{
  "id": 7826466,
  "title": "Land use and management intensity affect the suitability of habitats for wildlife in Europe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/land-use-and-management-intensity-affect-the-suitability-of-habitats",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-16T16:40:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-intensity-affect-suitability-habitats-wildlife.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Research led by the University of Surrey, IIASA, and the Natural History Museum has revealed that land use and management intensity significantly impact the suitability of habitats for wildlife across Europe. Species distribution models were used to study the effects on 229 cropland and forest vertebrate species. The study found that the more extensively a land is used or managed, the less suitable it becomes for wildlife, but this impact varies between species. Common, widespread species, such as many birds and mammals, seem to benefit more from intensified land use, while rarer, specialized species may suffer. For cropland species, low-intensity cropland and grassland are somewhat more suitable than high-intensity equivalents, while widespread forest species tend to favor intensified forests. Urban areas proved to be the most suitable habitat for many species, including common ones. Professor Zoe M. Harris emphasized that urban areas may seem counterintuitive but are crucial for common species while rarer, specialized species require unique habitats. The researchers hope their findings will contribute to EU biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly in conserving farmland and forest birds, by advocating for reduced land management intensity or restored wetland habitats for farmland birds and decreased forestry intensity for certain forest specialists.",
  "summary": "Common, wide-ranging vertebrate species, such as foxes, may be finding more suitable habitat in towns and cities than in the wider landscape, while rarer species—which live in smaller areas—appear to favor different habitats, according to new research into species across Europe.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Spanish scientists find first evidence of Diplodocus dinosaur in Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/spanish-scientists-find-first-evidence-of-diplodocus-dinosaur-in",
        "published": "2026-09-15T12:38:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Science",
        "title": "Fossils of iconic long-necked dinosaur Diplodocus found in Europe for first time — and it may have traveled there via land bridge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/fossils-of-iconic-long-necked-dinosaur-diplodocus-found-in-europe-for",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:11:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW English (Top Stories)",
        "title": "Spanish scientists find first evidence of Diplodocus dinosaur in Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/spanish-scientists-find-first-evidence-of-diplodocus-dinosaur-in-7569188",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:42:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}