As conservation biologists from around the globe travel to Beijing for the 2009 annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, they bring with them basic knowledge about biodiversity and environmental issues in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). China is a megadiversity country, harboring about 12% of the flowering plants, 10% of mammals, and 14% of birds living on Earth. The PRC is one of the few countries that contain two global biodiversity hotspots; many species in these hotspots and throughout the country are Chinese endemics. China is also the homeland for rice and soybeans, agricultural staples on which billions of humans depend. Since 1956 the central government has acted on behalf of China’s natural ecosystems, designating over 2500 protected areas across 15% of the country’s land. In comparison with the United States, China has reserved more lands in considerably less time.
Tag: carbon
Short-term patterns of carbon and nitrogen mineralisation in a fallow field amended with green manures from agroforestry trees
The mineralisation of green manure from agroforestry trees was monitored with the objective to compare the temporal dynamics of mineralisation of litter from different species. Green manures from five agroforestry tree species were used on a fallow field during the long rainy season of 1997 (March–August) and from two species in the following short rainy season (September–January) in western Kenya. Different methods, i.e. measurements of isotopic ratios of C in respired CO2 and of soil organic matter (SOM) fractions, soil inorganic N and mass loss from litterbags, were used in the field to study decomposition and C and N mineralisation. Soil respiration, with the separation of added C from old soil C by using the isotopic ratio of 13C/12C in the respired CO2, correlated well with extractable NH4+ in the soil. Mineralisation was high and very rapid from residues of Sesbania sesban of high quality [e.g. low ratio of (polyphenol+lignin)/N] and low and slow from low quality residues of Grevillea robusta. Ten days after application, 37% and 8% of the added C had been respired from Sesbania and Grevillea, respectively. Apparently, as much as 70–90% of the added C was respired in 40 days from high quality green manure. Weight losses of around 80%, from high quality residues in litterbags, also indicate substantial C losses and that a build-up of SOM is unlikely. For immediate effects on soil fertility, application of high quality green manure may, however, be a viable management option. To achieve synchrony with crop demand, caution is needed in management as large amounts of N are mineralised within a few days after application.
Opportunities for the private sector to invest in nature-based carbon projects
Our latest report highlights key investment opportunities for the private sector to drive climate action, protect biodiversity, and support local communities. By fostering collaboration, navigating regulatory landscapes, and addressing challenges, the private sector can lead the way toward a sustainable future. The report has been prepared by NatureCo with support from the Business Partnerships Platform and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with valuable contribution from partners CIFOR-ICRAF, Flinders University, One Tree Planted, Center For Nature Conservation and Development, and Cooper Energy.
Assessment of the efficiency of improved cooking stoves and their impact in reducing forest degradation and contaminant emissions in Eastern Rwanda
Biomass is a major source of cooking energy in Rwanda. This high dependence on biomass strongly contributes to forest degradation, biodiversity loss, and atmospheric pollution. Shifting from the traditional three-stone stove (TSS) to improved cooking stoves (ICS) is being promoted to reduce wood consumption and air pollutant emissions. This study assessed the emission reduction of adopted ICS and their impact on forest conservation through a combined laboratory and kitchen performance test (KPT). Out of 940 households surveyed in Eastern Province (EP) of Rwanda, 317 used ICS. Among these users, 180 were selected and revisited for an in-depth interview about the adoption process. The four most popular ICSs were selected for evaluating thermal efficiency and emissions of contaminating gases using laboratory test protocol ISO 19867-1. In addition, the avoided wood consumption of improved cooking stoves compared to the TSS was assessed using a KPT in 100 households. The survey findings indicate that 33.7 % of households use only ICS, 23.1 % only TSS, and 56.4 % ICS and TSS combined. The laboratory results show that the Save80 stove had the highest thermal efficiency (45.8 %) followed by Igisubizo (32.8 %), EcoZoom (32.6 %), and Songa (29.6 %). The emission results showed a significant difference in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions (p = 0.001) between the ICS models. However, the emissions of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) and CO (carbon monoxide) of ICS were high compared to the WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines. The KPT results show that using ICS would result in an estimated annual saving of 149,313 tons of firewood corresponding to 0.7 m3 of wood, leading to an annual equivalent reduction of 0.02 ha of forest per household and 7167 ha of forest in the EP. The KPT results show that using ICS reduced CO2 emissions by 0.372 tons per household per year and by 111,088 tons of CO2 in the EP. ICSs have been shown to enhance fuelwood efficiency, leading to reduced forest degradation.
Risks to REDD+
International negotiations for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were finally concluded in 2015. However, due to the complex design and implementation processes of REDD+ policies and measures, including benefit sharing at national and subnational levels, several challenges exist for sustainably reducing emissions while simultaneously managing the provision of social and environmental side-objectives. We review the realities of REDD+ implementation in 13 REDD+ candidate countries and the risks related to REDD+ policies and benefit sharing based upon a synthesis of the findings presented in ‘country profiles’ that were developed between 2009 and 2013 as part of the Center for International Forestry Research’s (CIFOR) Global Comparative Study on REDD+. We find that REDD+ policies in all countries studied are at high risk of ineffectiveness, inequity and inefficiency. By classifying these risks and understanding not only their impacts on different stakeholder groups, but also the consequences for achieving specific objectives, countries can identify solutions in order to address these shortcomings in their implementation of REDD+.
Stocks and fluxes of carbon associated with land use change in Southeast Asian tropical peatlands: A review
The increasing and alarming trend of degradation and deforestation of tropical peat swamp forests may contribute greatly to climate change. Estimates of carbon (C) losses associated with land use change in tropical peatlands are needed. To assess these losses we examined C stocks and peat C fluxes in virgin peat swamp forests and tropical peatlands affected by six common types of land use. Phytomass C loss from the conversion of virgin peat swamp forest to logged forest, fire-damaged forest, mixed croplands and shrublands, rice field, oil palm plantation, and Acacia plantation were calculated using the stock difference method and estimated at 116.9 ± 39.8, 151.6 ± 36.0, 204.1 ± 28.6, 214.9 ± 28.4, 188.1 ± 29.8, and 191.7 ± 28.5 Mg C ha-1, respectively. Total C loss from uncontrolled fires ranged from 289.5 ± 68.1 Mg C ha-1 in rice fields to 436.2 ± 77.0 Mg C ha-1 in virgin peat swamp forest. We assessed the effects of land use change on C stocks in the peat by looking at how the change in vegetation cover altered the main C inputs (litterfall and root mortality) and outputs (heterotrophic respiration, CH4 flux, fires, and soluble and physical removal) before and after conversion. The difference between the soil input-output balances in the virgin peat swamp forest and in the oil palm plantation gave an estimate of peat C loss of 10.8 ± 3.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. Peat C loss from other land use conversions could not be assessed due to lack of data, principally on soil heterotrophic respiration rates. Over 25 years, the conversion of tropical virgin peat swamp forest into oil palm plantation represents a total C loss from both biomass and peat of 427.2 ± 90.7 Mg C ha-1 or 17.1 ± 3.6 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. In all situations, peat C loss contributed more than 63% to total C loss, demonstrating the urgent need in terms of the atmospheric greenhouse gas burden to protect tropical virgin peat swamp forests from land use change and fires.
Action needed to make carbon offsets from tropical forest conservation work for climate change mitigation
Carbon offsets from voluntarily avoided deforestation projects are generated based on performance vis-à-vis ex-ante deforestation baselines. We examined the impacts of 27 forest conservation projects in six countries on three continents using synthetic control methods for causal inference. We compare the project baselines with ex-post counterfactuals based on observed deforestation in control sites. Our findings show that most projects have not reduced deforestation. For projects that did, reductions were substantially lower than claimed. Methodologies for constructing deforestation baselines for carbon-offset interventions thus need urgent revisions in order to correctly attribute reduced deforestation to the conservation interventions, thus maintaining both incentives for forest conservation and the integrity of global carbon accounting.
Distribution of forest types and changes in their classification
The second largest block of dense moist forest after the Amazon, Central Africa’s forests are an exceptional reservoir of carbon and biodiversity for the countries they cover and the planet as a whole. These forests provide a livelihood to 60 million people and help to feed 40 million more in nearby towns and cities. They play an essential social and cultural role in the lives of indigenous peoples and local communities. The ecological, economic, social and cultural importance of Central Africa’s forests places them at the heart of international discussions aimed at preserving these unique ecosystems, which are vital to the health of the planet.
Forest Plantations in Central Africa
Demand for wood is growing worldwide and this trend is set to accelerate through the remainder of the 21st century. This is the case not just for traditional markets, but for other sectors like construction (responsible for 36 percent of greenhouse gas emissions), bioenergy and green chemistry seeking to de-carbonize and go biobased in an effort to move into the emerging sustainable, green economy in which companies are located closer to their raw materials and local markets.
Grain legumes and dryland cereals contribute to carbon sequestration in the drylands of Africa and South Asia
Grain legumes and drylands cereals including chickpea (Cicer arietinum), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), lentil (Lens culinaris), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), soybean (Glycine max), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) are the leading sources of food grain in drylands of Africa and South Asia. These crops can help smallholder agriculture to become more resilient, productive, and profitable, but their quantitative impact on carbon sequestration is unknown. The aim of this review study was to quantify their contribution to carbon sequestration across the drylands of Africa and South Asia based on 437 publications with 1319 observations in studies conducted across 32 countries. Cropping systems with grain legumes showed the greatest increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations, while cereals (and pigeon pea) gave the largest amount of aboveground carbon stock (>2 Mg C ha−1). Estimated carbon stock in post-harvest residues of these crops was 1.51 ± 0.05 Mg C ha−1 in Africa and 2.29 ± 0.10 Mg C ha−1 in South Asia. These crops produced more aboveground carbon, and significantly increased SOC, when grown as intercrops. Soils with low initial SOC (32%) showed the greatest potential for carbon sequestration when cropped with grain legumes and dryland cereals. This study is the first of its kind to provide evidence that grain legumes and drylands cereals improve carbon sequestration across Africa and South Asia.