Biodiversity

Biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations, South East Asia

Number of selected species recorded 120

Birds - Thailand 100

Forest Oil palm

80 Birds - Indonesia 60

40

Biodiversity is the basis for any development; it is the natural capital, the stock of natural ecosystems, which provide services for any human activity. As pointed out above, the main immediate threat to biodiversity from biofuel production is through changes in land use, but longer-term threats may come from the spread of invasive species and uncontrolled use of genetically modified (GM) organisms.

The environmental and social costs of losing ecosystem services can be substantial, with an

30

economic cost of billions of dollars, though often times the price of goods and services in the local and global economy often fails to reflect this cost. Land conversion, which leads to increased carbon emissions, further exacerbates the risk of losing ecosystem services, climate change being likely to lead to further changes in ecosystem services.

Biodiversity is the basis for any development...

Medium and large mammals - Indonesia

20 Small

mammals Indonesia

0

Source: Danielsen, et al., Biofuel Plantation on Forest Land, Double Jeopardy for Biodiversity and Climate, 2008.

Figure 3.2.1 Biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations, South East Asia