Agricultural expansion and its impacts on tropical nature
Abstract
The human population is projected to reach 11 billion this century, with the greatest increases in tropical developing nations. This growth, in concert with rising per-capita consumption, will require large increases in food and biofuel production. How will these megatrends affect tropical terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity? We foresee (i) major expansion and intensification of tropical agriculture, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America; (ii) continuing rapid loss and alteration of tropical old-growth forests, woodlands, and semi-arid environments; (iii) a pivotal role for new roadways in determining the spatial extent of agriculture; and (iv) intensified conflicts between food production and nature conservation. Key priorities are to improve technologies and policies that promote more ecologically efficient food production while optimizing the allocation of lands to conservation and agriculture.
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A rapidly increasing human population is predicted to cause further major expansion of tropical agriculture and associated encroachment of protected areas, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
“A rapidly increasing human population is predicted to result in a further major expansion of tropical agriculture and associated encroachment of protected areas, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America (Laurance et al., ).”
From A mix of community-based conservation and protected forests is needed for the survival of the Endangered pygmy hippopotamus<i>Choeropsis liberiensis</i> (2017) · cites this paper as Laurance et al., 2014
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- Authors
- Laurance, W. F., Sayer, J., & Cassman, K. G.
- Affiliations
- James Cook University (AU)
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
- Corresponding author
- Laurance, William F.
- Venue
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-02
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-116
- ISSN
- 0169-5347 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1973981085
- Cited by
- 1,522
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 102 · 2025: 132 · 2024: 127 · 2023: 126 · 2022: 120 · 2021: 163 · 2020: 138 · 2019: 158 · 2018: 116 · 2017: 117 · 2016: 104 · 2015: 83 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 13.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Keywords
- agricultural expansion, tropical agriculture, biodiversity loss, road infrastructure, food production, biofuel production, land allocation, eco-efficiency, population growth, sub-Saharan Africa, South America
- MeSH terms
- Agriculture, Conservation of Natural Resources, Developing Countries, Fresh Water, Humans, South America, Transportation, Trees, Tropical Climate, Ecosystem, Africa South of the Sahara, Crops, Agricultural, Biodiversity, Extinction, Biological
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