Search Search Even a Few Scattered Trees on Farmland Can Be a Boon for Wildlife A patchwork of intact forest and grazing lands in the Brazilian Amazon. Neil Palmer / CIAT New research finds that even a few scattered trees on farmland can give a big boost to forest wildlife.On the edges of the Amazon rainforest, there is a patchwork of farms, pastures, and the remnants of forest that harbor native wildlife. Until recently, experts believed that what mattered for conservation was the size of these arboreal “islands” and their nearness to other forest. But a new study shows that the quality of the surrounding landscape matters too.For the study, researchers compared the diversity of birds in two settings: forest “islands” created by the spread of farms and actual forested islands in reservoirs that were created by damming rivers. The former hosted a far greater variety of birds when trees were found on surrounding farmland. And the more trees there were, the richer diversity of birds.…