Growing more corn for the purpose of producing ethanol reduces the ability of beneficial insects to control pests, says a research by scientists at the Michigan State University. This kind of monoculture results in a significant drop in the diversity of the ecosystem, which in turn leads to a reduction in the ability of that landscape to provide beneficial insects to fight pests. In this case corn is a less favorable habitat for many ladybird beetles and other beneficial insects that control pests in soybeans and other crops. This results in loss of yields and increased pesticide use. Policymakers should be  urged to think about the suitability of a biofuel crop to a particular landscape as well as the importance of diversity. 

Ceres Inc, a California company, has launched the first seed sales of non-food crops developed specifically for biofuel use. These crops,  switchgrass and high biomass sorghum, will be sold under the label of Blade Energy Crops. They can provide new options for growers, particularly on underperforming acres, says Anna Rath, the company's vice president of commercial development. 

Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have genetically engineered ecoli bacteria to produce long-chain alcohols essential for creation of biofuels. Previously alcohols were never synthesized beyond five carbons. Now, through genetically engineered ecoli bacteria, longer-chain alcohols with up to eight carbon atoms can be synthesized. Longer-chain alcohols contain more energy and are of a higher density than the commercially available biofuel ethanol made from corn or sugarcane.

A study, cited in the journal Conservation Biology, analyzed the impact of oil palm plantations in tropical forests on climate and biodiversity. It reports that it would take at least 75 years for the carbon emissions saved through the use of biofuels to compensate for the carbon lost through forest conversion. Moreover, if the original habitat was carbon-rich peatland, the carbon balance would take more than 600 years to recover. Palm oil, covers millions of acres in Southeast Asia, where it has directly or indirectly replaced tropical rain forests. This has resulted in loss of habitats of animal species, the loss of major plant groups that thrive in rain forests and the loss of carbon stored in trees and peatlands.