| Title | The impact of biofuel plantation on biodiversity: a review |
| Authors | Liu, Ye Xu, Yue Zhang, Fengchun Yun, Jinqi Shen, Zehao |
| Affiliation | Peking Univ, Dept Ecol, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Key Lab,Minist Educ Earth Surface Proc, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China. Chinese Res Inst Environm Sci, Beijing 100012, Peoples R China. Minist Environm Protect, Foreign Econ Cooperat Off, Beijing 100035, Peoples R China. |
| Keywords | Biomass energy Biofuel plantation Ecological impacts Ecosystem service Habitat Species diversity Genetic risk RAIN-FOREST FRAGMENTATION LAND-USE CHANGE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS BIOENERGY PRODUCTION CROP CULTIVATION UNITED-STATES WATER-USE ENERGY CONSERVATION |
| Issue Date | 2014 |
| Publisher | 科学通报 英文版 |
| Citation | CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN.2014,59,(34),4639-4651. |
| Abstract | Because plants convert solar energy into chemical energy stored in organisms, biomass production as an energy source can help to reduce the world's reliance on fossil energy and mitigate global warming. Biofuel production is a fast-growing industry that represents a new type of large-scale human disturbance on ecosystems. Thus, the benefits of biofuel production bring environmental risks that include its potential impact on biodiversity, which is still an open question. In this review, we start first with a brief overview of the evolution of biofuel concept; second, we review the state of biofuel production across the continents, with a major emphasis on the main species used and their major feedstock. For which, we found significant differences for land use and environmental cultural management of biofuel plantation between tropical and temperate regions. Third, we summarize the impacts of biofuel plantation on biodiversity at multiple scales, based on the case studied with respect to the corresponding issues. At the genetic level, introgression and contamination by aggressive genotypes are a primary risk. At the species level, habitat pollution, degradation, and disturbance caused by intensive management of biofuel plantation significantly raise the risk of habitat fragmentation, native extinction, and bio-invasion. At the ecosystem level, the large-scale homogeneous landscape of biofuel plantation results in simplified community and food web that severely damage ecosystem services, including ecosystem diversity. Finally, we compare the current and potential benefits and risks of biofuel plantations for the practical application of a biofuel industry of China. We emphasize the land use constraint from food security and biodiversity conservation, and the need for scientific research and systematic monitoring as a critical support for the sustainable development of biofuel production in China. |
| URI | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/160861 |
| ISSN | 1001-6538 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11434-014-0639-1 |
| Indexed | SCI(E) |
| Appears in Collections: | 城市与环境学院 地表过程分析与模拟教育部重点实验室 |
