A recent study has identified important regions across the United States where investing in conservation can bring triple benefits—helping people, fighting climate change, and protecting bird species. These special areas, called conservation sweet spots, support many U.S. bird species, including 75% of all forest birds.
Finding Win-Win-Win Conservation Areas
Rachel Neugarten from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the lead author of the study, explained that their goal was to find places where conservation efforts can protect biodiversity, especially birds, while also benefiting humans and the climate. “One of the big takeaways is that these win-win-wins do exist,” she said.
The team used data from a previous study that mapped 11 ecosystem services in the U.S. These services include pollination, recreation, carbon storage, and flood control. They combined this with information on 479 bird species’ abundance across the country, gathered from eBird, a citizen science platform.
Where Are These Important Areas?
By overlapping the bird population data with ecosystem and carbon storage maps, the researchers discovered key regions offering the greatest benefits for people, climate, and birds. These include the Appalachian Mountains, New England, the southeastern U.S., the Ozarks, and the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges. All these places are heavily forested.
Neugarten described forests as “ecosystem service machines” because they provide many benefits. Forests store large amounts of carbon, supply timber, reduce flooding, improve water quality, and offer spaces for recreation.
Bird Species That Benefit Most
The study’s priority areas are home to almost half of all U.S. bird species and over 75% of forest bird species. These include “tipping point species,” which have lost nearly half their populations in the last 50 years and continue to decline. For instance, 91% of cerulean warblers live in ecosystem service priority areas, and 94% live in carbon priority areas.
Wetland and arid land birds, like LeConte’s thrasher, have less overlap with these priority areas. Although wetlands provide significant ecosystem and carbon benefits, forests cover much larger areas and offer higher levels of benefits, which may overshadow wetlands and coastal zones in this study.
Challenges and Conservation Strategies
Neugarten warns that these win-win-win areas are not guaranteed to help all bird species equally. Investments in wetlands and coastal areas might benefit some species but not others.
With conservation funding shrinking and bird populations declining rapidly, this research helps focus efforts where they matter most. Jon Fisher from the Pew Charitable Trusts, who was not involved in the study, said this kind of work is vital to plan conservation actions wisely.
The study shows that protecting certain forests and mountain regions in the U.S. can support people, fight climate change, and save many bird species at the same time. These conservation sweet spots offer a strategic way to make the most of limited resources while facing growing environmental challenges. Understanding and investing in these areas could be crucial for the future of both birds and humans.
FAQs
What are conservation sweet spots?
They are special places where protecting nature benefits people, fights climate change, and helps bird species all at once.
Which regions in the U.S. are conservation sweet spots?
Important areas include the Appalachian Mountains, New England, the Southeast, the Ozarks, and the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges.
Why are forests important for conservation?
Forests provide many benefits like storing carbon, preventing floods, improving water quality, and supporting many bird species.
Do all bird species benefit from these conservation areas?
Not all. Birds in wetlands or dry lands may not benefit as much, so different habitats need separate attention.
How can this study help conservation efforts?
It helps focus limited resources on areas where conservation can make the biggest positive impact for both people and wildlife.
