Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region
Biofuel production is a key strategy for reducing CO _2 emissions globally and is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades, particularly in tropical developing countries. The adoption of sustainable biofuel production technologies that do not place large demands on agricultural or fo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8d7f |
| _version_ | 1797747464242987008 |
|---|---|
| author | Diego F Correa Hawthorne L Beyer Hugh P Possingham John García-Ulloa Jaboury Ghazoul Peer M Schenk |
| author_facet | Diego F Correa Hawthorne L Beyer Hugh P Possingham John García-Ulloa Jaboury Ghazoul Peer M Schenk |
| author_sort | Diego F Correa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biofuel production is a key strategy for reducing CO _2 emissions globally and is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades, particularly in tropical developing countries. The adoption of sustainable biofuel production technologies that do not place large demands on agricultural or forested lands, has the potential to make a substantial contribution to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions while reducing biodiversity losses and degradation of native ecosystems resulting from high demand for land. With their high productivity per unit area and ability to grow on non-arable lands, microalgal biofuel production systems could become a major sustainable alternative to biofuel production from food crops (first-generation biofuels). However, the potential impacts of microalgal biofuels on food production, biodiversity, and carbon storage, compared to other biofuel production alternatives, are largely unknown. In the present study, the most suitable areas for siting microalgae production farms to fulfill 30% of future transport energy demands were determined within four Neotropical countries with high population densities and high importance for agricultural expansion and biodiversity conservation globally (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela). These results were contrasted with the best areas for siting oil palm and sugarcane crops to fulfill the same target in future transport energy demands. Microalgal production systems offer the most sustainable alternative for future biofuel production within the Neotropics. Meeting 30% of future transport energy demands with microalgal biofuels reduced land area requirements by at least 52% compared to oil palm and sugarcane. Furthermore, microalgal biofuel production reduced direct competition with agricultural lands, biodiverse areas, and carbon-rich systems within countries, with little overlap with the biodiverse and carbon-rich rainforests. This study can guide decision making towards the identification and adoption of more sustainable biofuel production alternatives in the Neotropics, helping in avoiding unnecessary environmental impacts from biofuel expansion in the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:51:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8237e84688a544d083749f092d974b5a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:51:00Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-8237e84688a544d083749f092d974b5a2023-08-09T15:08:23ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262020-01-0115909409410.1088/1748-9326/ab8d7fFreeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical regionDiego F Correa0Hawthorne L Beyer1Hugh P Possingham2John García-Ulloa3Jaboury Ghazoul4Peer M Schenk5Algae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science CBCS, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes , Bogotá, Colombia; Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science CBCS, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaCentre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science CBCS, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; The Nature Conservancy , Arlington, VA 22203, United States of AmericaInstitute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich , Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich , Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, SwitzerlandAlgae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaBiofuel production is a key strategy for reducing CO _2 emissions globally and is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades, particularly in tropical developing countries. The adoption of sustainable biofuel production technologies that do not place large demands on agricultural or forested lands, has the potential to make a substantial contribution to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions while reducing biodiversity losses and degradation of native ecosystems resulting from high demand for land. With their high productivity per unit area and ability to grow on non-arable lands, microalgal biofuel production systems could become a major sustainable alternative to biofuel production from food crops (first-generation biofuels). However, the potential impacts of microalgal biofuels on food production, biodiversity, and carbon storage, compared to other biofuel production alternatives, are largely unknown. In the present study, the most suitable areas for siting microalgae production farms to fulfill 30% of future transport energy demands were determined within four Neotropical countries with high population densities and high importance for agricultural expansion and biodiversity conservation globally (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela). These results were contrasted with the best areas for siting oil palm and sugarcane crops to fulfill the same target in future transport energy demands. Microalgal production systems offer the most sustainable alternative for future biofuel production within the Neotropics. Meeting 30% of future transport energy demands with microalgal biofuels reduced land area requirements by at least 52% compared to oil palm and sugarcane. Furthermore, microalgal biofuel production reduced direct competition with agricultural lands, biodiverse areas, and carbon-rich systems within countries, with little overlap with the biodiverse and carbon-rich rainforests. This study can guide decision making towards the identification and adoption of more sustainable biofuel production alternatives in the Neotropics, helping in avoiding unnecessary environmental impacts from biofuel expansion in the region.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8d7fbiofuelmicroalgaeoil palmsugarcanebiodiversityland-use change |
| spellingShingle | Diego F Correa Hawthorne L Beyer Hugh P Possingham John García-Ulloa Jaboury Ghazoul Peer M Schenk Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region Environmental Research Letters biofuel microalgae oil palm sugarcane biodiversity land-use change |
| title | Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region |
| title_full | Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region |
| title_fullStr | Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region |
| title_short | Freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the Neotropical region |
| title_sort | freeing land from biofuel production through microalgal cultivation in the neotropical region |
| topic | biofuel microalgae oil palm sugarcane biodiversity land-use change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8d7f |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT diegofcorrea freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion AT hawthornelbeyer freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion AT hughppossingham freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion AT johngarciaulloa freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion AT jabouryghazoul freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion AT peermschenk freeinglandfrombiofuelproductionthroughmicroalgalcultivationintheneotropicalregion |