Global relative species loss due to first-generation biofuel production for the transport sector.

ABSTRACT: The global demand for biofuels in the transport sector may lead to significant biodiversity impacts via multiple human pressures. Biodiversity assessments of biofuels, however, seldom simultaneously address several impact pathways, which can lead to biased comparisons with fossil fuels. The goal of the present study was to quantify the direct influence of habitat loss, water consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on potential global species richness loss due to the current production of first-generation biodiesel from soybean and rapeseed and bioethanol from sugarcane and corn. We found that the global relative species loss due to biofuel production exceeded that of fossil petrol and diesel production in more than 90% of the locations considered. Habitat loss was the dominating str

SUBMITTER: Elshout PMF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686982 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature