[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v65y2008i3p471-487.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints

Author

Listed:
  • Krausmann, Fridolin
  • Erb, Karl-Heinz
  • Gingrich, Simone
  • Lauk, Christian
  • Haberl, Helmut
Abstract
Human use of biomass has become a major component of the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. The use of land for biomass production (e.g. cropland) is among the most important pressures on biodiversity. At the same time, biomass is indispensable for humans as food, animal feed, raw material and energy source. In order to support research into these complex issues, we here present a comprehensive assessment of global socioeconomic biomass harvest, use and trade for the year 2000. We developed country-level livestock balances and a consistent set of factors to estimate flows of used biomass not covered by international statistics (e.g. grazed biomass, crop residues) and indirect flows (i.e. biomass destroyed during harvest but not used). We found that current global terrestrial biomass appropriation amounted to 18.7 billion tonnes dry matter per year (Pg/yr) or 16% of global terrestrial NPP of which 6.6Â Pg/yr were indirect flows. Only 12% of the economically used plant biomass (12.1Â Pg/yr) directly served as human food, while 58% were used as feed for livestock, 20% as raw material and 10% as fuelwood. There are considerable regional variations in biomass supply and use. Distinguishing 11 world regions, we found that extraction of used biomass ranged from 0.3 to 2.8Â t/ha/yr, per-capita values varied between 1.2 and 11.7Â t/cap/yr (dry matter). Aggregate global biomass trade amounted to 7.5% of all extracted biomass. An analysis of these regional patterns revealed that the level of biomass use per capita is determined by historically evolved patterns of land use and population density rather than by affluence or economic development status. Regions with low population density have the highest level of per-capita biomass use, high-density regions the lowest. Livestock, consuming 30-75% of all harvested biomass, is another important factor explaining regional variations in biomass use. Global biomass demand is expected to grow during the next decades; the article discusses some options and possible limitations related to such a scenario.

Suggested Citation

  • Krausmann, Fridolin & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Gingrich, Simone & Lauk, Christian & Haberl, Helmut, 2008. "Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 471-487, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:65:y:2008:i:3:p:471-487
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921-8009(07)00405-3
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kevin J. Gaston, 2000. "Global patterns in biodiversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6783), pages 220-227, May.
    2. Stefan Wirsenius, 2003. "The Biomass Metabolism of the Food System: A Model‐Based Survey of the Global and Regional Turnover of Food Biomass," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 7(1), pages 47-80, January.
    3. Goodland, Robert, 1997. "Environmental sustainability in agriculture: diet matters," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 189-200, December.
    4. Heinz Schandl & Nina Eisenmenger, 2006. "Regional Patterns in Global Resource Extraction," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 10(4), pages 133-147, October.
    5. Weisz, Helga & Krausmann, Fridolin & Amann, Christof & Eisenmenger, Nina & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Hubacek, Klaus & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina, 2006. "The physical economy of the European Union: Cross-country comparison and determinants of material consumption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(4), pages 676-698, July.
    6. Wirsenius, Stefan, 2003. "Efficiencies and biomass appropriation of food commodities on global and regional levels," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 219-255, September.
    7. Harris, Jonathan M. & Kennedy, Scott, 1999. "Carrying capacity in agriculture: global and regional issues," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 443-461, June.
    8. Helmut Haberl, 2001. "The Energetic Metabolism of Societies Part I: Accounting Concepts," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 5(1), pages 11-33, January.
    9. Paul F. M. Krabbe & Eddy M. M. Adang & Peep F. M. Stalmeier & Bruce R. Schackman & John Brazier & Milton C. Weinstein, 2003. "Letter to the Editor," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 23(6), pages 542-543, November.
    10. Marc L. Imhoff & Lahouari Bounoua & Taylor Ricketts & Colby Loucks & Robert Harriss & William T. Lawrence, 2004. "Global patterns in human consumption of net primary production," Nature, Nature, vol. 429(6994), pages 870-873, June.
    11. Anthony Young, 1999. "Is there Really Spare Land? A Critique of Estimates of Available Cultivable Land in Developing Countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 3-18, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kohlheb, Norbert & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2009. "Land use change, biomass production and HANPP: The case of Hungary 1961-2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 292-300, December.
    2. Bais, Anna Liza S. & Lauk, Christian & Kastner, Thomas & Erb, Karlheinz, 2015. "Global patterns and trends of wood harvest and use between 1990 and 2010," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 326-337.
    3. Gonzalez-Martinez, Ana Citlalic & Schandl, Heinz, 2008. "The biophysical perspective of a middle income economy: Material flows in Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 317-327, December.
    4. Fridolin Krausmann & Marina Fischer-Kowalski & Heinz Schandl & Nina Eisenmenger, 2008. "The Global Sociometabolic Transition," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 12(5-6), pages 637-656, October.
    5. Pritchard, Rose & Ryan, Casey M. & Grundy, Isla & van der Horst, Dan, 2018. "Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity and Rural Livelihoods: Findings From Six Villages in Zimbabwe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 115-124.
    6. Lauk, Christian & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2009. "Biomass consumed in anthropogenic vegetation fires: Global patterns and processes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 301-309, December.
    7. Behrens, Arno & Giljum, Stefan & Kovanda, Jan & Niza, Samuel, 2007. "The material basis of the global economy: Worldwide patterns of natural resource extraction and their implications for sustainable resource use policies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 444-453, December.
    8. West, James & Schandl, Heinz, 2013. "Material use and material efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 19-27.
    9. Calvo, Guiomar & Valero, Alicia & Valero, Antonio & Carpintero, Óscar, 2015. "An exergoecological analysis of the mineral economy in Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 2-8.
    10. Keyzer, M.A. & Merbis, M.D. & Pavel, I.F.P.W. & van Wesenbeeck, C.F.A., 2005. "Diet shifts towards meat and the effects on cereal use: can we feed the animals in 2030?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 187-202, November.
    11. Peters, Christian J. & Picardy, Jamie A. & Darrouzet-Nardi, Amelia & Griffin, Timothy S., 2014. "Feed conversions, ration compositions, and land use efficiencies of major livestock products in U.S. agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 35-43.
    12. Baka, Jennifer & Bailis, Robert, 2014. "Wasteland energy-scapes: a comparative energy flow analysis of India's biofuel and biomass economies," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 59896, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Nina Eisenmenger & Jesús Ramos Martín & Heinz Schandl, 2007. "Análisis del metabolismo energético y de materiales de Brasil, Chile y Venezuela," Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Red Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, vol. 6, pages 17-39.
    14. Soto, David & Infante-Amate, Juan & Guzmán, Gloria I. & Cid, Antonio & Aguilera, Eduardo & García, Roberto & González de Molina, Manuel, 2016. "The social metabolism of biomass in Spain, 1900–2008: From food to feed-oriented changes in the agro-ecosystems," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 130-138.
    15. Heinz Schandl & Franzi Poldy & Graham M. Turner & Thomas G. Measham & Daniel H. Walker & Nina Eisenmenger, 2008. "Australia's Resource Use Trajectories," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 12(5-6), pages 669-685, October.
    16. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Gaube, Veronika & Gingrich, Simone & Bondeau, Alberte & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Analyzing the global human appropriation of net primary production -- processes, trajectories, implications. An introduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 250-259, December.
    17. White, Thomas, 2000. "Diet and the distribution of environmental impact," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 145-153, July.
    18. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Lucht, Wolfgang & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Embodied HANPP: Mapping the spatial disconnect between global biomass production and consumption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 328-334, December.
    19. Krausmann, Fridolin & Schandl, Heinz & Sieferle, Rolf Peter, 2008. "Socio-ecological regime transitions in Austria and the United Kingdom," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 187-201, March.
    20. Haberl, Helmut & Gaube, Veronika & Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo & Krauze, Kinga & Neuner, Angelika & Peterseil, Johannes & Plutzar, Christoph & Singh, Simron J. & Vadineanu, Angheluta, 2009. "Towards an integrated model of socioeconomic biodiversity drivers, pressures and impacts. A feasibility study based on three European long-term socio-ecological research platforms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1797-1812, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:65:y:2008:i:3:p:471-487. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.