment in Xinjiang," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, September.
    10. Ziyang Yu & Zhenzhen Li & Haoxuan Yang & Yihao Wang & Yang Cui & Guoping Lei & Shuai Ye, 2023. "Contrasting responses of spatiotemporal patterns of cropland to climate change in Northeast China," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(5), pages 1197-1214, October.
    11. Werth, Samantha & Almutairi, Kamel & Thoma, Greg & Mitloehner, Frank, 2021. "An economic assessment of U.S. ground beef in response to the introduction of plant-based meat alternatives," Conference papers 333254, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.

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