Many countries are currently looking at growing high-yielding crops for the production of biofuels as alternatives to traditional fuels (petrol and diesel) to address imminent energy shortages and reduce impacts of climate change. This usually involves the importation of foreign (i.e., alien) species of plants that are known for their fast and productive growth. If these initiatives are not carefully assessed, however, promoting the cultivation of some popular species for biofuel production will increase two of the major causes of biodiversity loss on the planet: clearing and conversion of yet more natural areas for monocultures, and invasion by non-native species.
Habitat conversion is already the leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, and limiting the enthusiastic cultivation of new crops to areas already converted is not an easy task. The issue addressed here, though, is that some of the most commonly recommended species for biofuel production, particularly for biodiesel, are also major invasive alien species in many parts of the world. Thus, their likelihood of becoming invasive needs to be assessed before being cultivated on a large-scale for biofuel production in new areas. Some of these species are spread by birds, small mammals and other animals, making their control difficult or impossible, with impacts increasing over time and long-term production prone to greater financial losses than gains.
This note provides basic information and recommendations for proposals on biofuel developments using species that may have a history of invasion and so require careful management if they are to be used on a large scale and not contribute to natural habitat and biodiversity loss.

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