Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon
Further expansion of agriculture in the tropics is likely to accelerate the loss of biodiversity. One crop of concern to conservation is African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ). We examined recent deforestation associated with oil palm in the Peruvian Amazon within the context of the region’s other c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae540 |
| _version_ | 1797748219034206208 |
|---|---|
| author | Varsha Vijay Chantal D Reid Matt Finer Clinton N Jenkins Stuart L Pimm |
| author_facet | Varsha Vijay Chantal D Reid Matt Finer Clinton N Jenkins Stuart L Pimm |
| author_sort | Varsha Vijay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Further expansion of agriculture in the tropics is likely to accelerate the loss of biodiversity. One crop of concern to conservation is African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ). We examined recent deforestation associated with oil palm in the Peruvian Amazon within the context of the region’s other crops. We found more area under oil palm cultivation (845 km ^2 ) than did previous studies. While this comprises less than 4% of the cropland in the region, it accounted for 11% of the deforestation from agricultural expansion from 2007–2013. Patches of oil palm agriculture were larger and more spatially clustered than for other crops, potentially increasing their impact on local habitat fragmentation. Modeling deforestation risk for oil palm expansion using climatic and edaphic factors showed that sites at lower elevations, with higher precipitation, and lower slopes than those typically used for intensive agriculture are at long-term risk of deforestation from oil palm agriculture. Within areas at long-term risks, based on CART models, areas near urban centers, roads, and previously deforested areas are at greatest short-term risk of deforestation. Existing protected areas and officially recognized indigenous territories cover large areas at long-term risk of deforestation for oil palm (>40%). Less than 7% of these areas are under strict (IUCN I-IV) protection. Based on these findings, we suggest targeted monitoring for oil palm deforestation as well as strengthening and expanding protected areas to conserve specific habitats. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:01:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e206ff7fb7948bcbbce471001d22b88 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:01:47Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e206ff7fb7948bcbbce471001d22b882023-08-09T14:36:05ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262018-01-01131111401010.1088/1748-9326/aae540Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian AmazonVarsha Vijay0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2665-7866Chantal D Reid1Matt Finer2Clinton N Jenkins3Stuart L Pimm4Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University , Durham, NC 27708, United States of America; National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), 1 Park Place, Suite 300, Annapolis, MD 21401, United States of AmericaNicholas School of the Environment, Duke University , Durham, NC 27708, United States of AmericaAmazon Conservation Association, Washington, DC 20005, United States of AmericaIPÊ—Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo 12960-000, BrazilNicholas School of the Environment, Duke University , Durham, NC 27708, United States of AmericaFurther expansion of agriculture in the tropics is likely to accelerate the loss of biodiversity. One crop of concern to conservation is African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ). We examined recent deforestation associated with oil palm in the Peruvian Amazon within the context of the region’s other crops. We found more area under oil palm cultivation (845 km ^2 ) than did previous studies. While this comprises less than 4% of the cropland in the region, it accounted for 11% of the deforestation from agricultural expansion from 2007–2013. Patches of oil palm agriculture were larger and more spatially clustered than for other crops, potentially increasing their impact on local habitat fragmentation. Modeling deforestation risk for oil palm expansion using climatic and edaphic factors showed that sites at lower elevations, with higher precipitation, and lower slopes than those typically used for intensive agriculture are at long-term risk of deforestation from oil palm agriculture. Within areas at long-term risks, based on CART models, areas near urban centers, roads, and previously deforested areas are at greatest short-term risk of deforestation. Existing protected areas and officially recognized indigenous territories cover large areas at long-term risk of deforestation for oil palm (>40%). Less than 7% of these areas are under strict (IUCN I-IV) protection. Based on these findings, we suggest targeted monitoring for oil palm deforestation as well as strengthening and expanding protected areas to conserve specific habitats.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae540oil palmdeforestationconservationprotected areasbiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Varsha Vijay Chantal D Reid Matt Finer Clinton N Jenkins Stuart L Pimm Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon Environmental Research Letters oil palm deforestation conservation protected areas biodiversity |
| title | Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon |
| title_full | Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon |
| title_fullStr | Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon |
| title_short | Deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon |
| title_sort | deforestation risks posed by oil palm expansion in the peruvian amazon |
| topic | oil palm deforestation conservation protected areas biodiversity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae540 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT varshavijay deforestationrisksposedbyoilpalmexpansionintheperuvianamazon AT chantaldreid deforestationrisksposedbyoilpalmexpansionintheperuvianamazon AT mattfiner deforestationrisksposedbyoilpalmexpansionintheperuvianamazon AT clintonnjenkins deforestationrisksposedbyoilpalmexpansionintheperuvianamazon AT stuartlpimm deforestationrisksposedbyoilpalmexpansionintheperuvianamazon |