Does production of oil palm, soybean, or jatropha change biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tropical forests

Download or read book Does production of oil palm, soybean, or jatropha change biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tropical forests written by Sini Savilaakso and published by CIFOR. This book was released on 2014-12-29 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels, or fuels derived from transformation of biological matter, are hailed by some as a promising source of renewable energy potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A widespread adoption of biofuels will however present its own set of challenges and consequences. Direct or indirect land use change due to expansion of feedstock cultivation can cause deforestation and forest degradation leading to biodiversity losses and other environmental concerns like soil degradation and erosion, water pollution and scarcity, and the risk of crop species invading natural ecosystems. Although biofuel production is currently not the main use of palm oil and soybean and hence, has so far contributed only little to the land-use change patterns, it has been predicted to grow. Therefore, it is important to know the potential consequences of the expansion of biofuel cultivation may have for biodiversity in order to provide policy guidance.