Greener pastures for oil

Sci. Adv. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw4418 (2019)

Tropical deforestation for oil palm production is linked to habitat loss and carbon emissions. In Asia (one of the main regions producing oil palm), CO₂ emissions related to oil palm were the second largest source of GHG emissions attributable to deforestation and land-use change (beef being the largest). Expanding plantations onto pasture, rather than in forested areas, might reduce net carbon emissions, but this remains unclear.

Credit: Atmotu Images / Alamy Stock Photo

To quantify the impact on ecosystem carbon storage, Juan Carlos Quezada from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, and colleagues determined soil and biomass carbon dynamics in oil palm plantations grown on former pastureland during 56 years in Colombia. Although soil organic carbon decreased during the first 36 years, it eventually began to stabilize and recover. The additional carbon stored in biomass in the plantations, as compared to the former grassland, made the system carbon neutral. These results indicate a potential way to reduce or perhaps avoid emissions related to new oil palm production.