Study that argued China’s solar policy hurt birds may have miscounted 2 billion egrets
A study in one of the world’s top scientific journals that concluded China’s policy-driven solar energy expansion was harming bird diversity has come under fire after allegations emerged that the analysis may have used observations of 2.1 billion little egrets in a single park – more than the entire global population of the species. It also brought up heated conversations on social media about…
A study published in the prestigious journal Science concluded that China's solar energy policy was negatively impacting bird diversity. However, this claim has been called into question after it was discovered that the researchers used an unusually high count of 2.1 billion little egrets in a single park in Guangdong province. This number far exceeds the global population of this species, which is estimated to be around 3 million.
The China Ornithological Society, a prominent birdwatching organization, has raised concerns about the accuracy of the data used in the study, pointing out that other observations, such as 1.3 billion red-billed blue magpies, also exceeded realistic population estimates. They argue that the study's methodology and data quality control are flawed, making it difficult to accurately assess the validity of the findings.
The Society has called for further evaluation of the study's methodology and for researchers to take greater care when using citizen science data.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
