The Impacts of Oil Palm on Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss

The enduring world forest carbon sink

The uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) by terrestrial ecosystems is critical for moderating climate change1. To provide a ground-based long-term assessment of the contribution of forests to terrestrial CO2 uptake, we synthesized in situ forest data from boreal, temperate and tropical biomes spanning three decades. We found that the carbon sink in global forests was steady, at 3.6 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in the 1990s and 2000s, and 3.5 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in the 2010s. Despite this global stability, our analysis revealed some major biome-level changes. Carbon sinks have increased in temperate (+30 ± 5%) and tropical regrowth (+29 ± 8%) forests owing to increases in forest area, but they decreased in boreal (-36 ± 6%) and tropical intact (-31 ± 7%) forests, as a result of intensified disturbances and losses in intact forest area, respectively. Mass-balance studies indicate that the global land carbon sink has increased2, implying an increase in the non-forest-land carbon sink. The global forest sink is equivalent to almost half of fossil-fuel emissions (7.8 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in 1990-2019). However, two-thirds of the benefit from the sink has been negated by tropical deforestation (2.2 ± 0.5 Pg C yr-1 in 1990-2019). Although the global forest sink has endured undiminished for three decades, despite regional variations, it could be weakened by ageing forests, continuing deforestation and further intensification of disturbance regimes1. To protect the carbon sink, land management policies are needed to limit deforestation, promote forest restoration and improve timber-harvesting practices1,3.

(Mis)matched direct and moderating relationships among pro-environmental attitudes, environmental efficacy, and pro-environmental behaviors across and within 11 countries

Pro-environmental behaviors are influenced by individuals' pro-environmental attitudes and environmental efficacy, among many other factors. However, attitude-behavior models are inconsistent on whether and how attitudes, efficacy, and behaviors should match in specificity or generality, and on the moderation effect of efficacy. This study first tests a simple model including direct and moderating relationships between pro-environmental attitudes, environmental efficacy, and pro-environmental behaviors. Then it examines relationships among subscales matched or mismatched in their respective specific or general domain of environmental attitudes (concern, values), environmental efficacy (self, collective), and pro-environmental behaviors (private, public). Secondary data come from an overall sample of 11,000 respondents across 11 countries, with n = 1,000 from each country. Pro-environmental attitudes and efficacy have direct relationships with pro-environmental behavior, but efficacy has little moderation effect. Different combinations of (mis)matched measures produce slightly different results, with the most variance explained, counter to hypotheses, by two mismatched models. Results are generally consistent across countries.

Balancing economic and ecological functions in smallholder and industrial oil palm plantations

The expansion of the oil palm industry in Indonesia has improved livelihoods in rural communities, but comes at the cost of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Here, we investigated ways to balance ecological and economic outcomes of oil palm cultivation. We compared a wide range of production systems, including smallholder plantations, industrialized company estates, estates with improved agronomic management, and estates with native tree enrichment. Across all management types, we assessed multiple indicators of biodiversity, ecosystem functions, management, and landscape structure to identify factors that facilitate economic-ecological win-wins, using palm yields as measure of economic performance. Although, we found that yields in industrialized estates were, on average, twice as high as those in smallholder plantations, ecological indicators displayed substantial variability across systems, regardless of yield variations, highlighting potential for economic-ecological win-wins. Reducing management intensity (e.g., mechanical weeding instead of herbicide application) did not lower yields but improved ecological outcomes at moderate costs, making it a potential measure for balancing economic and ecological demands. Additionally, maintaining forest cover in the landscape generally enhanced local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning within plantations. Enriching plantations with native trees is also a promising strategy to increase ecological value without reducing productivity. Overall, we recommend closing yield gaps in smallholder cultivation through careful intensification, whereas conventional plantations could reduce management intensity without sacrificing yield. Our study highlights various pathways to reconcile the economics and ecology of palm oil production and identifies management practices for a more sustainable future of oil palm cultivation.

Indigenous knowledge dataset of Dayak, Malay and Chinese communities in Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

The dataset in this article presents indigenous knowledge of Dayak, Malay, and Chinese ethnic communities in Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data was collected by involving three categories of main informants, namely community leaders, the main actors directly involved in indigenous knowledge of their tribe. Key informants are community leaders referred to as leaders or elders in their tribe's indigenous knowledge. They are recommended informants, namely the general Dayak, Malay, and Chinese, who know and maintain indigenous knowledge of their tribes. Research instruments were used to obtain data using open interview sheets, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The data was collected to screen local content owned by Dayak, Malay, and Chinese communities in Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, that have the value of local wisdom. The urgency of data collection is to document indigenous knowledge to preserve local communities' culture.

Deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions could arise when replacing palm oil with other vegetable oils

Oil crops are among the main drivers of global land use changes. Palm oil is possibly the most criticized, as a driver of primary tropical forests loss. This has generated two different reactions in its use in various sectors (e.g., food, feed, biodiesel, surfactant applications, etc.): from one side there is a growing claim for deforestation-free palm oil, whereas on the other side the attention raised towards other vegetable oils as possible substitutes, such as soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oil. We assess potential land use changes and consequent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for switching from palm oil to other oils and compare this solution to deforestation-free palm oils. We consider three scenarios of 25 %, 50 % and 100 % palm oil replacement in the eight major oil crop producing countries. Total GHG emissions account for anthropogenic emissions generated along the life cycle of the field production process and potential forest carbon stock losses from land use change for oil crops expansion. Replacing palm oil with other oils would have a worthless effect in terms of global emissions reduction since GHG emissions remain approximatively stable across the three scenarios, whereas it would produce a deforestation increase of 28.2 to 51.9 Mha worldwide (or 7 to 21.5 Mha if excluding the unlikely deforestation in USA, Russia, Ukraine and the offset deforestation in China, India). Conversely, if the global palm oil production becomes deforestation-free, its GHG emissions would be reduced by 92 %, switching from the current 371 to 29 Mt CO2eq per year. Although highlighting the historical unsustainability of oil palm plantations, results show that replacing them with other oil crops almost never represents a more sustainable solution, thus potentially questioning sustainability claims of palm oil free products with respect to deforestation-free palm oil.

Effects of human disturbances on wildlife behaviour and consequences for predator-prey overlap in Southeast Asia

Some animal species shift their activity towards increased nocturnality in disturbed habitats to avoid predominantly diurnal humans. This may alter diel overlap among species, a precondition to most predation and competition interactions that structure food webs. Here, using camera trap data from 10 tropical forest landscapes, we find that hyperdiverse Southeast Asian wildlife communities shift their peak activity from early mornings in intact habitats towards dawn and dusk in disturbed habitats (increased crepuscularity). Our results indicate that anthropogenic disturbances drive opposing behavioural adaptations based on rarity, size and feeding guild, with more nocturnality among the 59 rarer specialists' species, more diurnality for medium-sized generalists, and less diurnality for larger hunted species. Species turnover also played a role in underpinning community- and guild-level responses, with disturbances associated with markedly more detections of diurnal generalists and their medium-sized diurnal predators. However, overlap among predator-prey or competitor guilds does not vary with disturbance, suggesting that net species interactions may be conserved.

Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers

The expansion of oil palm plantations has led to land-use change and deforestation in the tropics, which has affected biodiversity. Although the impacts of the crop on terrestrial biodiversity have been extensively reviewed, its effects on freshwater biodiversity remain relatively unexplored. We reviewed the research assessing the impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota and the mitigating effect of riparian buffers on these impacts. We searched for studies comparing taxa richness, species abundance, and community composition of macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and fish in streams in forests (primary and disturbed) and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers. Then, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the overall effect of the land-use change on the 3 taxonomic groups. Twenty-nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. On average, plantations lacking buffers hosted 44% and 19% fewer stream taxa than primary and disturbed forests, respectively. Stream taxa on plantations with buffers were 24% lower than in primary forest and did not differ significantly from disturbed forest. In contrast, stream community composition differed between forests and plantations regardless of the presence of riparian buffers. These differences were attributed to agrochemical use and altered environmental conditions in the plantations, including temperature changes, worsened water conditions, microhabitat loss, and food and shelter depletion. On aggregate, abundance did not differ significantly among land uses because increases in generalist species offset the population decline of vulnerable forest specialists in the plantation. Our results reveal significant impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota, particularly taxa richness and composition (but not aggregate abundance). Although preserving riparian buffers in the plantations can mitigate the loss of various aquatic species, it cannot conserve primary forest communities. Therefore, safeguarding primary forests from the oil palm expansion is crucial, and further research is needed to address riparian buffers as a promising mitigation strategy in agricultural areas.

Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species

Infant survival is a major determinant of individual fitness and constitutes a crucial factor in shaping species' ability to maintain viable populations in changing environments.1 Early adverse conditions, such as maternal loss, social isolation, and ecological hazards, have been associated with reduced rates of infant survivorship in wild primates.2,3,4 Agricultural landscapes increasingly replacing natural forest habitats may additionally threaten the survival of infants through exposure to novel predators,5 human-wildlife conflicts,6,7 or the use of harmful chemicals.8,9 Here, we investigated potential links between agricultural habitat use and high infant mortality in wild southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) inhabiting a mosaic landscape of rainforest and oil palm plantation in Peninsular Malaysia. Longitudinal data revealed that 57% of all infants born during the study period (2014-2023) died before the age of 1 year, far exceeding mortality rates reported for other wild primates.10,11,12,13,14 Importantly, prolonged time spent in the plantation during infancy decreased the likelihood of infant survival by 3-fold, likely caused by increased exposure to the threats inherent to this environment. Further, mortality risk was elevated for infants born to primiparous mothers and predicted by prolonged maternal interbirth intervals, suggesting potential long-term effects attributed to the uptake and/or accumulation of pesticides in mothers' bodies.15,16,17 Indeed, existing literature reports that pesticides may cross the placental barrier, thus impacting fetal development during pregnancy.18,19,20 Our findings emphasize the importance of minimizing anthropogenic threats to wildlife in agricultural landscapes by establishing environmentally friendly cultivation practices that can sustain wildlife populations in the long term.

Chemical elements in Elaeis guineensis materials and derived oil

The production of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Southeast Asia is vital to the economies of Indonesia and Malaysia. Both fertilisers and pesticides used in palm production can contain elevated concentrations of Trace Elements (TEs) which may accumulate in soils and leaf tissues of plants. We hypothesised that leaves from oil palms may be deficient in essential elements, while containing elevated concentrations of non-essential TEs commonly found in agrichemicals. Samples of plant materials (leaves and fruitlets) were collected from active and former plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia, and analysed for essential and non-essential elements. Indonesian palm oil samples were sourced in New Zealand and their elemental concentrations determined. Leaf materials from both active and abandoned production sites were deficient in N, K, S and Mo, while leaf materials from abandoned sites were deficient in P. These deficiencies may have been a contributing factor to the abandonment of production at these sites. Concentrations of non-essential elements were below or comparable to average plant concentrations and no evidence of contamination was found in plant tissues. Palm oil contained low concentrations of TEs, which did not pose any toxicity risks. However, Na and Al were present in concentrations of 1198 and 159 mg kg-1 respectively, which were higher than have been previously reported. Tropical oil palm production could benefit from the determination of bioaccumulation factors for fertiliser contaminants in E. guineensis, to limit the transfer of contaminants to plants and products if increased fertiliser applications were used to correct nutrient deficiencies.

The balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in canine, feline, and equine nutrition: exploring sources and the significance of alpha-linolenic acid

Both n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (FA) have numerous significant physiological roles for mammals. The interplay between these families of FA is of interest in companion animal nutrition due to the influence of the n-6:n-3 FA ratio on the modulation of the inflammatory response in disease management and treatment. As both human and animal diets have shifted to greater consumption of vegetable oils rich in n-6 FA, the supplementation of n-3 FA to canine, feline, and equine diets has been advocated for. Although fish oils are commonly added to supply the long-chain n-3 FA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a heavy reliance on this ingredient by the human, pet food, and equine supplement industries is not environmentally sustainable. Instead, sustainable sourcing of plant-based oils rich in n-3 α-linolenic acid (ALA), such as flaxseed and camelina oils, emerges as a viable option to support an optimal n-6:n-3 FA ratio. Moreover, ALA may offer health benefits that extend beyond its role as a precursor for endogenous EPA and DHA production. The following review underlines the metabolism and recommendations of n-6 and n-3 FA for dogs, cats, and horses and the ratio between them in promoting optimal health and inflammation management. Additionally, insights into both marine and plant-based n-3 FA sources will be discussed, along with the commercial practicality of using plant oils rich in ALA for the provision of n-3 FA to companion animals.

Study of the Photosynthesis Response during the Gradual Lack of Water for 14 Olea europaea L. subsp europaea Cultivars and Their Adaptation to Climate Change

Understanding the tolerance of plants to drought and their gradual response to lack of water is a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of scientific research and technological innovation. Selecting naturally drought-tolerant plants and knowing their response to photosynthesis in a wide range of water availability opens a door to making decisions about the suitability of different cultivars to be implanted in specific geographical areas, based on their tolerance to drought and light absorption capacity. In this work, photosynthesis-light curves were carried out using a LiCor LI-6800 IRGA device, applying increasing light intensities to plants of 14 olive cultivars, either under control conditions (no water stress) or subject to moderate and severe water deficits. The plants were grown in a culture chamber under controlled conditions for photoperiod, air humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration. For each cultivar, the electronic transference ratio (ETR) in response to light was also obtained. Different equations were used to fit experimental data allowing us to calculate, with a regression coefficient above 0.95, different photosynthetic parameters such as the maximum photosynthetic capacity, the photosynthetic efficiency, the number of electrons or the number of photons to assimilate a molecule of CO2, and the effect of the lack of water on these parameters. This work represents the first contribution of the response to photosynthesis of many olive cultivars subjected to moderate and severe drought conditions. The parameters described, and the results provided, pave the road for subsequent work related to plant physiology and other areas of science and technology, and allow us to objectively compare the tolerance to water stress in these fourteen olive cultivars.

Biocultural diversity and crop improvement

Biocultural diversity is the ever-evolving and irreplaceable sum total of all living organisms inhabiting the Earth. It plays a significant role in sustainable productivity and ecosystem services that benefit humanity and is closely allied with human cultural diversity. Despite its essentiality, biodiversity is seriously threatened by the insatiable and inequitable human exploitation of the Earth's resources. One of the benefits of biodiversity is its utilization in crop improvement, including cropping improvement (agronomic cultivation practices) and genetic improvement (plant breeding). Crop improvement has tended to decrease agricultural biodiversity since the origins of agriculture, but awareness of this situation can reverse this negative trend. Cropping improvement can strive to use more diverse cultivars and a broader complement of crops on farms and in landscapes. It can also focus on underutilized crops, including legumes. Genetic improvement can access a broader range of biodiversity sources and, with the assistance of modern breeding tools like genomics, can facilitate the introduction of additional characteristics that improve yield, mitigate environmental stresses, and restore, at least partially, lost crop biodiversity. The current legal framework covering biodiversity includes national intellectual property and international treaty instruments, which have tended to limit access and innovation to biodiversity. A global system of access and benefit sharing, encompassing digital sequence information, would benefit humanity but remains an elusive goal. The Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework sets forth an ambitious set of targets and goals to be accomplished by 2030 and 2050, respectively, to protect and restore biocultural diversity, including agrobiodiversity.

Transparent and Superhydrophilic Flexible Protein Films with Antifogging and Self-Cleaning Attributes

Cyanoglycoside-modified flexible protein films, exhibiting a high level of transparency of ≈46 to 83%, were successfully prepared from lysozyme and glycerol with varying amounts of amygdalin (20, 40, and 60%) using water as a solvent. The increasing percentage of amygdalin leads to a drastic improvement of the hydrophilicity of the surface with a decrease in the water contact angle to 5.6°, resulting in superhydrophilicity. The increasing percentage of amygdalin led to a significant improvement in the surface's hydrophilicity, resulting in a reduced water contact angle of 5.6° and achieving superhydrophilicity. This superhydrophilic characteristic is particularly relevant to the excellent antifogging and self-cleaning properties of the resulting protein films. In addition to enhanced flexibility, the films also exhibited considerably improved thermal stability with a 40% loading of amygdalin in the protein solution. The superior mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of amygdalin-modified films are due to the strong hydrogen bonding with the peptides of lysozyme, as evidenced by the disappearance of amide bands in the cured protein films. Therefore, these transparent protein films, with their antifogging and enhanced thermal stability properties, can be potentially used for different packaging and coating applications.

Deforestation within breeding ranges may still drive population trends of migratory forest birds in the East Asian Flyway

The East Asian Flyway (EAF) is the most species diverse of global flyways, with deforestation in its migratory landbird's non-breeding range suspected to be the main driver of population decline. Yet range-wide habitat loss impact assessments on EAF migratory landbirds are scarce, and seasonal variation in habitat preference of migratory species further increases the complexity for conservation strategies. In this study, we reviewed population trends of migratory forest breeding birds in the EAF along with their seasonal habitat preference from the literature and assessed the impact of forest cover change in species' breeding and non-breeding ranges on population trends. We found that 41.3% of the bird species with trend data available are declining, and most have higher forest preference in the breeding season. Despite 93.4% of the species experienced deforestation throughout their annual cycle, forest cover change in the non-breeding range was not identified as the main driver of population trend. However, forest cover change in species' regional breeding range interacts positively with the degree of breeding season forest preference in predicting population trends. We therefore stress that regional breeding habitat protection may still be important while following the call for cross-border collaboration to fill the information gap for flyway conservation.

Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for fatty alcohol production from glucose and wheat straw hydrolysate

BACKGROUND

Fatty acid-derived products such as fatty alcohols (FAL) find growing application in cosmetic products, lubricants, or biofuels. So far, FAL are primarily produced petrochemically or through chemical conversion of bio-based feedstock. Besides the well-known negative environmental impact of using fossil resources, utilization of bio-based first-generation feedstock such as palm oil is known to contribute to the loss of habitat and biodiversity. Thus, the microbial production of industrially relevant chemicals such as FAL from second-generation feedstock is desirable.

RESULTS

To engineer Corynebacterium glutamicum for FAL production, we deregulated fatty acid biosynthesis by deleting the transcriptional regulator gene fasR, overexpressing a fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) gene of Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus VT8 and attenuating the native thioesterase expression by exchange of the ATG to a weaker TTG start codon. C. glutamicum ∆fasR cg2692_TTG (pEKEx2-maqu2220) produced in shaking flasks 0.54 ± 0.02 g_FAL L^-1 from 20 g glucose L^-1 with a product yield of 0.054 ± 0.001 Cmol Cmol^-1. To enable xylose utilization, we integrated xylA encoding the xylose isomerase from Xanthomonas campestris and xylB encoding the native xylulose kinase into the locus of actA. This approach enabled growth on xylose. However, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was required to improve the growth rate threefold to 0.11 ± 0.00 h^-1. The genome of the evolved strain C. glutamicum gX was re-sequenced, and the evolved genetic module was introduced into C. glutamicum ∆fasR cg2692_TTG (pEKEx2-maqu2220) which allowed efficient growth and FAL production on wheat straw hydrolysate. FAL biosynthesis was further optimized by overexpression of the pntAB genes encoding the membrane-bound transhydrogenase of E. coli. The best-performing strain C. glutamicum ∆fasR cg2692_TTG CgLP12::(P_tac-pntAB-T_rrnB) gX (pEKEx2-maqu2220) produced 2.45 ± 0.09 g_FAL L^-1 with a product yield of 0.054 ± 0.005 Cmol Cmol^-1 and a volumetric productivity of 0.109 ± 0.005 g_FAL L^-1 h^-1 in a pulsed fed-batch cultivation using wheat straw hydrolysate.

CONCLUSION

The combination of targeted metabolic engineering and ALE enabled efficient FAL production in C. glutamicum from wheat straw hydrolysate for the first time. Therefore, this study provides useful metabolic engineering principles to tailor this bacterium for other products from this second-generation feedstock.

Role of the polyphenol content on the structuring behavior of liposoluble gelators in extra virgin olive oil

The role of polyphenols in affecting the structural and rheological properties of oleogels was investigated. Polyphenols were selectively removed from extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and the resulting oils at three different polyphenol levels were gelled by using 10% (w/w) of monoglycerides (MG), rice wax (RW), sunflower wax (SW), and a mixture of β-sitosterol/γ-oryzanol (PS). The structural characteristics of oleogels were assessed by visual appearance, rheology, polarized light microscopy, calorimetry, XRD, and FTIR. Polyphenol content differently affected oleogel characteristics depending on network features. While EVOO-polyphenols did not influence PS- and SW-based oleogels, they reinforced MG- and RW-based oleogel network. As polyphenol content increased, the critical stress and melting temperature also increased, concomitantly with changes in crystal morphology. This was attributed to the capacity of polyphenols to form additional junction points in the crystalline network.

Projecting global oil palm expansion under zero-deforestation commitments: Direct and indirect land use change impacts

In the last three decades, global production of oil palm has boomed, which has partly come at the expense of tropical rainforests. Recognizing this, many companies operating in the palm oil industry have committed to eliminate deforestation from their operations, often referred to as zero-deforestation commitments (ZDCs). Here, we estimate that if ZDCs are fully adopted and enforced across all sectors and geographies, the global extent of oil palm plantations may be 11 M ha or 40% smaller in 2030 than in a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario that assumes no compliance with ZDCs. As a result of such land-sparing effects, we estimate that 96 M ha of forests are saved from conversion, of which, 17% would otherwise have been converted (directly or indirectly) due to expanding oil palm plantations. Overall, these figures suggest that ZDCs have the potential to deliver major environmental benefits if they are fully adopted and enforced.

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in Southeast Asia: One Health challenge

The ongoing significant social, environmental, and economic changes in Southeast Asia (SEA) make the region highly vulnerable to the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic viral diseases. In the last century, SEA has faced major viral outbreaks with great health and economic impact, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), arboviruses, highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV); and so far, imported cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Given the recent challenging experiences in addressing emerging zoonotic diseases, it is necessary to redouble efforts to effectively implement the "One Health" initiative in the region, which aims to strengthen the human-animal-plant-environment interface to better prevent, detect and respond to health threats while promoting sustainable development. This review provides an overview of important emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in SEA, with emphasis on the main drivers behind their emergency, the epidemiological situation from January 2000 to October 2022, and the importance of One Health to promote improved intervention strategies.

Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus

A major trade-off of land-use change is the potential for increased risk of infectious diseases, a.o. through impacting disease vector life-cycles. Evaluating the public health implications of land-use conversions requires spatially detailed modelling linking land-use to vector ecology. Here, we estimate the impact of deforestation for oil palm cultivation on the number of life-cycle completions of Aedes albopictus via its impact on local microclimates. We apply a recently developed mechanistic phenology model to a fine-scaled (50-m resolution) microclimate dataset that includes daily temperature, rainfall and evaporation. Results of this combined model indicate that the conversion from lowland rainforest to plantations increases suitability for A. albopictus development by 10.8%, moderated to 4.7% with oil palm growth to maturity. Deforestation followed by typical plantation planting-maturation-clearance-replanting cycles is predicted to create pulses of high development suitability. Our results highlight the need to explore sustainable land-use scenarios that resolve conflicts between agricultural and human health objectives.

Internalisation of environmental costs of decentralised nitrogen fertilisers production

Purpose

Ammonia (NH3) production is an energy-intensive process that is concentrated in a few countries at large-scale plants, mainly using the Haber-Bosch (HB) process. Local plants next to farmers can reduce environmental impacts, as well as reduce storage, shortage risks, and price volatility of fertilisers. Since local NH3 production is not cost-effective, we analyse how internalisation of environmental impacts into economic analyses could help to promote novel technologies for NH3 synthesis when supplied with renewable energy.

Methods

Mini-HB plants working at high pressure and temperature, as well as novel alternatives based on plasma reactors working at ambient conditions and using electricity from renewable sources, have been recently proposed for decentralised NH3 production. To evaluate the environmental performances of these alternative and traditional NH3 pathways, a life cycle assessment was performed to quantify the reduced emissions in each production process and the impacts of by-product utilisation, such as steam, oxygen, or carbon black. Different scales of storage and transportation, fuelled by traditional energy sources, were modelled to quantify the impacts of the simplified NH3 supply chains. A review of monetary valuation coefficients was performed to internalise the life cycle environmental impacts into the techno-economic analyses of NH3 production in Australia.

Results and discussion

Most of the estimated environmental costs were due to the carbon emissions of conventional plants and thermal plasma plants because of the use of fossil-based electricity. However, the high external costs associated with the photochemical oxidant formation and particulate matter affected the thermal plasma and non-thermal plasma (NTP) plants, costing in total 9,500 and 4,200 $/t NH3, respectively, due to the impacts of solar panels manufacturing. In contrast, electrolyser-HB plants obtained rates of 114 $/t NH3 because of the high energy efficiency and oxygen sales. In the future scenario for NTP-based plants, this alternative could also be competitive with rates of 222 $/t NH3. Additionally, the estimated total external costs for the conventional NH3 industry in Australia amounted to about US$5 billion per year.

Conclusions

Electrolyser-HB plants could be cost-effective in the short term due to the energy efficiency of HB processes. However, the HB process has reached its efficiency limits, while the NTP process still has room for improvement, as well as its production costs are lower at smaller scales. In addition, if monetised environmental costs are analysed for a whole industry, public administrations could be prompted to invest the expected savings in the promotion of these novel technologies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11367-023-02187-5.

Forest buffer-strips mitigate the negative impact of oil palm plantations on stream communities

The global area cultivated with oil palm has doubled in the past two decades, causing deforestation, land-use change, freshwater pollution, and species loss in tropical ecosystems worldwide. Despite the palm-oil industry been linked to severe deterioration of freshwater ecosystems, most studies have focused on terrestrial environments, while freshwaters have been significantly less studied. We evaluated these impacts by contrasting freshwater macroinvertebrate communities and habitat conditions in 19 streams from primary forests (7), grazing lands (6), and oil palm plantations (6). In each stream, we measured environmental characteristics, e.g., habitat composition, canopy cover, substrate, water temperature, and water quality; and we identified and quantified the assemblage of macroinvertebrates. Streams in oil palm plantations lacking riparian forest strips showed warmer and more variable temperatures, higher turbidity, lower silica content, and poorer macroinvertebrate taxon richness than primary forests. Grazing lands showed higher conductivity and temperature, and lower dissolved oxygen and macroinvertebrate taxon richness than primary forests. In contrast, streams in oil palm plantations that conserved a riparian forest, showed a substrate composition, temperature, and canopy cover more similar to the ones in primary forests. These habitat improvements by riparian forests in the plantations increased macroinvertebrate taxon richness and maintained a community resembling more the one in primary forests. Therefore, the conversion of grazing lands (instead of primary forests) to oil palm plantations can increase freshwater taxon richness only if riparian native forests are safeguarded.

Exposure to dietary fatty acids oleic and palmitic acid alters structure and mechanotransduction of intestinal cells in vitro

Intestinal cells are continuously exposed to food constituents while adapting to peristaltic movement and fluid shear stress. Oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA) are among the most prevalent fatty acids with respect to dietary lipids. Despite the central importance of dietary lipids for a balanced diet, awareness about potential detrimental effects related to excessive consumption is increasing; this includes toxicity, metabolic deregulation, and, particularly for cancer cells, a benefit from the uptake of fatty acids related to promotion of metastasis. Expanding on this, we started elucidating the effects of OA and PA (25-500 µM) on non-transformed human intestinal epithelial cells (HCEC-1CT) in comparison to colon carcinoma cells (HCT116), with regard to the mechanosensory apparatus. Hence, intestinal cells' motility is on the one side essential to ensure adaption to peristaltic movement and barrier function, but also to enable metastatic progression. Incubation with both OA and PA (≥ 25 µM) significantly decreased membrane fluidity of HCT116 cells, whereas the effect on HCEC-1CT was more limited. Application of rhodamine-labelled PA demonstrated that the fatty acid is incorporated into the plasma membrane of HCT116, which could not be observed in the non-tumorigenic cell line. Down-streaming into the intracellular compartment, a pronounced rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton was evident in both cell lines (OA and PA; 25 and 100 µM). This was accompanied by a variation of translocation efficiency of the mechanosensitive co-transcription factor YAP1, albeit with a stronger effect seen for PA and the cancer cells. Untargeted proteomic analysis confirmed that exposure to OA and PA could alter the response capacity of HCT116 cells to fluid shear stress. Taken together, OA and PA were able to functionally modulate the mechanosensory apparatus of intestinal cells, implying a novel role for dietary fatty acids in the regulation of intestinal pathophysiology.

Smallholder oil palm plantation sustainability assessment using multi-criteria analysis and unmanned aerial vehicles

Oil palm agriculture has caused extensive land cover and land use changes that have adversely affected tropical landscapes and ecosystems. However, monitoring and assessment of oil palm plantation areas to support sustainable management is costly and labour-intensive. This study used an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to map smallholder farms and applied multi-criteria analysis to data generated from orthomosaics, to provide a set of sustainability indicators for the farms. Images were acquired from a UAV, with structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry then used to produce orthomosaics and digital elevation models of the farm areas. Some of the inherent problems using high spatial resolution imagery for land cover classification were overcome by using texture analysis and geographic object-based image analysis (OBIA). Six spatially explicit environmental metrics were developed using multi-criteria analysis and used to generate sustainability indicator layers from the UAV data. The SfM and OBIA approach provided an accurate, high-resolution (~5 cm) image-based reconstruction of smallholder farm landscapes, with an overall classification accuracy of 89%. The multi-criteria analysis highlighted areas with lower sustainability values, which should be considered targets for adoption of sustainable management practices. The results of this work suggest that UAVs are a cost-effective tool for sustainability assessments of oil palm plantations, but there remains the need to plan surveys and image processing workflows carefully. Future work can build on our proposed approach, including the use of additional and/or alternative indicators developed through consultation with the oil palm industry stakeholders, to support certification schemes such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

Conservation Biological Control as an Important Tool in the Neotropical Region

The history and recent developments of conservation biological control (CBC) in the context of industrialized and small-scale agriculture are discussed from theoretical framework available in the Neotropical region. A historical perspective is presented in terms of the transition of the way pests have been controlled since ancestral times, while some of these techniques persist in some areas cultivated on a small-scale agriculture. The context of industrialized agriculture sets the stage for the transition from chemical pesticides promoted in the green revolution to the more modern concept of IPM and finds in conservation biological an important strategy in relation to more sustainable pest management options meeting new consumer demands for cleaner products and services. However, it also noted that conservation, considered within a more integrative approach, establishes its foundations on an overall increase in floral biodiversity, that is, transversal to both small-scale and industrialized areas. In the latter case, we present examples where industrialized agriculture is implementing valuable efforts in the direction of conservation and new technologies are envisioned within more sustainable plant production systems and organizational commitment having that conservation biological control has become instrumental to environmental management plans. In addition, a metanalysis on the principal organisms associated with conservation efforts is presented. Here, we found that hymenopteran parasitoids resulted in the most studied group, followed by predators, where arachnids constitute a well-represented group, while predatory vertebrates are neglected in terms of reports on CBC. Our final remarks describe new avenues of research needed and highlight the need of cooperation networks to propose research, public outreach, and adoption as strategic to educate costumers and participants on the importance of conservation as main tool in sustainable pest management.

Functional genome annotation and transcriptome analysis of Pseudozyma hubeiensis BOT-O, an oleaginous yeast that utilizes glucose and xylose at equal rates

Pseudozyma hubeiensis is a basidiomycete yeast that has the highly desirable traits for lignocellulose valorisation of being equally efficient at utilization of glucose and xylose, and capable of their co-utilization. The species has previously mainly been studied for its capacity to produce secreted biosurfactants in the form of mannosylerythritol lipids, but it is also an oleaginous species capable of accumulating high levels of triacylglycerol storage lipids during nutrient starvation. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the oleaginous nature of P. hubeiensis by evaluating metabolism and gene expression responses during storage lipid formation conditions with glucose or xylose as a carbon source. The genome of the recently isolated P. hubeiensis BOT-O strain was sequenced using MinION long-read sequencing and resulted in the most contiguous P. hubeiensis assembly to date with 18.95 Mb in 31 contigs. Using transcriptome data as experimental support, we generated the first mRNA-supported P. hubeiensis genome annotation and identified 6540 genes. 80% of the predicted genes were assigned functional annotations based on protein homology to other yeasts. Based on the annotation, key metabolic pathways in BOT-O were reconstructed, including pathways for storage lipids, mannosylerythritol lipids and xylose assimilation. BOT-O was confirmed to consume glucose and xylose at equal rates, but during mixed glucose-xylose cultivation glucose was found to be taken up faster. Differential expression analysis revealed that only a total of 122 genes were significantly differentially expressed at a cut-off of |log₂ fold change| ≥ 2 when comparing cultivation on xylose with glucose, during exponential growth and during nitrogen-starvation. Of these 122 genes, a core-set of 24 genes was identified that were differentially expressed at all time points. Nitrogen-starvation resulted in a larger transcriptional effect, with a total of 1179 genes with significant expression changes at the designated fold change cut-off compared with exponential growth on either glucose or xylose.

Implications of zero-deforestation palm oil for tropical grassy and dry forest biodiversity

Many companies have made zero-deforestation commitments (ZDCs) to reduce carbon emissions and biodiversity losses linked to tropical commodities. However, ZDCs conserve areas primarily based on tree cover and aboveground carbon, potentially leading to the unintended consequence that agricultural expansion could be encouraged in biomes outside tropical rainforest, which also support important biodiversity. We examine locations suitable for zero-deforestation expansion of commercial oil palm, which is increasingly expanding outside the tropical rainforest biome, by generating empirical models of global suitability for rainfed and irrigated oil palm. We find that tropical grassy and dry forest biomes contain >50% of the total area of land climatically suitable for rainfed oil palm expansion in compliance with ZDCs (following the High Carbon Stock Approach; in locations outside urban areas and cropland), and that irrigation could double the area suitable for expansion in these biomes. Within these biomes, ZDCs fail to protect areas of high vertebrate richness from oil palm expansion. To prevent unintended consequences of ZDCs and minimize the environmental impacts of oil palm expansion, policies and governance for sustainable development and conservation must expand focus from rainforests to all tropical biomes.

Orang Asli Health and Lifeways Project (OA HeLP): a cross-sectional cohort study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Non-communicable disease (NCD) risk is influenced by environmental factors that are highly variable worldwide, yet prior research has focused mainly on high-income countries where most people are exposed to relatively homogeneous and static environments. Understanding the scope and complexity of environmental influences on NCD risk around the globe requires more data from people living in diverse and changing environments. Our project will investigate the prevalence and environmental causes of NCDs among the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, known collectively as the Orang Asli, who are currently undergoing varying degrees of lifestyle and sociocultural changes that are predicted to increase vulnerability to NCDs, particularly metabolic disorders and musculoskeletal degenerative diseases.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Biospecimen sampling and screening for a suite of NCDs (eg, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis), combined with detailed ethnographic work to assess key lifestyle and sociocultural variables (eg, diet, physical activity and wealth), will take place in Orang Asli communities spanning a gradient from remote, traditional villages to acculturated, market-integrated urban areas. Analyses will first test for relationships between environmental variables, NCD risk factors and NCD occurrence to investigate how environmental changes are affecting NCD susceptibility among the Orang Asli. Second, we will examine potential molecular and physiological mechanisms (eg, epigenetics and systemic inflammation) that mediate environmental effects on health. Third, we will identify intrinsic (eg, age and sex) and extrinsic (eg, early-life experiences) factors that predispose certain people to NCDs in the face of environmental change to better understand which Orang Asli are at greatest risk of NCDs.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Approval was obtained from multiple ethical review boards including the Malaysian Ministry of Health. This study follows established principles for ethical biomedical research among vulnerable indigenous communities, including fostering collaboration, building cultural competency, enhancing transparency, supporting capacity building and disseminating research findings.

Rainforest conversion to rubber and oil palm reduces abundance, biomass and diversity of canopy spiders

Rainforest canopies, home to one of the most complex and diverse terrestrial arthropod communities, are threatened by conversion of rainforest into agricultural production systems. However, little is known about how predatory arthropod communities respond to such conversion. To address this, we compared canopy spider (Araneae) communities from lowland rainforest with those from three agricultural systems in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, i.e., jungle rubber (rubber agroforest) and monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm. Using canopy fogging, we collected 10,676 spider specimens belonging to 36 families and 445 morphospecies. The four most abundant families (Salticidae N = 2,043, Oonopidae N = 1,878, Theridiidae N = 1,533 and Clubionidae N = 1,188) together comprised 62.2% of total individuals, while the four most speciose families, Salticidae (S = 87), Theridiidae (S = 83), Araneidae (S = 48) and Thomisidae (S = 39), contained 57.8% of all morphospecies identified. In lowland rainforest, average abundance, biomass and species richness of canopy spiders was at least twice as high as in rubber or oil palm plantations, with jungle rubber showing similar abundances as rainforest, and intermediate biomass and richness. Community composition of spiders was similar in rainforest and jungle rubber, but differed from rubber and oil palm, which also differed from each other. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that canopy openness, aboveground tree biomass and tree density together explained 18.2% of the variation in spider communities at family level. On a morphospecies level, vascular plant species richness and tree density significantly affected the community composition but explained only 6.8% of the variance. While abundance, biomass and diversity of spiders declined strongly with the conversion of rainforest into monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm, we also found that a large proportion of the rainforest spider community can thrive in extensive agroforestry systems such as jungle rubber. Despite being very different from rainforest, the canopy spider communities in rubber and oil palm plantations may still play a vital role in the biological control of canopy herbivore species, thus contributing important ecosystem services. The components of tree and palm canopy structure identified as major determinants of canopy spider communities may aid in decision-making processes toward establishing cash-crop plantation management systems which foster herbivore control by spiders.

The future of sub-Saharan Africa’s biodiversity in the face of climate and societal change

Many of the world’s most biodiverse regions are found in the poorest and second most populous continent of Africa; a continent facing exceptional challenges. Africa is projected to quadruple its population by 2100 and experience increasingly severe climate change and environmental conflict—all of which will ravage biodiversity. Here we assess conservation threats facing Africa and consider how these threats will be affected by human population growth, economic expansion, and climate change. We then evaluate the current capacity and infrastructure available to conserve the continent’s biodiversity. We consider four key questions essential for the future of African conservation: (1) how to build societal support for conservation efforts within Africa; (2) how to build Africa’s education, research, and management capacity; (3) how to finance conservation efforts; and (4) is conservation through development the appropriate approach for Africa? While the challenges are great, ways forward are clear, and we present ideas on how progress can be made. Given Africa’s current modest capacity to address its biodiversity crisis, additional international funding is required, but estimates of the cost of conserving Africa’s biodiversity are within reach. The will to act must build on the sympathy for conservation that is evident in Africa, but this will require building the education capacity within the continent. Considering Africa’s rapidly growing population and the associated huge economic needs, options other than conservation through development need to be more effectively explored. Despite the gravity of the situation, we believe that concerted effort in the coming decades can successfully curb the loss of biodiversity in Africa.

The Need for Global Green Marketing for the Palm Oil Industry in Indonesia

Continual scrutiny of and attacks on the palm oil industry in Indonesia have been ongoing for decades. The constant arguments against the palm oil industry have always touched on the issues of environmental sustainability, including deforestation and biodiversity loss, human rights issues, and various unsustainable practices. Even though many major palm oil players have voluntarily joined the RSPO, as well as the mandatory ISPO, with both certification bodies covering the environmental sustainability contexts of community development and human rights, constant attacks from stakeholders are mounting. This paper argues that besides fulfilling all of these requirements, there is a need for the industry as a whole to apply the right approach to green marketing or sustainable marketing as a means of strategy and business sustainability. Without a proper green marketing strategy and platform, the message of sustainability will not be delivered efficiently to the intended targets. There needs to be an understanding in regard to the market and also collaborative action between various stakeholders—including competitors and NGOs—to create and execute a fruitful green marketing strategy that can cross boundaries and be well received by the intended market.

Inter-Annual Climate Variability Impact on Oil Palm Mapping

The contribution of oil palm plantations to the economic growth of tropical developing countries makes it essential to monitor their expansion into the tropical forest; consequently, most studies focus on improving mapping accuracy while using satellite imagery. However, accuracy can be hampered by atmospheric phenomena that can drastically change climatic conditions in tropical regions, affecting the spectral properties of the vegetation. In this sense, we studied the accuracy of palm plantation mapping by using features from different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and a data fusion approach, and then compared the changes in accuracy over the years 2016, 2017, and 2018 (two of them with reported climatic anomalies). Optical-based maps obtained higher accuracy than thermal- and microwave-based maps, but they were the most affected by inter-annual climate variability (error margin between 5 and 10%), while thermal-based maps were the least affected (error margin between 8 and 9%). Data fusion combinations improved accuracy and reduced dissimilarities between years (e.g., phenology-based map accuracy changed by up to 20.8%, while phenology fused with microwave features changed by up to 6.8%). We conclude that inter-annual climate variability on land-cover mapping should be considered, especially if the outputs will be used as input in future studies.

Tropical wetlands and land use changes: The case of oil palm in neotropical riverine floodplains

Oil palm plantations are expanding in Latin America due to the global demand for food and biofuels, and much of this expansion has occurred at expense of important tropical ecosystems. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge about effects on aquatic ecosystems near to oil palm-dominated landscapes. In this study, we used Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI imagery and high-resolution images in Google Earth to map the current extent of oil palm plantations and determined prior land use land cover (LULC) in the Usumacinta River Basin as a case-study site. In addition, we assess the proximity of the crop with aquatic ecosystems distributed in the Usumacinta floodplains and their potential effects. Based on our findings, the most significant change was characterized by the expansion of oil palm crop areas mainly at expenses of regional rainforest and previously intervened lands (e.g. secondary vegetation and agriculture). Although aquatic ecosystem class (e.g. rivers, lagoons and channels) decreased in surface around 3% during the study period (2001–2017), the change was not due to the expansion of oil palm lands. However, we find that more than 50% of oil palm cultivations are near (between 500 and 3000 m) to aquatic ecosystems and this could have significant environmental impacts on sediment and water quality. Oil palm crops tend to spatially concentrate in the Upper Usumacinta ecoregion (Guatemala), which is recognized as an area of important fish endemism. We argue that the basic information generated in this study is essential to have better land use decision-making in a region that is relative newcomer to oil palm boom.

Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Petrol, Biodiesel and Battery Electric Vehicles in Malaysia Based on Life Cycle Approach

A steady rise in the ownership of vehicles in Malaysia has drawn attention to the need for more effective strategies to reduce the emissions of the road transport sector. Although the electrification of vehicles and replacing petrol with biofuel are the strategies being considered in Malaysia, these strategies have yet to be fully evaluated from an environmental perspective. In this study, a life cycle assessment was conducted to compare the greenhouse gas emissions of different types of transportation means (passenger cars, two-wheelers (motorbikes), and buses) with several types of powertrains (petrol, biodiesel, electricity) based on multiple lifecycle stages in Malaysia. The impact of considering land use change for the biodiesel production in the LCA was also considered in this study. It was found that the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles fueled by petrol to electric vehicles would reduce the greenhouse gas emission for passenger cars, two-wheelers, and buses. However, because the greenhouse gas emissions of biodiesel-fueled vehicles are higher than those of petrol-fueled vehicles, even without considering land use change, the results indicate that the transition from a 10% to 20% biofuel blend, which is a current strategy in Malaysia, will not result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the transport sector in Malaysia.

Himalayan orogeny and monsoon intensification explain species diversification in an endemic ginger (Hedychium: Zingiberaceae) from the Indo-Malayan Realm

The Indo-Malayan Realm is a biogeographic realm that extends from the Indian Subcontinent to the islands of Southeast Asia (Malay Archipelago). Despite being megadiverse, evolutionary hypotheses explaining taxonomic diversity in this region have been rare. Here, we investigate the role of geoclimatic events such as Himalayan orogeny and monsoon intensification in the diversification of the ginger-lilies (Hedychium J.Koenig: Zingiberaceae). We first built a comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogeny of Hedychium with 75% taxonomic and geographic sampling. We found that Hedychium is a very young lineage that originated in Northern Indo-Burma, in the Late Miocene (c. 10.6 Ma). This was followed by a late Neogene and early Quaternary diversification, with multiple dispersal events to Southern Indo-Burma, Himalayas, Peninsular India, and the Malay Archipelago. The most speciose clade IV i.e., the predominantly Indo-Burmese clade also showed a higher diversification rate, suggesting its recent rapid radiation. Our divergence dating and GeoHiSSE results demonstrate that the diversification of Hedychium was shaped by both the intensifications in the Himalayan uplift as well as the Asian monsoon. Ancestral character-state reconstructions identified the occurrence of vegetative dormancy in both clades I and II, whereas the strictly epiphytic growth behavior, island dwarfism, lack of dormancy, and a distinct environmental niche were observed only in the predominantly island clade i.e., clade III. Finally, we show that the occurrence of epiphytism in clade III corresponds with submergence due to sea-level changes, suggesting it to be an adaptive trait. Our study highlights the role of recent geoclimatic events and environmental factors in the diversification of plants within the Indo-Malayan Realm and the need for collaborative work to understand biogeographic patterns within this understudied region. This study opens new perspectives for future biogeographic studies in this region and provides a framework to explain the taxonomic hyperdiversity of the Indo-Malayan Realm.

Panel Products Made of Oil Palm Trunk: A Review of Potency, Environmental Aspect, and Comparison with Wood-Based Composites

Oil palm plantations have expanded rapidly in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. A lot of products, including food and other edible products, oleo-chemicals, cosmetics, personal and household care, pharmaceutical products, and biodiesels are derived from palm oil, thus making them one of the most economically important plants. After 25-30 years of age, the palms are felled and replaced due to declining oil production. Oil palm trunks (OPT) are considered significant waste products. The trunks remain on the plantation site for nutrient recycling or burning. This increases insect and fungi populations causing environmental problems for the new palm generation or air pollution due to the fire. Up till now, OPT has received less attention in research studies. Therefore, this review summarizes the utilization of OPT into products made of oil palm fibers mainly derived from OPT and its application as the substitution of wood panel products. Some research works have been carried out on oil palm fibers that are derived from OPT for exploiting their potential as raw material of composite panel products, which is the objective of this review. Areas of development are processed into various conventional composite panel products such as plywood and laminated board which are usually predominantly made of wood and bonded by synthetic resins, particleboard with binder, or binderless and cement board which is arranged with wood as a minor component. All of the products have been presented and described technically according to best knowledge of the authors and literature review.

Deforestation-free land-use change and organic matter-centered management improve the C footprint of oil palm expansion

In recent decades, mounting evidence has indicated that the expansion of oil palm (OP) plantations at the expense of tropical forest has had a far pernicious effect on ecosystem aspects. While various deforestation-free strategies have been proposed to enhance OP sustainability, field-based evidence still need to be consolidated, in particular with respect to savanna regions where OP expansion has recently occurred and that present large area with potential for OP cultivation. Here we show that the common management practice creating within the plantation the so-called management zones explained nearly five times more variability of soil biogeochemical properties than the savanna land-use change per se. We also found that clayey-soil savanna conversion into OP increased total ecosystem C stocks by 40 ± 13 Mg C ha^-1 during a full OP cultivation cycle, which was due to the higher OP-derived C accumulated in the biomass and in the soil as compared to the loss of savanna-derived C. In addition, application of organic residues in specific management zones enhanced the accumulation of soil organic carbon by up to 1.9 Mg ha^-1  year^-1 over the full cycle. Within plantation, zones subjected to organic amendments sustained similar soil microbial activity as in neighboring savannas. Our findings represent an empirical proof-of-concept that the conversion of non-forested land in parallel with organic matter-oriented management strategies can enhance OP agroecosystems C sink capacity while promoting microbe-mediated soil functioning. Nonetheless, savannas are unique and threatened ecosystems that support a vast biodiversity. Therefore, we suggest to give priority attention to conservation of natural savannas and direct more research toward the impacts of the conversion and subsequent management of degraded savannas.

A global map of planting years of plantations

Plantation is an important land use type that differs from natural forests and affects the economy and the environment. Tree age is one of the key factors used to quantify the impact of plantations. However, there is a lack of datasets explicitly documenting the planting years of global plantations. Here we used time-series Landsat archive from 1982 to 2020 and the LandTrendr algorithm to generate global maps of planting years based on the global plantation extent products in Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The datasets developed in this study are in a GeoTIFF format with 30-meter spatial resolution by recording gridded specie types and planting years of global plantations. The derived dataset could be used for yield prediction of tree crops and social and ecological cost-benefit analysis of plantations.

Measurement(s)	planting years of plantations
Technology Type(s)	remote sensing and LandTrendr algorithm
Sample Characteristic - Organism	forest

Deforestation by Afforestation: Land Use Change in the Coastal Range of Chile

In southern Chile, an establishment of a plantation-based forest industry occurred early in the industrial era. Forest companies claim that plantations were established on eroded lands. However, the plantation industry is under suspicion to have expanded its activities by clearing near-natural forests since the early 1970s. This paper uses a methodologically complex classification approach from own previously published research to elucidate land use dynamics in southern Chile. It uses spatial data (extended morphological profiles) in addition to spectral data from historical Landsat imagery, which are fusioned by kernel composition and then classified in a multiple classifier system (based on support, import and relevance vector machines). In a large study area (~67,000 km2), land use change is investigated in a narrow time frame (five-year steps from 1975 to 2010) in a two-way (prospective and retrospective) analysis. The results are discussed synoptically with other results on Chile. Two conclusions can be drawn for the coastal range. Near-natural forests have always been felled primarily in favor of the plantation industry. Vice versa, industrial plantations have always been primarily established on sites, that were formerly forest covered. This refutes the claim that Chilean plantations were established primarily to restore eroded lands; also known as badlands. The article further shows that Chile is not an isolated case of deforestation by afforestation, which has occurred in other countries alike. Based on the findings, it raises the question of the extent to which the Chilean example could be replicated in other countries through afforestation by market economy and climate change mitigation.

New architecture of leaf-tents in American oil palms (Elaeis oleifera) used by Pacific tent-making bat (Uroderma convexum) in Panama

In this study, we report for the first time the use of the American oil palm (Elaeis oleifera) as roost by the Neotropical Pacific tent-making bat (Uroderma convexum). Palms with tent roosts consisting of modified leaves were found within the semi-deciduous lowland rainforest in Panama. We present detailed information on a new style of leaf modifications and compare these to tent architectures in other palm species used by U. convexum.

Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Cosmetics Waste for Building Sustainable Green Pavements in the Future: A Case Study of Discarded Lipsticks

This investigation is dedicated to unlocking the hidden potential of discarded cosmetics towards building green sustainable road pavements in the future. It is particularly aiming at exploring waste lipstick (WLS) as a high-quality functional additive for advanced asphalt mix technologies. To fuel this novel innovation, the effect of various WLS doses (e.g., 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) on the performance of base AP-5 asphalt cement was studied in detail. A wide array of cutting-edge analytical lab techniques was employed to inspect in-depth the physicochemical, microstructural, thermo-morphological, and rheological properties of resultant admixtures including: elemental analysis, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), needle penetration, ring and ball softening point, Brookfield viscometer, ductility, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. Unlike the unstable response of asphaltenes, the additive/artificial aging treatments increased the fraction of resins the most, and decreased that of aromatics; however, asphaltenes did not impair the saturates portion, according to Iatroscan research. FT-IR scan divulged that the WLS-asphalt interaction was physical rather than chemical. XRD diagnosis not only revealed an obvious correlation between the asphaltenes content and the fresh-binder crystallinity but also revealed the presence of fillers in the WLS, which may generate outstanding technical qualities to bituminous mixes. According to AFM/SEM analyses, the stepwise incorporation of WLS grew the magnitude of the "bee-shaped" microstructures and extended the roughness rate of unaged/aged binders. The prolonged consumption of the high thermal-stable additive caused a remarkable drop in the onset degradation and glass transition temperature of mixtures, thus enhancing their workability and low-temperature performance, according to TGA/DTGA/DSC data. The DSR and empirical rheological experiments demonstrated that the WLS could effectively lower the manufacturing and compaction temperatures of asphalt mixes and impart them with valuable anti-aging/fatigue-cracking assets. In a nutshell, the use of waste lipstick as an asphalt modifier is viable and cost-effective and could attenuate the pollution arisen from the beauty sector, while improving the performance of hot/warm asphalt mixes (HAM/WAM) and extending the service life of roadways.

Current coronavirus crisis and past pandemics - What can happen in post-COVID-19 agriculture?

Currently, there is an alarming increase in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries throughout the world. This will be seen particularly in the countries of the Global South (developing countries). Many countries are trying to show efforts to keep agriculture, food industry and markets running, the supply chains and access to the markets and affordable food is still not secured. Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are going to/or already have affected the poor and other marginalised groups, mainly those with less purchasing power. It is necessary to mitigate the pandemic's impacts across the food system, enhance the resilience of food systems and avoid any potential food shortages. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of past pandemics and tries to synthesise the main lessons learned from these while also outlining visions of post-COVID-19 agriculture and the effects on food security.

The Oil Palm Governance: Challenges of Sustainability Policy in Indonesia

Nowadays, Indonesian palm oil faces agrarian, environmental, and social issues and has been subject to sharp criticism from the international community for many years. To answer this problem, the Indonesian government implemented a strategy through certification which ensured the achievement of sustainability standards, especially on the upstream side of the palm oil supply chain. The implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) was an ultimate instrument that applied in particular to smallholders oriented towards managing land legal issues, plantation business licenses, plant seeds, and environmental management and to farmer organizations at the local level. However, this process faced quite complex challenges in the form of structural barriers that are very constraining. This study revealed the occurrence of the phenomenon of hollow governance when regulations are absent or collide with each other. The study also revealed institutional power and multi-level governance that made the governance process ineffective or counterproductive. With a qualitative approach to research conducted in three important palm oil provinces of Indonesia, this article aims to look at the issues of oil palm governance a bit more comprehensively. The study conceptualized what was referred to as low-functioning governance to describe how weak the institutions, organizations, actors, and resources are that support ISPO implementation, especially at the regional and local levels. This paper suggests improving and strengthening the ISPO oil palm governance if Indonesian palm oil companies and smallholders want to gain better credibility on sustainability abroad.

Primate malarias as a model for cross-species parasite transmission

Parasites regularly switch into new host species, representing a disease burden and conservation risk to the hosts. The distribution of these parasites also gives insight into characteristics of ecological networks and genetic mechanisms of host-parasite interactions. Some parasites are shared across many species, whereas others tend to be restricted to hosts from a single species. Understanding the mechanisms producing this distribution of host specificity can enable more effective interventions and potentially identify genetic targets for vaccines or therapies. As ecological connections between human and local animal populations increase, the risk to human and wildlife health from novel parasites also increases. Which of these parasites will fizzle out and which have the potential to become widespread in humans? We consider the case of primate malarias, caused by Plasmodium parasites, to investigate the interacting ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that put human and nonhuman primates at risk for infection. Plasmodium host switching from nonhuman primates to humans led to ancient introductions of the most common malaria-causing agents in humans today, and new parasite switching is a growing threat, especially in Asia and South America. Based on a wild host-Plasmodium occurrence database, we highlight geographic areas of concern and potential areas to target further sampling. We also discuss methodological developments that will facilitate clinical and field-based interventions to improve human and wildlife health based on this eco-evolutionary perspective.

Forest Transitions in the United States, France and Austria: dynamics of forest change and their socio- metabolic drivers

Understanding the drivers of forest transitions is relevant to inform effective forest conservation. We investigate pathways of forest transitions in the United States (1920-2010), France (1850-2010), and Austria (1830-2010). By combining evidence from forest inventories with the forest model CRAFT, we first quantify how change in forest area (ΔA), maximum biomass density (ΔBd_max ), and actual biomass as fraction of maximum biomass (ΔF_max ) shaped forest dynamics. Second, to investigate the connections between forest change and societal resource use, or social metabolism, we quantify the importance of selected proximate and underlying socio-metabolic drivers. We find that agricultural intensification and reduced forest grazing correlated most with positive ΔA and ΔBd_max . By contrast, change in biomass imports or harvest did not explain forest change. Our findings highlight the importance of forest growth conditions in explaining long-term forest dynamics, and demonstrate the distinct ways in which resource use drove forest change.

Reconfiguring workup steps in multi-cycle extractive bioconversion for sustainable fatty alcohol production: a process engineering approach

Reconfiguring workup steps between cycles of extractive bioconversion led to fatty alcohol production with improved productivity and sustainability.

Bioplastics for a circular economy

Bioplastics - typically plastics manufactured from bio-based polymers - stand to contribute to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles as part of a circular economy, in which virgin polymers are made from renewable or recycled raw materials. Carbon-neutral energy is used for production and products are reused or recycled at their end of life (EOL). In this Review, we assess the advantages and challenges of bioplastics in transitioning towards a circular economy. Compared with fossil-based plastics, bio-based plastics can have a lower carbon footprint and exhibit advantageous materials properties; moreover, they can be compatible with existing recycling streams and some offer biodegradation as an EOL scenario if performed in controlled or predictable environments. However, these benefits can have trade-offs, including negative agricultural impacts, competition with food production, unclear EOL management and higher costs. Emerging chemical and biological methods can enable the 'upcycling' of increasing volumes of heterogeneous plastic and bioplastic waste into higher-quality materials. To guide converters and consumers in their purchasing choices, existing (bio)plastic identification standards and life cycle assessment guidelines need revision and homogenization. Furthermore, clear regulation and financial incentives remain essential to scale from niche polymers to large-scale bioplastic market applications with truly sustainable impact.