Rice and palm oil risk to mangroves

[webfact]

Rice and palm oil risk to mangroves
By Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News

LONDON: -- The threat posed by the development of rice and palm oil plantations to mangroves in South-East Asia has been underestimated, a study has suggested.

Rice and oil plantations accounted for 38% of mangrove deforestation between 2000 and 2012, the research showed.

As well as being important carbon sinks and rich in biodiversity, mangrove forests provide fuel and food for coastal communities.

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Aquaculture has largely been held responsible for causing mangrove deforestation, particularly in countries like Thailand and the Philippines," explained co-author Daniel Richards from the National University of Singapore.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35198675


-- BBC 2016-01-04

[worgeordie]

This does not make sense at all,when there is a over production of both

rice and palm oil,the mangroves while maybe not as beautiful as a rain forest,

is a very important habitat for fish breeding,and land stabilization

regards Worgeordie

[craigt3365]

I was in Borneo some years ago. We drove for over an hour through just one palm oil plantation. They go on and on and on. As far as the eye can see in every direction. Everything was wiped out for these palms. Disgusting.

[Thian]

I was in Borneo some years ago. We drove for over an hour through just one palm oil plantation. They go on and on and on. As far as the eye can see in every direction. Everything was wiped out for these palms. Disgusting.

If you fly to Malaysia KLIA you will see the same out of the plane. Huge plantations.

[ddavidovsky]

The scientists have only just noticed that this has been happening in places like Burma? Good grief. They only have to glance at Google Earth, or, as someone has said, look out of an airplane.

I get the impression that Thailand's mangroves are now reasonably protected, but only because there are just pockets of them left.

Economic rapine annihilates nature. Unfortunately there is no way to stop it given current political mechanisms, and a new type of ecological accounting is a utopia away.

[SOTIRIOS]

....said like it is happening automatically and by itself....

...nobody to blame....???

...follow the money....

[Srikcir]

Use of mangroves for fuel is not a substitute.

[seajae]

very short sighted by the thai govts over the years, the mangroves are a very important part of the marine ecology, allowing them to be removed so palm oil can be produced is simply idiotic. Once again the almighty dollar is more important than the enviroment, by the time the govt steps in it will be too late, breeding grounds for sea life will be lost for good, its already up against the wall with the over fishing and pollution, this will just kill it off completely.

[halloween]

"Aquaculture has largely been held responsible for causing mangrove deforestation, particularly in countries like Thailand and the Philippines,"

Neither rice or palm oil are classed as aquaculture. And I doubt either would grow in a saline environment. In fact, the article was about aquaculture replacing mangroves, certainly a problem, with a one line mention of "other drivers" with no specifics.

Don't let that stop the rants.

[craigt3365]

"Aquaculture has largely been held responsible for causing mangrove deforestation, particularly in countries like Thailand and the Philippines,"

Neither rice or palm oil are classed as aquaculture. And I doubt either would grow in a saline environment. In fact, the article was about aquaculture replacing mangroves, certainly a problem, with a one line mention of "other drivers" with no specifics.

Don't let that stop the rants.

Plenty of articles out there to back this up. Here's but one:

http://news.mongabay.com/2015/12/researchers-id-mangroves-worst-enemies/

[Manu75]

I was in Borneo some years ago. We drove for over an hour through just one palm oil plantation. They go on and on and on. As far as the eye can see in every direction. Everything was wiped out for these palms. Disgusting.

If you fly to Malaysia KLIA you will see the same out of the plane. Huge plantations.

Thanks to high multinational who need this low cost oil for make profit

[craigt3365]

I was in Borneo some years ago. We drove for over an hour through just one palm oil plantation. They go on and on and on. As far as the eye can see in every direction. Everything was wiped out for these palms. Disgusting.

If you fly to Malaysia KLIA you will see the same out of the plane. Huge plantations.

Thanks to high multinational who need this low cost oil for make profit

Most are run by Chinese. I flew in there and the plane was well over 1/2 full with Chinese.

[exalll]

The scientists have only just noticed that this has been happening in places like Burma? Good grief. They only have to glance at Google Earth, or, as someone has said, look out of an airplane.

I get the impression that Thailand's mangroves are now reasonably protected, but only because there are just pockets of them left.

Economic rapine annihilates nature. Unfortunately there is no way to stop it given current political mechanisms, and a new type of ecological accounting is a utopia away.

If you're not going to read the article, please don't post a comment. You cannot simply tell that mangroves have been converted to rice fields rather than shrimp farms just by looking at Google Earth. Oil palm plantations, possibly, but only after a number of years.