We need to choose carefully where we plant energy crops to minimise biodiversity loss, according to a study published in Journal of Applied Ecology.
Energy crops are used for heat, electricity, and bioethanol production. These crops are likely to become more important as the world moves away from fossil fuels. In t a new study, a team of researchers from the University of Surrey, UK, found that the location of these energy crops makes a big difference to biodiversity.
Restoring farmland to nature creates new habitats for many different species. Using that land to plant energy crops is a missed opportunity to help biodiversity. However, energy crops need to be planted somewhere. With this in mind, researchers assessed what locations would have the smallest impact on diversity.
“Our study suggests that, as far as biodiversity is concerned, it is always best to restore farmland to nature rather than re-plant it with energy crops,” said Sophie Tudge from Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability. “Yet, we are realists. More fuel will come from crops in the future, and it is far better to plant them on existing farms than destroy remaining natural habitats. We have shown that where you plant those crops makes a huge difference to how many species continue to thrive.”
They assessed which habitats contained the richest mix of species and compared that with land use as well as estimated crop yields for energy crops. Results showed that planting energy crops on existing agricultural land in China, Central Europe, and the East coast in the USA could reduce the harm to biodiversity compared to planting them elsewhere. Planting in these locations could then allow agricultural land in other places to be restored to natural habitats, maximising the benefits to biodiversity.
This work is part of UN’s Sustainability Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy), 13 (climate action) and 15 (life on land).
Trudge S, Murphy R, Harris Z and Palma A (2024) Balancing bioenergy expansion and restoration: Global shifts in biodiversity intactness. Journal of Applied Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14695