A recent study from UW-Madison has proven that converting farmland to areas for grassland biofuel crops could be beneficial for landowners and Wisconsin birds.
The leaders of the study have said that the research can help guide landowners in the best ways to use their property, according to a university release.
“In southern Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest, we expect a lot out of our landscapes,” said Eugene P. Odum, a professor of ecology, and Vilas research professor Monica Turner in the release. “This study can give guidance to landowners on how to maintain multiple natural benefits while making a living off their land.”
The researchers said that farmers should focus on transforming marginal farmlands to areas suitable for producing bioenergy crops that would also help birds.
The increase in biofuel production could possibly bring birds back to Wisconsin, as bird populations have reduced drastically in the past several years.
