AQA · GCSE · Combined Science
Course version: 8464 · Version from Sept 2018
Deforestation: grow crops for biofuels
Biofuels are fuels made from plant material or animal waste.
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Biofuels are fuels made from plant material or animal waste. To produce them, land is often cleared of forest so that crops such as sugar cane, maize or oil palm can be grown. These crops store energy from sunlight in their tissues. The plant material is harvested and processed to make fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel, which can be burned instead of fossil fuels. Growing biofuel crops can reduce reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, but clearing forest for them removes trees that absorb carbon dioxide, destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity. If the forest is burned, carbon stored in the trees is released quickly. There is also a conflict because land used for biofuel crops cannot be used to grow food.
What earns the marks
- Biofuels are fuels produced from plant material or animal waste.
- Land is cleared to grow crops such as sugar cane, maize or oil palm for biofuel production.
- Biofuel crops store energy from sunlight, which can be converted into fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.
- Using biofuels can reduce the use of non-renewable fossil fuels.
- Deforestation for biofuel crops reduces carbon dioxide absorption, destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity.
- Land used for biofuel crops may compete with land for food crops.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Thinking biofuels are completely carbon neutral.
Put it right: Clearing and burning forest releases carbon dioxide, so the overall effect may not be neutral.
Confusing biofuels with fossil fuels.
Put it right: Biofuels are made from recently living plant material, while fossil fuels formed over millions of years.
Ignoring the food-versus-fuel conflict.
Put it right: Land used for biofuel crops cannot also grow food crops.
Exam tips
- Name at least one biofuel crop, such as sugar cane or maize, to make your answer specific.
- Compare biofuels with fossil fuels: biofuels are renewable, but their production can still cause deforestation.
- Explain both a benefit and a drawback of growing biofuel crops to show balanced understanding.
Try the lesson
The start of the Deforestation: grow crops for biofuels lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following is a major reason why large-scale deforestation occurs in tropical areas?
Listen
Biofuels are fuels made from plant material or animal waste. To produce them, land is often cleared of forest so that crops such as sugar cane, maize or oil palm can be grown. These crops store energy from sunlight in their tissues. The plant material is harvested and processed to make fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel, which can be burned instead of fossil fuels. Growing biofuel crops can reduce reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, but clearing forest for them removes trees that absorb carbon dioxide, destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity. If the forest is burned, carbon stored in the trees is released quickly. There is also a conflict because land used for biofuel crops cannot be used to grow food.
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