The GHG emissions and economic performance of the Colombian palm oil sector; current status and long-term perspectives

Increasing oil palm plantations, both for obtaining crude palm oil (CPO) and for the production of biobased products, have generated growing concern about the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the environment. Colombia has the potential to produce sustainable biobased products from oil palm. Nevertheless, national GHG emissions have not yet been reported by this sector. Achieving the collection of the total primary data from the oil palm sector, in Colombia, entails a tremendous challenge. Notwithstanding, for this study, the data collection of 70% of the production of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) was achieved. Therefore, current situation of CPO production in Colombia is analyzed, including 1) GHG emissions calculation, 2) net energy ratio (NER), and 3) economic performance. Moreover, the analysis includes two future scenarios, where the CPO production chain is optimized to reduce GHG emissions. Future scenario A produces biodiesel (BD), biogas, cogeneration, and compost; while future scenario B produces BD, biogas, cogeneration, and pellets. The methodology, for all the scenarios, includes life-cycle assessment and economic analysis evaluation. The results show a significant potential for improving the current palm oil production, including a 55% reduction in GHG emissions. The impact of land-use change must be mitigated to reduce GHG emissions. Therefore, a sustainable oil palm expansion should be in areas with low carbon stock or areas suitable/available to the crop (e.g., cropland, pastureland). Avoiding the deforestation of natural forests is required. Besides, crop yield should be increased to minimize the land use, using biomass to produce biobased products, and capture biogas to reduce methane emissions. In the biodiesel production life-cycle, the NER analysis shows the fossil energy consumed is lower than the renewable energy produced. Regarding the economic performance, it shows that in an optimized production chain, the capital expenditure and operational expenditure will decrease by approximately 20%

Reservas de agua, seguros de vida

El artículo presenta como idea central la insuficiente conexión entre la planeación territorial de los paisajes de conservación y el manejo de los centros urbanos y de los sistemas de producción, lo que conlleva la generación de conflictos por el acceso al recurso del agua. Por lo cual propone determinar los caudales ecológicos de las fuentes hídricas, de tal manera que al momento de asignar cuotas de extracción y uso a diferentes sectores se respete la cantidad mínima necesaria para el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, lo que hace posible la creación de reservas de agua, que representas verdaderos seguros de vida que, además de garantizar el suministro para los seres humanos, conserva la integridad ecológica de los sistemas acuáticos

Vacíos de conservación del sistema de Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia desde una perspectiva ecorregional

IAVH-639.95 A6615959Bogotá, ColombiaWWF; Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt; GEF; Banco Mundial; Embajada Real de los Países Bajo

Vacíos de conservación del sistema de Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia desde una perspectiva ecorregional

IAVH-639.95 A6615959Bogotá, ColombiaWWF; Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt; GEF; Banco Mundial; Embajada Real de los Países Bajo

Trophic structure of the icththylogical assemblage of the Yahuarcaca lakes, Amazonas, Colombia

El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar la dieta y cambios tróficas durante las temporadas de aguas altas y bajas de la ictiofauna predominante en un lago de várzea en la Amazonia colombiana. Las colectas se realizaron durante aguas altas y bajas en 2010, utilizando redes agalleras, red de arrastre y jamas. Se analizaron los contenidos estomacales de 875 ejemplares de 66 especies (30 para aguas altas y 48 aguas bajas); a través del Índice de Bray-Curtis se determinó la similitud entre las dietas de las especies; se utilizó el Índice de Levin para determinar la amplitud del nicho trófico. Hubo cambios en la composición de los gremios tróficos en ambas temporadas (X2=323.95, P=<0.001). Se hallaron seis gremios tróficos para la temporada de aguas bajas y cinco durante las aguas altas. Durante las dos temporadas se registraron cambios en la composición de la dieta que parecen corresponder a la oferta de recursos. Se recomienda en futuras investigaciones incrementar el número de muestras de los contenidos estomacales y ampliar el muestreo a las otras temporadas del ciclo hidrológico para determinar la variación trófica con mayor precisión. The aim of this research is to establish the diet and trophic changes of the predominant icthyofauna in a varzea lake of the Colombian Amazon, during high water and low water seasons. The collections were made during high water and low water seasons in 2010, employing gill nets, bottom trawl net and landing nets. Stomach contents of 875 specimens from 66 species (30 for high water and 48 for low water) were analyzed; species diet similarity was determined through the Bray-Curtis Index; the trophic niche extent was determined using Levin’s Index. There were changes in the compositions of the trophic guilds in both seasons (X2=323.95, P=<0.001). Six trophic guilds for high water season and five for low water season were found. Changes in diet composition were recorded in both seasons, which appear to correspond to resource offer. For future research, it is recommended to increase the number of samples for stomach contents and to widen the sampling to the other season of the hydrological cycle in order to determine with greater precision the trophic variation