BIO1EEB essay task

Topic D: Sugar-cane in Brazil

Journal article
Life on earth is sustained by finite resources. The health of the planet is
dependent on the way that those resources are managed. The global human
population continues to increase rapidly, and is predicted to be at nine billion by
2050. Humanity will face a major challenge as there is a limited amount of land
on earth which is suitable for growing crops. At a global level, competition for
land to grow food crops and biofuels is threatening to reduce the total amount of
land available for agricultural food crops. This results in pressure on natural
ecosystems, in particular forests, which are essential for regulating global health
and climate. It is essential that we understand that different plant communities
vary in their contribution to climate regulation. Critical choices must be made
when considering sustainable options for crop production in areas where land has
already been cleared. The Loarie et al. 2011 paper presents data on the impact
on climate of different land use in Brazil.
Download the following article and background material from the online textbook
Principles of Biology. Go to the Teaching Resources tab, find Primary Literature,
and choose Direct impacts on local climate of sugar-cane expansion in Brazil.
Alternatively, the article can be accessed directly through the library
BIO1EEB Essay Topic question related to Scott R. Loarie, David B. Lobell ,
Gregory P. Asner, Qiaozhen Mu, Christopher B. Field (2011). Direct impacts on
local climate of sugar-cane expansion in Brazil. Nature Climate Change 1, 105
109 doi:10.1038/nclimate1067
The essay question posed:
(i)
Explain how plants can change the local climate and how this leads to
changes in greenhouse gas accumulation.
(ii)
Describe the impact of sugar cane plantations on evapotranspiration,
albedo (define albedo) and local temperatures. What was the
significance for the impact of global warming?
(iii)
Discuss the pros and cons of increasing the plantings of sugar cane in
an effort to combat global warming.