2024-03-28T10:29:01
125422
Thu Mar 28 10:29:02 EDT 2024
Data and Code for: Conservation co-benefits from air pollution regulation: Evidence from birds
Yuanning Liang
Ivan Rudik
Eric Zou
Alison Johnston
Amanda Rodewald
Catherine Kling
125422
https://doi.org/10.3886/E125422V2
2020-11-02
Understanding the drivers of abundance and biodiversity decline across numerous taxa is imperative for designing conservation policy. We use highly detailed citizen science data to show that there is a strong, robust negative association between bird abundance and ambient ozone concentrations in the United States. In particular, we find that a regulation aimed at reducing ozone precursors has significantly bolstered populations in the eastern US. Our estimated effects suggest that the large decline in average United States ozone concentrations over the past several decades has averted the loss of potentially billions of birds. Environmental policies nominally aimed at humans can also provide substantial benefits to other species.