International Workshop on Urbanisation, Land Use, Land Degradation and Environment , 2009-09-28

Title : ( Paradox of Halophytes Utilization as Biofuel Resources and Land sustainability )

Authors: Mohammad Kafi ,

Citation: BibTeX | EndNote

Abstract

For thousands of years, humans have used traditional biofuels such as wood, charcoal, and dung to cook, heat, and manufacture goods. Using natural halophytes vegetation for firewood is one of the traditional methods of energy production for household requirements of desert ecosystems societies. The term “biofuel” refers to any energy source derived from recently living plants, animals, or their byproducts. Several governments have resorted in recent years to subsidizing the production and requiring the utilization of biofuels. These actions are motivated by rising fuel prices, driven by growing demand for fuels resulting from economic growth primarily in Asia, as well as concern about climate change and fuel security. Current biofuel feedstock and human existence are highly dependent on the familiar glycophytes; rice, corn, wheat, potatoes, soy beans, palm oil, and nut plants, which cannot tolerate salt. There are many desert regions with subterranean brackish water aquifers (desert-halophytes), and directly in oceans or seas (e.g., Sargasso Sea). It is the potential of halophytes to provide both sources of food and fuel feedstock (without affecting current sources) that excites our interest. Since 43 to 44% of the Earth landmass is arid or semi-arid and 97% of the Earth’s water is saline, there is the potential for developing a multiplicity of seawater-irrigated regions to produce halophyte crops and combine them with aquaculture. Halophyte agriculture could free up freshwater supply and arable lands for food production and also they will produce a cooler, wetter land surface, which could lead to rainfall in areas of the world where rainwater is in short supply. Major arid or semi-arid halophyte agriculture problems include pumping and draining the required high volumes of irrigation water from sea or ocean sources. Halophyte agriculture ecosystems are very vulnerable; therefore all environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, soil and water depletion and salinization should be concerned. On the other hand halophytes mostly benefits from C4 photosynthesis pathway, so they are more productive compared with C3 conventional crops and they can produce economically enough biomass for changing to the ethanol. The traditional halophyte bioenergy should be firstly consumed in the local community to help the strengthens of desert ecosystems and benefit of any industrial biofuel from inland and coastal resources should also spend for environmental improvement.

Keywords

, biofuels, bioenergy, halophyte, biosaline agriculture
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@inproceedings{paperid:1013304,
author = {Kafi, Mohammad},
title = {Paradox of Halophytes Utilization as Biofuel Resources and Land sustainability},
booktitle = {International Workshop on Urbanisation, Land Use, Land Degradation and Environment},
year = {2009},
location = {دنیزلی},
keywords = {biofuels; bioenergy; halophyte; biosaline agriculture},
}

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%0 Conference Proceedings
%T Paradox of Halophytes Utilization as Biofuel Resources and Land sustainability
%A Kafi, Mohammad
%J International Workshop on Urbanisation, Land Use, Land Degradation and Environment
%D 2009

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