Corn ethanol production may be harming the habitats of endangered species, first-of-its-kind research shows, but there are readily available solutions. New research from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies investigated the connections between biofuels and threatened and endangered species across the U.S. The work, published in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal Biological Conservation, is the first scientific assessment to establish the connection between the Renewable Fuel Standard, the subsequent widespread conversion of land to biofuel crops, and the adverse impacts to critical habitat of threatened and endangered species.

Created in 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires that all U.S.-sold transportation fuel include a minimum volume of renewable fuels. Thus far, those fuels have come largely from corn-based ethanol whose production can consume land otherwise used for conservation, impair water quality and even increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Tyler Lark, lead scientist in the Global Land Use and Environment Lab, compared cropland extensification to the critical habitats and extended ranges of animals protected by the Endangered Species Act, including whooping cranes, Poweshiek skipperlings and black-footed ferrets. The findings suggest a strong likelihood for interaction between protected species and the RFS—in other words, the federal mandate for corn ethanol production may be jeopardizing imperiled wildlife.

“It’s not surprising that vulnerable wildlife are at risk, given what we know about the impacts of corn ethanol production,” Lark says of the new study, which follows his recent contributions to a multiyear, comprehensive assessment of the environmental outcomes of corn ethanol. “What’s more shocking is that we’re 15 years into our current biofuels policy and there’s been little to no research on these interactions.”

In the new analysis, Lark suggests simple, readily available methods to mitigate these interactions. For starters, there should be deeper collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and federal wildlife agencies when implementing renewable fuel policy. Other actionable steps include shifting biofuel dependence from corn to native and perennial plants and incorporating the use of cover crops and other conservation practices into existing bioenergy croplands.

“Fortunately, all the tools and practices that we need to mitigate these negative effects and improve wildlife habitat already exist. We just need to act,” Lark says.

For more information, visit Nelson.WISC.edu.

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