Photo credit: joiseyshowaa

Intensive conventional agricultural practices have been linked to a decline in insects that are a particularly important source of food for young songbirds. In a study published in the Journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, researchers tested whether organic farms provided more food for fledgling song birds than conventional farms. After surveying insect populations in nine organic soybean fields and nine nearby conventional soybean fields, they found there was 43 percent more food available for young songbirds in organic fields than conventional fields. The authors conclude that the greater nestling food biomass in organic fields may be a result of longer, more diverse crop rotations compared to conventional fields.