News Excerpt:
New research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology highlights the crucial role of strategic land-use planning in balancing bioenergy production, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
Key Highlights of the study:
- The study emphasises that planting renewable 'energy' crops on degraded agricultural land can help mitigate biodiversity loss compared to converting natural habitats.
- Specifically, prioritising abandoned agricultural lands for energy crop cultivation yields the greatest biodiversity benefits, particularly in tropical regions where high natural vegetation cover is crucial for biodiversity preservation.
- The study also finds that well-designed energy crop plantations, especially those with diverse plant mixes, can sometimes enhance biodiversity compared to existing agricultural practices.
- However, it stresses that the most significant positive impact on biodiversity comes from restoring priority areas to their natural vegetation state.
- Using the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII), the study compares the impacts of energy crop plantations versus natural vegetation restoration on biodiversity.
- It identifies regions like Central Europe, the eastern coasts of the USA and China, and parts of West Africa where converting agricultural land to energy crops could have minimal detrimental effects on biodiversity
- In some cases it can even lead to slight improvements in biodiversity indices.
Way forward:
- While restoring farmland to natural habitats is optimal for biodiversity conservation, the reality of increasing bioenergy demands suggests that planting energy crops on existing agricultural lands is a more feasible alternative than converting natural habitats.
- The study highlights the importance of carefully selecting plantation locations to minimise ecological impacts while meeting energy production goals, urging a balanced approach that considers environmental, social, and economic factors.
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Biodiversity Intactness Index
The Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) estimates how the average abundance of native terrestrial species in a region compares with their abundances before pronounced human impacts.
- This data layer represents the average country-level change in the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) between 2001 and 2012.
- A trend in this indicator tells us about changes in biodiversity over time:
- A declining trend indicates that biodiversity intactness has decreased between 2001 and 2012. This can occur due to:
- A reduction in the abundance of native species
- The introduction of non-native species into the ecosystem
- An increasing trend would suggest improved biodiversity intactness.
- The Planetary Boundaries framework suggests that a BII below 90% may indicate that biodiversity loss has exceeded safe levels.
- This could potentially compromise the ability of wild species to provide essential ecosystem services.
- The trend helps assess the rate and direction of change in a country's biodiversity, which is crucial for conservation efforts and policy-making.
- It can also be used to compare biodiversity changes across different countries or regions.
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BIO ENERGY
- Bioenergy is renewable energy derived from biological sources, primarily plant biomass. Common crops used for bioenergy production include:
- Corn and sugarcane for ethanol
- Soybeans and rapeseed for biodiesel
- Switchgrass and miscanthus for cellulosic biofuels
- Fast-growing trees like poplar and willow for woody biomass
- These crops are converted into various forms of bioenergy, including liquid biofuels, biogas, and solid biomass for heat and electricity generation.
- While bioenergy offers potential benefits as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, it also raises concerns about land use, food security, and environmental impacts.
- Ongoing research focuses on developing more efficient conversion processes and utilising non-food crops and waste materials to address these challenges.
National Bioenergy Programme
- India has launched an ambitious National Bioenergy Programme as part of its energy transition journey, aiming to achieve 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070.
- This initiative, overseen by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), focuses on harnessing the country's abundant biomass and waste resources for clean energy production.
- It has three sub schemes:
- Waste to Energy Programme (Programme on Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Wastes /Residues)
- Biomass Programme (Scheme to Support Manufacturing of Briquettes & Pellets and Promotion of Biomass (non-bagasse) based cogeneration in Industries)
- Biogas Programme.
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