Biodiversity consequences of cropland abandonment

Although cropland expansion continues in many regions, substantial areas of cropland have been abandoned in recent decades as a result of demographic, socioeconomic and technological changes. Variation among species and habitats and limited information on the nature and duration of abandonment have resulted in controversy over how abandonment affects biodiversity. Here, we use annual land-cover maps to estimate habitat changes for 1,322 bird and mammal species at 11 sites across four continents for 1987–2017. We find that most bird (62.7%) and mammal species (77.7%) gain habitat because of cropland abandonment, yet even more would have benefited (74.2% and 86.3%, respectively) if recultivation had not occurred. Furthermore, many birds (32.2%) and mammals (27.8%) experienced net habitat loss after accounting for agricultural conversion that occurred before or alongside abandonment. While cropland abandonment represents an important conservation opportunity, limiting recultivation and reducing additional habitat loss are essential if abandonment is to contribute to biodiversity conservation.