53 research outputs found
Tropical montane forests are a larger than expected global carbon store
Tropical montane forests (TMFs) are recognized for the provision of
hydrological services and the protection of biodiversity, but their role in
carbon storage is not well understood. We synthesized published observations
(<i>n</i> = 94) of above-ground biomass (AGB) from forest inventory plots in TMFs
(defined here as forests between 23.5° N and 23.5° S with
elevations ≥ 1000 m a.s.l.). We found that mean (median) AGB in TMFs
is 271 (254) t per hectare of land surface. We demonstrate that AGB declines
moderately with both elevation and slope angle but that TMFs store substantial
amounts of biomass, both at high elevations (up to 3500 m) and on steep
slopes (slope angles of up to 40°). We combined remotely sensed
data sets of forest cover with high resolution data of elevation to show that
75% of the global planimetric (horizontal) area of TMF are
on steep slopes (slope angles greater than 27°). We used our remote
sensed data sets to demonstrate that this prevalence of steep slopes results
in the global land surface area of TMF (1.22 million km<sup>2</sup>) being
40% greater than the planimetric area that is the usual basis for
reporting global land surface areas and remotely sensed data. Our study
suggests that TMFs are likely to be a greater store of carbon than previously
thought, highlighting the need for conservation of the remaining montane forests
Land use changes after the period commodities rising price in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil
Ethanol inhibition of yeast growth and fermentation: Differences in the magnitude and complexity of the effect
Ethanol inhibition of yeast growth and fermentation: Differences in the magnitude and complexity of the effect
Ethanol production, food and forests
This paper investigates the direct and indirect impacts of ethanol production on land use, deforestation and food production. A partial equilibrium model of a national economy with two sectors and two regions, one of which includes a residual forest, is developed. It analyses how an exogenous increase in the ethanol price affcts input allocation (land and labor) between sectors (energy crop and food). Three potential effects are identified. First, the standard and well-documented effect of direct land competition between rival uses increases deforestation and decreases food production. Second, an indirect displacement of food production across regions, provoked by a shift in the price of food, increases deforestation and reduces the total output of the food sector. Finally, labor mobility between sectors and regions tends to decrease food production but also deforestation. The overall impact of ethanol production on forest conversion is ambiguous, providing a number of interesting pointers to further, empirical research
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