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UID:395
SUMMARY:Tropical land use change and atmospheric composition - a case study in Borneo
DESCRIPTION:More than half the world's rainforest has been lost to agriculture since the Industrial Revolution. One of the most widespread tropical crops is oil palm (Elaeis guineensis): global production now exceeds 35 Mt y-1.\n\nIn Malaysia, for example, 13% of land area is now oil palm plantation, compared with 1% in 1974. There are enormous pressures to increase palm oil production, for food, domestic products and, especially, biofuels.\n\nExpansion of oil palm for biofuel production is predicated on the assumption that palm oil is an "environmentally friendly" fuel feedstock.\n\nHere we show, using measurements and models, that oil palm plantations in Malaysia directly emit greater quantities of the oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds than the rainforest they are replacing.\n\nThese compounds lead to the production of ground-level ozone (O3), an air pollutant that damages human health, plants and materials, reduces crop productivity and has effects on the Earth's climate.\n\nOur measurements show that, at present, O3 concentrations do not significantly differ over rainforest and adjacent oil palm plantation landscapes.\n\nHowever, our model calculations predict that if NO­­x concentrations in Borneo are allowed to reach those currently seen over rural North America and Europe, ground-level O3 concentrations will reach 100 ppbv and exceed levels known to be harmful to human health.\n\nOur study provides an early warning of the urgent need to develop policies that manage nitrogen emissions if the detrimental effects of palm oil production on air quality and climate are to be avoided.
DTSTART:20091215T155000
DTEND:20091215T161500
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre 1, Management School Building
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