Comparative Biogeochemical Cycles of Bioenergy Crops Reveal Nitrogen-Fixation and Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Miscanthus × giganteus Agro-Ecosystem

Davis, Sarah C.; Parton, William J.; Dohleman, Frank G.; Smith, Candice M.; Grosso, Stephen J. Del; Kent, Angela D.; DeLucia, Evan H.

doi:10.1007/s10021-009-9306-9

Cited by 199 publications

(212 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The new findings presented here can also help scientists to gain a better understanding of N 2 fixation in lichen-rich environments because they inform the interpretation of results from the acetylene reduction assay (ARA), the most common method used for examining amounts of environmental N 2 fixation (Koch & Evans, 1966;Schollhorn & Burris, 1966;Stewart et al, 1967;Hardy et al, 1968;Silvester, 1989;Matzek & Vitousek, 2003;Pinto-Tomás et al, 2009;Davis et al, 2010;Cassar et al, 2012). ARA results can be misleading when N 2 fixation is accomplished through alternative means because alternative pathways do not produce the same amounts of ethylene (Dilworth et al, 1988), which is the final product measured to estimate amounts of N 2 fixation (note that alternative pathways produce ethane in addition to ethylene).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria associated withPeltigerahave an alternative vanadium-dependent nitrogen fixation system

Hodkinson

Allen

Forrest

et al. 2014

European Journal of Phycology

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In past decades, environmental nitrogen fixation has been attributed almost exclusively to the action of enzymes in the wellstudied molybdenum-dependent nitrogen fixation system. However, recent evidence has shown that nitrogen fixation by alternative pathways may be more frequent than previously suspected. In this study, the nitrogen fixation systems employed by lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria were examined to determine whether their diazotrophy can be attributed, in part, to an alternative pathway. The mining of metagenomic data (generated through pyrosequencing) and PCR assays were used to determine which nitrogen-fixation systems are present in cyanobacteria from the genus Nostoc associated with four samples from different geographical regions, representing different lichen-forming fungal species in the genus Peltigera. A metatranscriptomic sequence library from an additional specimen was examined to determine which genes associated with N 2 fixation are transcriptionally expressed. Results indicated that both the standard molybdenum-dependent system and an alternative vanadium-dependent system are present and actively transcribed in the lichen symbiosis. This study shows for the first time that an alternative system is utilized by cyanobacteria associated with fungi. The ability of lichen-associated cyanobacteria to switch between pathways could allow them to colonize a wider array of environments, including habitats characterized by low temperature and trace metal (e.g. molybdenum) availability. We discuss the implications of these findings for environmental studies that incorporate acetylenereduction assay data.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria associated withPeltigerahave an alternative vanadium-dependent nitrogen fixation system

Hodkinson

Allen

Forrest

et al. 2014

European Journal of Phycology

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“…These perennials would serve as sources of lignocellulose, rather than starch substrates for fuel production, and might confer a greater degree of environmental protection compared with corn-based systems 95,96 . Previous studies have shown that, in comparison with corn-based systems, perennial plants used as biofuel feedstocks may result in lower nitrate emissions to drainage water 97 ; improved soil physical characteristics that can reduce water runoff, soil erosion and phosphorus transport 98 ; greater root growth and below-ground carbon storage 98,99 ; lower greenhouse gas emissions 100,101 ; and better habitat for supporting pollinators, natural enemies of crop insect pests, and other wildlife populations 17,80,87,102 . The wide range of environmental as well as agronomic indicators that can be used to assess biofuel production systems calls attention to the multiple goods (e.g., fuel) and ecosystem services (e.g., water quality protection, carbon sequestration and wildlife conservation) that agricultural systems can provide.…”

Section: Identifying Trade-offs Among Agroecosystem Performance Indicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using biodiversity to link agricultural productivity with environmental quality: Results from three field experiments in Iowa

Liebman

Helmers

Schulte

et al. 2013

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Agriculture in the US Corn Belt is under increasing pressure to produce greater quantities of food, feed and fuel, while better protecting environmental quality. Key environmental problems in this region include water contamination by nutrients and herbicides emitted from cropland, a lack of non-agricultural habitat to support diverse communities of native plants and animals, and a high level of dependence on petrochemical energy in the dominant cropping systems. In addition, projected changes in climate for this region, which include increases in the proportion of precipitation coming from extreme events could make soil and water conservation in existing cropping systems more difficult. To address these challenges we have conducted three cropping systems projects in central Iowa: the Marsden Farm Cropping Systems experiment, the Sciencebased Trials of Row-crops Integrated with Prairies (STRIPs) experiment, and the Comparison of Biofuel Systems (COBS) experiment. Results from these experiments indicate that (1) diversification of the dominant corn-soybean rotation with small grains and forage legumes can permit substantial reductions in agrichemical and fossil hydrocarbon use without compromising yields or profitability; (2) conversion of small amounts of cropland to prairie buffer strips can provide disproportionately large improvements in soil and water conservation, nutrient retention, and densities of native plants and birds; and (3) native perennial species can generate large amounts of biofuel feedstocks and offer environmental benefits relative to corn-and soybean-based systems, including greater carbon inputs to soil and large reductions in nitrogen emissions to drainage water. Increasing biodiversity through the strategic integration of perennial plant species can be a viable strategy for reducing reliance on purchased inputs and for increasing agroecosystem health and resilience in the US Corn Belt. AbstractAgriculture in the US Corn Belt is under increasing pressure to produce greater quantities of food, feed and fuel, while better protecting environmental quality. Key environmental problems in this region include water contamination by nutrients and herbicides emitted from cropland, a lack of non-agricultural habitat to support diverse communities of native plants and animals, and a high level of dependence on petrochemical energy in the dominant cropping systems. In addition, projected changes in climate for this region, which include increases in the proportion of precipitation coming from extreme events could make soil and water conservation in existing cropping systems more difficult. To address these challenges we have conducted three cropping systems projects in central Iowa: the Marsden Farm Cropping Systems experiment, the Science-based Trials of Row-crops Integrated with Prairies (STRIPs) experiment, and the Comparison of Biofuel Systems (COBS) experiment. Results from these experiments indicate that (1) diversification of the dominant corn-soybean rotation with small grains and fo...

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confidence: 99%

“…These modeling studies have suggested that marginal lands offer a large potential for producing dedicated bioenergy crops while sequestering soil C, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, and improving water quality (Davis et al, 2010;Gelfand et al, 2011;Lee et al, 2012;Bandaru et al, 2013;Feng et al, 2015;Qin et al, 2015). However, few studies have synthesized field data to discuss the biomass yields and soil and environmental benefits from growing dedicated energy crops on different types of marginal lands.…”

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confidence: 99%

Growing Dedicated Energy Crops on Marginal Lands and Ecosystem Services

Blanco‐Canqui

2016

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

128

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Marginal lands are candidates for growing dedicated energy crops such as perennial warm-season grasses (WSGs) and short-rotation woody crops (SrWCs), but actual field data on ecosystem services have not been widely discussed. This review (i) discusses potential marginal lands studied for energy crop production, (ii) considers the impacts of energy crops on ecosystem services, and (iii) underlines research needs. Some marginal or degraded lands studied for energy crops include highly erodible, flood-prone, compacted, saline, acid, contaminated, or sandy soils, reclaimed minesoils, urban marginal sites, and abandoned or degraded croplands. Field data are few but indicate that ecosystem services vary with the type of marginal land, management (i.e., fertilizer or amendment rates), and perennial species. M arginal lands are candidates for growing dedicated bioenergy crops, such as perennial WSGs and SRWCs, to reduce competition for land between energy and food production. Marginal lands can be defined as soils that have physical and chemical problems or are uncultivated or adversely affected by climatic conditions. The potential of marginal lands for growing WSGs and SRWCs as biofuel has received increased attention in recent years. Several questions remain, however, about which and how to grow dedicated energy crops on marginal lands, how dedicated energy crops will perform on different types of marginal lands, and whether these sites can produce abundant biomass while maintaining or improving ecosystem services.Many have used models to address the above questions and estimate the global and regional potential of marginal lands for cellulosic biomass production. These modeling studies have suggested that marginal lands offer a large potential for producing dedicated bioenergy crops while sequestering soil C, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, and improving water quality (Davis et al., 2010;Gelfand et Humberto Blanco-Canqui* Core Ideas• Dedicated bioenergy crops can enhance ecosystem services in marginal lands.• Ecosystem services vary with the type of marginal land.• More field data are needed about the performance of energy crops on marginal lands.

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Comparative Biogeochemical Cycles of Bioenergy Crops Reveal Nitrogen-Fixation and Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Miscanthus × giganteus Agro-Ecosystem

Cited by 199 publications

References 43 publications

Lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria associated withPeltigerahave an alternative vanadium-dependent nitrogen fixation system

Lichen-symbiotic cyanobacteria associated withPeltigerahave an alternative vanadium-dependent nitrogen fixation system

Using biodiversity to link agricultural productivity with environmental quality: Results from three field experiments in Iowa

Growing Dedicated Energy Crops on Marginal Lands and Ecosystem Services

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