Potential impacts on ecosystem services of land use transitions to second‐generation bioenergy crops in<scp>GB</scp>

Milner, Suzanne; Holland, Robert A.; Lovett, Andrew A.; Sünnenberg, Gilla; Hastings, Astley; Smith, Pete; Wang, Shifeng; Taylor, Gail

doi:10.1111/gcbb.12263

Cited by 64 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(118 reference statements)

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“…Cultivation of second‐generation BECs has been widely observed to have positive implications for biodiversity compared to conventional arable cropping systems (Milner et al, ; Rowe et al, ); our results generally corroborate this pattern. When taken together, we found evidence that PEC willow cultivation significantly increased pollinator margin flower visitation for all pollinator guilds (hoverflies, bumblebees and Lepidoptera), while Miscanthus had a positive effect only for Lepidoptera.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Influence of bioenergy crops on pollinator activity varies with crop type and distance

et al. 2018

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Compared to traditional arable crops, second‐generation perennial energy crops (PECs) are generally associated with increased biodiversity and ecosystem services, but robust experimental studies on this subject are few. Consequently, the potential for PEC cultivation to contribute to enhanced pollination processes in adjacent farmland remains unclear. In a 4‐year field study across multiple sites and two PECs (Miscanthus x giganteus and willow short‐rotation coppice), we examine whether pollinator visits to crop margin wildflowers were augmented by PEC cultivation. Each field was paired with two cereal fields, one adjacent to the PEC and one distant, and we recorded wildflower visits to crop margins by three pollinator groups: hoverflies, bumblebees and butterflies/moths. We also quantified floral resources, since crop‐specific management seemed a likely means of influencing margin wildflowers and thus pollinator activity. Our results add quantitative support to the suggestion that PECs should enhance ecosystem processes in agri‐landscapes. However, benefits were highly context‐dependent. Consistent enhancement of pollinator activity in margins of PEC fields was only apparent for willow where the relative frequency of flower visitation was higher for all three pollinator groups compared to adjacent or distant cereals. This distribution was most likely positively associated with the increased availability of preferred food plants in willow margins. In Miscanthus, by contrast, opposing trends arose for different pollinator taxa: Lepidoptera were the only pollinator group more frequently associated with PEC margins; bumblebees showed no variation while hoverflies were comparatively more abundant in distant cereal margins than in other crop types. Future land‐use practices should consider how PEC identity affects both target species and ecosystem processes. Tackling anthropogenic climate change through cultivation of willow, in particular, may yield local conservation benefits for both wildflowers and pollinators, although strategic cultivation of PECs to enhance pollination processes in the wider agri‐environment may not be achievable.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Influence of bioenergy crops on pollinator activity varies with crop type and distance

et al. 2018

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“…Improved grasslands are important sources of terrestrial carbon storage, holding the second largest store after bogs, with approximately 274 × 10 6 t C (Ostle et al ., ) and here we hypothesized that LUC from grassland to SRC willow would lead to a significant reduction in GHG emissions as proposed in previous modelling studies in this temperate bioenergy system (Hillier et al ., ; Hastings et al ., ; Milner et al ., ). In a UK context, conversion of semipermanent, permanent or managed grassland to bioenergy cropping systems represents one of the most significant potential land‐use transitions, since grassland is a considerable part of the UK landscape (4–5 × 10 6 ha; DEFRA et al ., ) and because management of grasslands can vary widely in the UK, particularly with respect to fertilizer input and grazing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Land‐use change to bioenergy: grassland to short rotation coppice willow has an improved carbon balance

et al. 2016

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The effect of a transition from grassland to second-generation (2G) bioenergy on soil carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) balance is uncertain, with limited empirical data on which to validate landscape-scale models, sustainability criteria and energy policies. Here, we quantified soil carbon, soil GHG emissions and whole ecosystem carbon balance for short rotation coppice (SRC) bioenergy willow and a paired grassland site, both planted at commercial scale. We quantified the carbon balance for a 2-year period and captured the effects of a commercial harvest in the SRC willow at the end of the first cycle. Soil fluxes of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ) did not contribute significantly to the GHG balance of these land uses. Soil respiration was lower in SRC willow (912 AE 42 g C m À2 yr À1) than in grassland (1522 AE 39 g C m À2 yr À1 ). Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) reflected this with the grassland a net source of carbon with mean NEE of 119 AE 10 g C m À2 yr À1 and SRC willow a net sink, À620 AE 18 g C m À2 yr À1 . When carbon removed from the ecosystem in harvested products was considered (Net Biome Productivity), SRC willow remained a net sink (221 AE 66 g C m À2 yr À1 ). Despite the SRC willow site being a net sink for carbon, soil carbon stocks (0-30 cm)were higher under the grassland. There was a larger NEE and increase in ecosystem respiration in the SRC willow after harvest; however, the site still remained a carbon sink. Our results indicate that once established, significant carbon savings are likely in SRC willow compared with the minimally managed grassland at this site. Although these observed impacts may be site and management dependent, they provide evidence that land-use transition to 2G bioenergy has potential to provide a significant improvement on the ecosystem service of climate regulation relative to grassland systems.

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“…The present study did not consider soil carbon changes, although miscanthus holds potential for carbon sequestration if the cultivation takes place on arable land. Estimates for soil carbon increases range between 0.7 and 2.2 t C/(ha * a) (equivalent to 2.6–8.0 t CO 2 /(ha * a) (McCalmont et al, ; Milner et al, ). Even the assumption of a lower sequestration rate of 0.7 t C/(ha * a) would result in substantial GWP credits for the production system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle assessment of ethanol production from miscanthus: A comparison of production pathways at two European sites

et al. 2018

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Lignocellulosic ethanol represents a renewable alternative to petrol. Miscanthus, a perennial plant that grows on marginal land, is characterized by efficient use of resources and is considered a promising source of lignocellulosic biomass. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to determine the environmental impacts of ethanol production from miscanthus grown on marginal land in Great Britain (Aberystwyth) and an average-yield site in Germany (Stuttgart; functional unit: 1 GJ). As the conversion process has substantial influence on the overall environmental performance, the comparison examined three pretreatment options for miscanthus. Overall, results indicate lower impacts for the production in Stuttgart in comparison with the corresponding pathways in Aberystwyth across the analysed categories. Disparities between the sites were mainly attributed to differences in biomass yield. When comparing the conversion options, liquid hot water treatment resulted in the lowest impacts, followed by dilute sulphuric acid. Dilute sodium hydroxide pretreatment represented the least favourable option. Site-dependent variation in biomass composition and degradability did not have substantial influence on the environmental performance of the analysed pathways. Additionally, implications of replacing petrol with miscanthus ethanol were examined. Ethanol derived from miscanthus resulted in lower impacts with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, fossil resource depletion, natural land transformation and ozone depletion. However, for other categories, including toxicity, eutrophication and agricultural land occupation, net scores were substantially higher than for the fossil reference. Nevertheless, the results indicate that miscanthus ethanol produced via dilute acid and liquid hot water treatment at the site in Stuttgart has the potential to comply with the requirements of the European Renewable energy directive for greenhouse gas emission reduction. For ethanol production at the marginal site, carbon sequestration needs to be considered in order to meet the requirements for greenhouse gas mitigation.

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Potential impacts on ecosystem services of land use transitions to second‐generation bioenergy crops inGB

Cited by 64 publications

References 65 publications

Influence of bioenergy crops on pollinator activity varies with crop type and distance

Influence of bioenergy crops on pollinator activity varies with crop type and distance

Land‐use change to bioenergy: grassland to short rotation coppice willow has an improved carbon balance

Life cycle assessment of ethanol production from miscanthus: A comparison of production pathways at two European sites

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