Human activities threaten global biodiversity at a rate never seen before, which might lead to the sixth mass extinction. The current rate of global diversity loss is estimated to be 10 to 100 times higher than the naturally occurring background extinction rate, faster than at any other time in human history1. And it’s accelerating: since 1900, it’s 100 to 1000 times higher!2
More than ever, wildlife and threaten species need that we restore their natural habitats and protect them from industrial exploitation. Land-use change and climate change are respectively the first and third major human threats affecting nature.1
The large-scale production of bioenergy significantly increases global demand for biomass and arable land. This endangers natural habitats like forests that are being cut for wood or grasslands and wetlands that are being converted to agricultural land for crop-based biofuel (more info in our page dedicated to land use). In our thriving for an energy and climate transition, we must be careful to not fuel the biodiversity crisis.
CASE STUDY: NORTH AMERICA5
In the North American Coastal Plain — a global biodiversity hotspot, providing habitat for hundreds of endangered species, including the red wolf, cerulean warbler, and Louisiana black bear – wetland forest are being cleared, shipped over the Atlantic and burned in European power stations.
Images © Rejean Bedard/Shutterstock, Ray Hennessy/Shutterstock, Brandy McKnight/Shutterstock
In the EU, more than 60% of bioenergy is produced by burning wood and about half of this wood is sourced directly from forests9. More info in our page dedicated to forests.
Clearcutting forests threatens local species by destroying their habitat. It is still occurring in areas designed to protect forests and rare and threatened species4. Thinning forests is also harmful for biodiversity: 20-40% of forests species require the presence of decaying wood at a stage of their life cycle6. Deadwood is home to many species of fungi and insects, like the endangered saproxylic beetle species7.
Preserving a high diversity of plants and trees of different ages provides food and the best living conditions for wildlife6. Tree monocultures that replace forests don’t allow wildlife to thrive. Destroying natural habitats to produce energy has dire consequences for wildlife.
Industrial agriculture is the primary driver collapsing biodiversity1 according to the 2019 IPBES Global AssessmentReport on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services3
Most of our arable lands are already used for food and feed production. We know the dire impacts of agricultural expansion of palm oil and soy production on tropical forests. The production of crop-based biofuels adds to this problem: it requires more arable land, leading to the conversion of forests and wetlands into cropland for intensive agriculture, harmful to biodiversity. More info in our page about land use.
Utaratibu wa binadamu unahatarisha uumbaji wa viumbe kwa kiwango ambacho hakijawahi kuonekana hapo awali, na inaweza kusababisha kutoweka kwa jamii ya sita. Kiwango cha sasa cha upotezaji wa utofauti wa ulimwengu kinakadiriwa kuwa mara 10 hadi 100 ya kiwango cha asili cha kutoweka, haraka kuliko wakati wowote mwingine katika historia ya binadamu. Na inaongeza kasi: tangu 1900, ni mara 100 hadi 1000 zaidi! 2 Zaidi ya hapo awali, wanyama wa porini na spishi zinazotishiwa zinahitaji kwamba turejeshwe makazi yao ya asili na kuwalinda kutokana na unyonyaji wa viwanda. Mabadiliko ya matumizi ya ardhi na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa ni vitisho vya kwanza na vya tatu vya binadamu vinavyoathiri asili, kwa mujibu wa FAO, na uzalishaji mkubwa wa bioenergy huongeza mahitaji ya kimataifa ya biomass na ardhi ya kilimo. Hii inahatarisha mazingira ya asili kama misitu ambayo ni kukatwa kwa ajili ya mbao au nyasi na maeneo ya mvua ambayo ni kubadilishwa kwa ardhi ya kilimo kwa ajili ya mazao ya msingi biofuel (maelezo zaidi katika ukurasa wetu wakfu kwa matumizi ya ardhi). Katika kufanikiwa kwetu kwa mabadiliko ya nishati na hali ya hewa, lazima tuwe waangalifu kutochangia mgogoro wa utofauti wa kibiolojia. Katika eneo la North American Coastal Plain, eneo la kimataifa la uhifadhi wa viumbe hai, ambalo ni makao ya mamia ya spishi zinazokabili hatari ya kutoweka, ikiwa ni pamoja na mbwa mwitu mwekundu, warbler wa cerulean, na dubu mweusi wa Louisiana, misitu ya maeneo ya mvua inakatwa, kusafirishwa juu ya Bahari ya Atlantiki na kuchomwa katika vituo vya umeme vya Ulaya. Image caption Reuben Bedard, Ray Hennessy, Brandy McKnight, Shutterstock: Zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya nishati ya viumbe hai hutokezwa kwa kuchoma mbao na karibu nusu ya misitu hiyo hutoka kwenye misitu. Habari zaidi katika ukurasa wetu wa kujitolea kwa misitu. Kukata misitu kwa njia ya uharibifu huhatarisha spishi za kienyeji kwa kuharibu makao yao. Mimea hiyo bado inapatikana katika maeneo yaliyoundwa ili kulinda misitu na spishi nadra na zilizo hatarini mwa kutoweka. Kufifia kwa misitu pia ni hatari kwa utofauti wa kibiolojia: 20-40% ya spishi za misitu zinahitaji uwepo wa mbao zinazoharibika katika hatua fulani ya mzunguko wao wa maisha. Mti huo ni makao ya aina nyingi za kuvu na wadudu, kama vile aina ya mdudu anayeitwa saproxylic beetle, ambaye yuko hatarini mwa kutoweka. Kuhifadhi mimea na miti mbalimbali ya umri tofauti hutoa chakula na hali bora za kuishi kwa wanyama wa porini. Mimea ya miti inayobadilisha misitu hairuhusu wanyama-pori kusitawi. Kuharibu makao ya asili ili kutokeza nishati kuna matokeo mabaya sana kwa wanyama-pori. "Kulima ya viwanda ni kichocheo kikuu cha kuanguka kwa bioanuwai, kulingana na Ripoti ya Tathmini ya Ulimwenguni ya IPBES ya 2019 juu ya Biodiversity na Huduma za Ecosystem, ""Mashamba yetu mengi ya kilimo tayari yanatumiwa kwa uzalishaji wa chakula na chakula.""" Tunajua athari mbaya za upanuzi wa kilimo wa mafuta ya mtende na uzalishaji wa soya kwenye misitu ya kitropiki. Uzalishaji wa biofuels ya mazao huongeza tatizo hili: inahitaji ardhi zaidi ya kilimo, na kusababisha kubadilisha misitu na maeneo ya mvua katika mashamba ya kilimo kwa ajili ya kilimo cha kina, na kuharibu biodiversity. Habari zaidi katika ukurasa wetu kuhusu matumizi ya ardhi.