人类活动是导致生物均质化的主要因素

随着全球化和现代化的持续发展,生物均质化（不同地区的生物群落在物种组成、基因库和功能上趋向于相似或简单化）在全球范围内广泛发生,给保护生物多样性和种质资源库带来严峻的挑战。人类活动是当前全球生物均质化最为重要和直接的推动因素。农业耕作活动直接导致了农田生态系统的普遍生物均质化：垦荒可直接导致生物多样性大幅减少,大面积单一化的作物类型、品种和耕作管理模式,农药化肥的大量使用,机械化、集约化和转基因作物的推广所带来生物均质化问题都直接威胁粮食生产和安全。遗憾的是我们对农田生物均质化的现状、发生规律和趋势都一无所知,相关研究任务紧迫,尤其是当前我国农业耕作模式正经历着巨大的变革。城市所带来的普遍相似的高强度人工干扰、交通运输和建设、规划、破坏自然生境等各种人类活动必然驱动全球生物大规模的均质化。人类活动直接导致的少数成功种恶性扩散并迅速取代大量失败种从而导致生物均质化的现象普遍。生物入侵和灭绝、本地种以及新的杂交种的恶性扩散都直接导致生物均质化。一般而言,在大尺度空间范围内外来种容易导致生物均质化,而在较小的空间范围内外来种容易导致生物异质化。生物均质化的隐患严重威胁着我国的环境和经济社会安定发展,然而相关研究在我国尚未起步,当前我国生物均质化研究的具体迫切任务主要有：1）建立有效的均质化评估方法体系;2）研究我国各种主要生态系统类型以及主要生物类群的均质化现状、规律和趋势;3）掌握我国农业生态系统生物均质化的现状、规律和趋势;4）建立和完善均质化长期监测研究的相关数据库资源。     

新疆准噶尔盆地生物多样性保育与建立国家荒漠公园的构想

新疆准噶尔盆地拥有世界温带荒漠中最为丰富的野生动植物资源。但由于长期以来过度放牧、开垦、樵采、滥挖、盗猎等人类活动的干扰, 以及目前石油、煤炭等矿产资源的开发, 准噶尔盆地的生物多样性岌岌可危, 迫切需要提出生物多样性保育计划来解决开发与保护之间的矛盾。本文首先从荒漠植被类型、短命植物资源、野生动物资源等几个方面详尽地分析了准噶尔盆地生物多样性的现状, 提出了准噶尔盆地生物多样性保育的重点是: (1)盆地腹地的以梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)、白梭梭(H. persicum)等为代表的温带矮半乔木荒漠, 以沙拐枣(Calligonum spp.)、柽柳(Tamarix spp.)等为代表的灌木荒漠, 及以猪毛菜(Salsola arbuscula)、假木贼(Anabasis spp.)为代表的半灌木和矮半灌木荒漠等3种荒漠植被类型; (2) 短命植物资源; (3) 以普氏野马(Equus przewalskii)为代表的野生有蹄类动物; 然后结合准噶尔盆地煤和石油等矿产资源的分布和开发的重点地区, 目前保护区现状以及国外相关的保护经验, 论证了准噶尔盆地生物多样性保育的可行性。基于以上分析, 我们从规划布局以及立法、管理体制、旅游资源管理等方面提出了建立准噶尔国家荒漠公园的构想。     

濒危野生动植物种国际贸易管理亟待加强贸易物种的非致危性判断

物种保护是生物多样性保护的核心问题之一.威胁野生动植物生存的主要因素有栖息地丧失、商业开发以及野生动植物国际贸易等.通过各种贸易活动实现经济利益,是人们开发利用野生动植物的主要原动力之一.因而,对野生动植物贸易活动进行科学有效的管理,是保护生物多样性、实现可持续发展的重要基础.     

利用COI基因序列分析长江与澜沧江水系日本沼虾群体的遗传结构

测定了我国长江水系和澜沧江水系的日本沼虾9个群体，共79个个体的线粒体COI基因序列片段（约450 bp），结果发现有89个变异位点，共计有46个单倍型。其中云南昆明（KM）群体具有较丰富的遗传多样性（h=1.000，π=0.028），而重庆（CQ）群体的遗传多样性最小（h=0.700，π=0.008）。AMOVA分析表明，群体间的遗传变异占总遗传变异的9.66%，而90.34%的遗传变异源于群体内。采用邻接法（NJ）构建的分子系统树显示，46个单倍型明显地聚为长江中下游和长江上游与澜沧江两个族群。其结果可以为合理开发和利用日本沼虾自然野生资源，以及建立和保护日本沼虾种质资源库及基因库提供必要的参考。     

黄芩种质资源ISSR遗传多样性的分析及评价

采用ISSR分子标记技术对6个野生或栽培居群共147份黄芩种质进行遗传多样性分析和评价。分析结果表明,51个ISSR引物中筛选出18条扩增条带清晰、重复性好和多态性高的引物,共扩增出485条清晰的条带,其中466条具有多态性,平均多态性位点比率为96.08%,平均Nei’s基因多样性指数和Shannon’s信息指数分别为0.244 4和0.388 9,等位基因数（Na）和有效等位基因数（Ne）分别为1.993 8和1.383 9,遗传分化指数G_st=0.122 3,遗传一致度（I）和遗传距离（D）分别为0.951 5和0.050 1,说明收集的黄芩种质资源在总体上具有较高的遗传多样性,不同居群间存在一定的遗传分化和基因交流,遗传变异主要存在于居群内。分子聚类结果表明,同一地区的种质并没有按照收集来源完全聚类,可能与种质不同起源或民间栽培引种有关。在DNA分子水平揭示黄芩种质资源的遗传多样性水平,将为进一步黄芩种质资源评价、保存和新品种选育等利用提供依据。     

)植物的遗传多样性

猕猴桃属（Actinidia）植物全世界有66个种、约118个种下分类单位（变种、变型）。中国有猕猴桃属62个种,猕猴桃遗传资源极为丰富。本文就猕猴桃的遗传资源多样性主要特点作概要综述：1）形态性状多样性（重要的园艺及经济性状）;2）营养成分及风味多样性;3）性别变异;4）染色体倍性变异;5）同工酶水平遗传多样性;6）DNA水平遗传多样性。     

中国外来入侵生物的空间分布格局及其影响因素

不同地理区域影响生物分布格局的因子不同,对外来入侵物种也是如此。在区域尺度上分析外来入侵生物的空间分布格局及其影响因子对预测生物入侵的影响及入侵种的控制管理具有重要意义。本研究应用中国外来入侵物种数据库、自然环境数据库和社会人文环境数据库,分析了我国外来入侵动植物的空间格局;并运用主成分分析（PCA）和典范对应分析（CCA）探讨了自然环境和人类活动等因素对外来入侵动植物分布格局的影响;同时研究了外来入侵物种多样性与本地物种多样性之间的关系。结果表明,我国现有外来入侵动物138种、入侵植物384种,其数量和密度都呈现出由东南沿海向西北内陆减少的趋势,且入侵动物和入侵植物空间格局基本一致;降水（MAP）是决定我国外来入侵动植物分布格局的主要自然环境因子,国民生产总值（GDP）是主要社会经济影响因子。在全国尺度上,外来入侵物种多样性与本地物种多样性之间呈显著的正相关关系,但地域间存在较大差异。不同区域外来入侵物种与本土物种多样性的相关关系表现出不同,与研究尺度有密切关系。     

香港的生物多样性及其保育工作

香港位于热带,属海洋性气候。地势崎岖多山,山地约占全港总面积的3/4。城市发展多集中在沿海平坦地带。目前香港的城市和乡镇面积约占总面积的20%,农地约占5%(当中大部份已遭荒废),余下的均为郊野地区,这包括天然林和人工林(约占14%)、灌丛(约占36%)及草地(约占17%)。由于良好的气候和地理条件,形成了众多不同的生态环境,使总面积仅1090 km²的弹丸之地孕育出种类多样的动植物,生物多样性十分丰富。香港约有2500种原生植物,包括被子植物约1900种,裸子植物7种,蕨类植物220多种及苔藓植物300多种。动物方面,已记录的野生哺乳类动物有40多种,鸟类超过459种,两栖类23种,爬行类70多种。昆虫种类繁多,其中蜻蜓目100多种,鳞翅目2200多种(蝴蝶200多种,蛾类2000多种)。有很多是国家保护物种和特有种。植物方面属国家一级保护的有1种——刺桫椤(Alsophila spinulosa);国家二级保护的有6种,如四药门花(Tetrathryrium subcordatum);国家三级保护的有8种,如穗花杉(Amentotaxus argotaenia)。此外,香港特有种有16种,例如紫萁科(Osmundaceae)的粤紫萁(Osmunda mildei)、马兜铃科(Aristolochiaceae)的香港细辛(Asarum hongkongense)和兰科(Orchidaceae)的谢氏卷瓣兰(Bulbophyllum tseanum)。动物方面有9种属国家一级保护,例如中华白海豚(Sousa chinensis);79种属国家二级保护。特有种则有卢氏小树蛙(Philautus romeri)、包氏双足蜥(Dibamus bogadeki)及多种昆虫。为了保护丰富的野生动植物及其栖息的环境,香港特别行政区政府制定了一些法例并推行了不少保护措施,例如设立了21个郊野公园和14个特别地区,占全港陆地总面积约38%。此外,还成立了2个禁区、3个海岸公园和1个海洋保护区。另一方面,政府还设立了59个“具特殊科学价值地点”,以保护及研究各种动植物、生态系统和特殊的地质地貌。香港地少人多,总人口超过600万,是世界上人口最稠密的地区之一。多年来香港这个生物宝库不断地遭受人类活动的威胁,近年来由于人口急剧上升,对土地需求迫切,不少郊野地区被开发利用,环境污染亦日益严重。此外,一些野生植物因具有药用价值、观赏价值或其他用途而遭盗伐或采集。上述种种因素已使香港野生动植物及其生境受到严重损害,一些物种更濒于灭绝,进行生物多样性的保育工作刻不容缓。因此,香港确实需要制定整体的生物多样性保护策略。有鉴于此,香港大学生态及分类学系于1996年展开了一项为期3年的香港生物多样性调查,以增加对动植物资源现况的了解,为保护香港的珍稀濒危物种和日益恶化的自然环境提出补救方案,并为制订长远的保育策略奠定基础。     

指数方法

评价物种多样性是目前生物多样性研究中的一项紧迫任务。我们提出一种基于信息测度的G-F指数公式,利用生物普查得到的鸟类和兽类名录计算一个地区的物种多样性。首先计算属间的多样性（G指数）和科间的多样性（F指数）,然后,再利用G指数和F指数的比值进行标准化,得出G-F指数。在这一指数体系中,F指数包括科中和科间的多样性。如果G-F指数趋近1,则代表科间多样性的F指数下降,或者代表属多样性的G指数上升;否则G-F指数趋近零或为负数。信息测度通常也用于生物群落的生态多样性。然而,G-F指数与生态多样性不同。G-F指数测定的一个地区一个生物类群中科属间的物种多样性,而生态多样性指数研究生物群落中物种组成及种间个体的多寡。利用G-F指数研究评估生物多样性保护有如下优点：（1）G-F指数提供了一种简捷有效的生物多样性保护评估方法,因为在许多地点已经进行过生物普查,编写了动物、植物名录;（2）G-F指数是一种标准化指数,可以进行不同地区间生物多样性比较。在动物界,特别是无脊椎动物中,尚未鉴定的物种占多数,而鸟类和兽类中尚未鉴定的物种很少。我们应用鸟类和兽类名录计算了G-F指数,选择了梵净山、大瑶山、伏牛山、凉水、北京—天津、海北、白音锡勒、青海湖和帕米尔高原等9个地区,进行了物种多样性的比较研究。结果表明：在上述地区,鸟类的G指数高于兽类的G指数,但差异并不显著（p=0.11）。鸟类的F指数显著地高于兽类的F指数（p<0.05）。鸟类G-F指数与兽类G-F指数相关(r=0.68, p<0.05)。     

二色胡枝子遗传多样性AFLP分析

利用AFLP对二色胡枝子14个居群的161个个体的遗传多样性进行分析,5对引物共扩增出253条带,多态带百分率（P）为96.8%,二色胡枝子种群的平均位点等位基因数（Ao）为1.968,平均有效等位基因数（Ae）为1.643,Nei’s基因多样性指数（H）为0.369,Shannon信息指数（I）为0.544。14个种源的平均多态性条带数为159条,平均多态带百分率为62.9%,平均Nei’s基因多样性指数为0.257,I＝0.373。二色胡枝子遗传多样性的76.68%分布于种源内（Φst＝0.233 2）,各种源间的差异显著。聚类结果表明,二色胡枝14个种源可划分为三个大类,居群的遗传多样性参数与其地理、生态因子均不显著相关,遗传多样性无明显地域分布格局。     

农业技术措施对AM真菌群落结构的影响研究进展

农业生态系统中AM真菌多样性丰富,并以独特的群落结构发挥其功能.寄主植物和环境因子对AM真菌群落结构具有重要影响,此外,农业技术措施对农业生态系统中AM真菌群落结构的影响也值得关注.本文系统总结了施肥、灌溉、轮作、间作、土壤耕作、化学药剂等农业技术措施对AM真菌群落结构的影响研究进展,分析了农业技术措施改变AM真菌群落结构的可能机制,探讨了提高农业生态系统中AM真菌多样性的可能途径,提出通过改进施肥体制及其配套技术、增加植物多样性和人工接种AM真菌等可提高农业生态系统中AM真菌多样性;并指出当前存在的问题和今后的研究方向.     

土壤管理措施及环境因素对土壤微生物多样性影响研究进展

本文综述了土壤管理措施及环境因素对土壤微生物多样性影响的研究进展,并介绍了土壤微生物多样性的研究方法,土壤微生物多样性包括微生物物种多样性、遗传多样性和生态多样性。传统上,土壤微生物群落的分析依赖于培养技术,但使用该技术只能培养和分离出一部分土壤微生物群落。现在国际上普遍使用Biolog分析、磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)分析和核酸分析等多种现代技术研究和表征土壤微生物多样性。土壤微生物多样性受土壤管理措施和多种环境因素的影响。农药可能使土壤微生物多样性减少或改变其结构和功能;施有机肥有利于维持土壤微生物的多样性及活性;但在施用无机肥的影响上目前的报道有矛盾之处。农业土壤减少耕作可能增加微生物多样性和生物量;轮作可能比单一栽培耕作更有利于维持土壤微生物的多样性及活性。土壤微生物多样性也受土壤有机质、植被、季节变化等因素的影响,且通常遭受干旱、过度放牧、营养缺乏等的胁迫作用。     

A real‐world implementation of a nationwide,long‐term monitoring program to assess the impact of agrochemicals and agricultural practices on biodiversity

Biodiversity has undergone a major decline throughout recent decades, particularly in farmland. Agricultural practices are recognized to be an important pressure on farmland biodiversity, and pesticides are suspected to be one of the main causes of this decline in biodiversity. As part of the national plan for reduction of pesticides use (Ecophyto), the French ministry of agriculture launched the 500 ENI (nonintended effects) monitoring program in 2012 in order to assess the unintended effects of agricultural practices, including pesticide use, on biodiversity represented by several taxonomic groups of interest for farmers. This long‐term program monitors the biodiversity of nontargeted species (earthworms, plants, coleoptera, and birds), together with a wide range of annual data on agricultural practices (crop rotation, soil tillage, weed control, fertilizers, chemical treatments, etc.). Other parameters (e.g., landscape and climatic characteristics) are also integrated as covariates during the analyses. This monitoring program is expected to improve our understanding of the relative contribution of the different drivers of population and community trends. Here, we present the experience of setting up the 500 ENI network for this ambitious and highly complex monitoring program, as well as the type of data it collects. The issue of data quality control and some first results are discussed. With the aim of being useful to readers who would like to set up similar monitoring schemes, we also address some questions that have arisen following the first five years of the implementation phase of the program.     

Persistent negative effects of pesticides on biodiversity and biological control potential on European farmland

During the last 50 years, agricultural intensification has caused many wild plant and animal species to go extinct regionally or nationally and has profoundly changed the functioning of agro-ecosystems. Agricultural intensification has many components, such as loss of landscape elements, enlarged farm and field sizes and larger inputs of fertilizer and pesticides. However, very little is known about the relative contribution of these variables to the large-scale negative effects on biodiversity. In this study, we disentangled the impacts of various components of agricultural intensification on species diversity of wild plants, carabids and ground-nesting farmland birds and on the biological control of aphids.In a Europe-wide study in eight West and East European countries, we found important negative effects of agricultural intensification on wild plant, carabid and bird species diversity and on the potential for biological pest control, as estimated from the number of aphids taken by predators. Of the 13 components of intensification we measured, use of insecticides and fungicides had consistent negative effects on biodiversity. Insecticides also reduced the biological control potential. Organic farming and other agri-environment schemes aiming to mitigate the negative effects of intensive farming on biodiversity did increase the diversity of wild plant and carabid species, but – contrary to our expectations – not the diversity of breeding birds.We conclude that despite decades of European policy to ban harmful pesticides, the negative effects of pesticides on wild plant and animal species persist, at the same time reducing the opportunities for biological pest control. If biodiversity is to be restored in Europe and opportunities are to be created for crop production utilizing biodiversity-based ecosystem services such as biological pest control, there must be a Europe-wide shift towards farming with minimal use of pesticides over large areas.     

化学除草剂对农田生态系统野生植物多样性的影响

农田生物多样性是全球生物多样性的重要组成部分, 除草剂的大量施用对其产生了严重影响。本文综述了化学除草剂对农田生态系统中野生植物多样性的影响, 并分析归纳了其影响机制。除草剂的施用会使敏感植物减少, 抗药性植物增多, 从而改变农田生态系统中的野生植物物种组成, 并使其趋同化, 降低遗传多样性和物种多样性, 以致植物功能群单一化, 群落稳定性下降。除草剂的主要影响机制是杀死植物或改变其生长代谢、抗性、繁殖等, 改变生境, 并与人为因素、环境因素等产生协同影响。不同种类的除草剂影响程度不同, 且不同物种间、不同群落间的响应也存在差异。我国化学除草剂使用量持续增长, 应加强除草剂对野生植物多样性的影响及其机制研究, 重视除草剂使用历史记录和野生植物的长期监测, 以及除草剂使用规范和相关政策法律研究, 更好地保护我国农田生态系统中的生物多样性。     

Nature-oriented park use of satoyama ecosystems can enhance biodiversity conservation in urbanized landscapes

Satoyama is one of the semi-natural ecosystems in Japan. Traditional agricultural practices in satoyama provide preferable habitats for many species, thus, enhancing biodiversity. However, many satoyama ecosystems have been altered by agricultural intensification and rapid urbanization. Meanwhile, ageing and shrinking population has led to the abandonment of remaining satoyama ecosystems, resulting in their potential degradation. We argue that counteracting the abandonment of satoyama is particularly essential in urbanized landscapes because conserving its biodiversity would have a payoff for urban communities. We focused on nature-oriented park use of satoyama ecosystems, utilizing their original scenery, topography, water features, and vegetation. To evaluate the potential of nature-oriented park use for biodiversity conservation, we examined the differences in diversity and species composition of vascular plants and butterflies among three land-use types (agricultural-use, park-use, and abandoned sites) of satoyama ecosystems. Diversity of native plants and butterflies did not significantly differ between agricultural-use and park-use sites and that of native plants was significantly lower at abandoned sites than at agricultural-use sites. Although species composition of native plants at agricultural-use sites and park-use sites significantly differ, that of native butterflies did not. The efficacy of park use for biodiversity conservation, thus, depended on the taxa. Nonetheless, for striking a balance between the difficulty in maintaining agricultural use and accelerating satoyama abandonment, our study highlights the utility of park use as an alternative usage, contributing to biodiversity conservation. Balancing the wise use of satoyama in urbanized landscapes is a fundamental step toward the conservation of its biodiversity and human–nature interactions.

     

农业活动及转基因作物对农田生物多样性的影响

农田生物多样性是生态系统生物多样性的重要组成部分,但较少受到关注.近50年来,由于农业活动引起的环境污染、生境破碎和单一化种植等严重威胁着农田生物多样性.为了了解各因素对农田生物多样性的影响程度,优化农田管理措施,以提高农作物产量并降低环境影响,本文综述了种植方式、地膜覆盖、农药和化肥使用等农业活动及转基因作物对我国农田生物多样性的影响.农药和化肥的过度使用对农田生物多样性的影响最大;而转基因作物对农田生物多样性的影响受诸多因素影响,如携带的转基因性状等.需要加强转基因作物生态环境影响评价研究,特别是对农田生物多样性的潜在影响.农业生产活动应当与农田生物多样性保护密切结合,不仅有利于提高农作物产量,同时也可减少对环境的负面影响.     

Conservation challenges in a threatened hotspot: agriculture and plant biodiversity losses in Baja California,Mexico

Modern agricultural practices pose serious threats to biodiversity worldwide. Species losses from habitat conversion are well documented, but indirect impacts such as reduced water availability to adjacent ecosystems are less known. San Quintín is an important agricultural valley in the mediterranean climate region of Baja California, Mexico. The region is also a hotspot of plant species richness and endemism. Plant species in the region are here analyzed by comparison of the contemporary flora to historical botanical collections to identify extirpations. Historical collections indicate that habitat loss to agriculture has been a direct cause of species losses. As importantly, the unsustainable extraction of groundwater has apparently led to salt water intrusion, resulting in the loss of 22 native plant taxa, including 13 rare plants. Seventy-eight percent of all the vernal pool taxa have been lost from the flora (including 85 % of the rare taxa) and 11 % of plants of riparian and pond habitat (including 25 % of the rare taxa) are no longer found in the region. Unsustainable agricultural practices continue to threaten fragile coastal ecosystems and are a serious challenge to current and future conservation efforts. Ironically, these same practices frequently result in abandonment of cultivated areas. Owing to indirect impacts, conservation of biodiversity and large-scale agricultural operations are even less compatible on a regional scale than indicated by direct impacts. It is vital that sustainable agricultural practices be adopted locally and globally to avoid further losses of biodiversity.     

The genetic structure of the European breeding populations of a declining farmland bird,the ortolan bunting (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Emberiza hortulana</Emphasis>), reveals conservation priorities

Anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural intensification, caused large declines in biodiversity, including farmland birds. In addition to demographic consequences, anthropogenic activities can result in loss of genetic diversity, reduction of gene flow and altered genetic structure. We investigated the distribution of the genetic variation of a declining farmland and long-distance migratory bird, the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana, across its European breeding range to assess the impact of human-driven population declines on genetic diversity and structure in order to advise conservation priorities. The large population declines observed have not resulted in dramatic loss of genetic diversity, which is moderate to high and constant across all sampled breeding sites. Extensive gene flow occurs across the breeding range, even across a migratory divide, which contributes little to genetic structuring. However, gene flow is asymmetric, with the large eastern populations acting as source populations for the smaller western ones. Furthermore, breeding populations that underwent the largest declines, in Fennoscandia and Baltic countries, appear to be recently isolated, with no gene exchange occurring with the eastern or the western populations. These are signs for concern as declines in the eastern populations could affect the strength of gene flow and in turn affect the western populations. The genetic, and demographic, isolation of the northern populations make them particularly sensitive to loss of genetic diversity and to extinction as no immigration is occurring to counter-act the drastic declines. In such a situation, conservation efforts are needed across the whole breeding range: in particular, protecting the eastern populations due to their key role in maintaining gene flow across the range, and focussing on the northern populations due to their recent isolation and endangered status.     

Environmental Profile of Brazilian Green Coffee (6 pp)

Goal, Scope and Background

Brazil is the world's biggest producer of coffee beans with approx. a 30% market share. Depending on climate conditions, approx. 30 million bags of coffee beans are exported annually from Brazil, while domestic consumption is around 10 million bags, which makes Brazil the world's third largest coffee-consuming country. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to present the LCA of green coffee produced in Brazil for the reference crops 2001/02 and 2002/03 in order to generate detailed production inventory data as well as to identify the potential environmental impacts of its tillage in order to realize how to reduce those impacts and increase the environmental sustainability of this product. Only the inputs and outputs relative to the coffee tillage were considered. The production of fertilizers, correctives and pesticides were not included in the boundary, but only their amounts. The functional unit selected for this study was 1,000 kg of green coffee destined for exportation.

Methods

The LCI was performed according to the ISO 14040 standard series. All information considered in this study (use of water, fossil based energy, fertilizers and chemicals) were taken up in in-depth data collection and evaluation by questionnaires applied on a farm level and/or received by mail. Four Brazilian coffee producer regions were evaluated: Cerrado Mineiro, South of Minas Gerais State, the Marília and Alta Mogiana regions in São Paulo State. These regions have the following geographic coordinates: 44 to 50° W longitude and 18 to 24° S latitude. The data refer to a production of 420,000 coffee bean bags and a productive area of approx. 14,300 ha. The varieties of coffee beans considered in this study were Mundo Novo, Catuaí (yellow and red), Icatu (yellow and red), Catucaí (yellow and red) and Obatã. Farm specific data along with agricultural production data have been combined to elaborate a coffee cultivation inventory, which will be applied in an emissions estimation.

Results and Conclusion

The production of 1,000 kg of green coffee in Brazil requires approx. 11,400 kg of water, 94 kg of diesel, 270 kg of fertilizers as NPK, 900 kg of total fertilizers, 620 kg of correctives, 10 kg of pesticides and 0.05 hectare of annual land use. Outputs related to these functional units are approx. 3,000 kg of waste water from coffee washing, 8,500 kg of waste water from the wet method and 750 kg of organic residue that is reincorporated to the tillage as fertilizer. The publication of an LCI of agricultural products is a fundamental step for understanding the potential environmental impacts of each tillage and then establishes the basis for product sustainability. In this way, this work is the first Brazilian initiative for applying LCA to coffee cultivation.

Recommendation and Perspective

Different agricultural practices demonstrate different environmental profiles. The amount of agricultural pesticide is directly related to agricultural practices as tillage rotation, density of plants, etc. This study supplied important results for a better correlation of the agricultural practices and potential environmental impacts of coffee. Future updates of this study will show the evolution of the natural resource management such as land use, new agricultural practices, lower fertilizers and chemicals use.