Water quality effects of short-rotation pine management for bioenergy feedstocks in the southeastern United States

Griffiths, Natalie A.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Bitew, M. M.; Fortner, Allison M.; Fouts, Kevin L.; McCracken, Kitty; Phillips, Jana R.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.011

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Only a few studies have evaluated the hydrological impacts of wood-based feedstock for bioenergy development in the region. For example, Griffiths et al [23] reported that the forestry best management practices could protect stream quality from intensive loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) management for bioenergy development for the first three and a half years, by conducting a watershed-scale experiment on watershed located in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. Christopher et al [24] reported an increase in streamflow by four percent when seven percent of loblolly plantation was converted to switchgrass in Tombigbee River watershed in the southeastern United States.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Potential Impact of Rising Production of Industrial Wood Pellets on Streamflow in the Presence of Projected Changes in Land Use and Climate: A Case Study from the Oconee River Basin in Georgia, United States

Shrestha

Dwivedi

McKay

et al. 2019

Water

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This study examines the impact of projected land use changes in the context of growing production of industrial wood pellets coupled with expected changes in precipitation and temperature due to the changing climate on streamflow in a watershed located in the northeastern corner of the Oconee River Basin. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for ascertaining any changes in streamflow over time. The developed model was calibrated over a seven-year period (2001–2007) and validated over another seven-year period (2008–2014). Any changes in streamflow were simulated for a combination of 10 land use and climate change cases, from 2015 to 2028, under the two scenarios of High and Low Demand for industrial wood pellets. Our results suggest that streamflow is relatively stable (<1% change) for land use and temperature-related cases relative to the base case of no change in land use and climate. However, changes in precipitation by ±10% lead to considerable changes (±25%) in streamflow relative to the base case. Based on our results, expected changes in precipitation due to the changing climate will determine any changes in the streamflow, rather than projected land use changes in the context of rising demand for industrial wood pellets for export purposes in the selected watershed, keeping land under urban areas as constant. This study contributes to our broader understanding of the sustainability of the transatlantic industrial wood pellet trade; however, we suggest undertaking similar research at a larger spatial scale over a longer time horizon for understanding trade-offs across carbon, biodiversity, and water impacts of the transatlantic industrial wood pellet trade.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Potential Impact of Rising Production of Industrial Wood Pellets on Streamflow in the Presence of Projected Changes in Land Use and Climate: A Case Study from the Oconee River Basin in Georgia, United States

Shrestha

Dwivedi

McKay

et al. 2019

Water

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“…Watershed‐scale experiment evaluating environmental effects of short‐rotation loblolly pine production in the southeast United States (as in Griffiths et al, ). (a) Fertilizer applications during early growth of bioenergy feedstocks.…”

Section: Silvicultural Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies evaluating the effects of forestry on water quality are focused on surface (stream) water, with few studies evaluating the effects on groundwater quality, although leaching of nutrients below the rooting zone is commonly measured. Potential impacts of silviculture on groundwater can be important, especially in regions where groundwater flow paths dominate, such as the Coastal Plain of the southeast United States (Griffiths et al, ; ; Klaus, McDonnell, Jackson, Du, & Griffiths, ). A study in Texas found increased nitrate concentrations in groundwater in clear‐cut watersheds (Messina et al, ), while a study in Alabama found no effect of harvest on groundwater nutrients (Lockaby, Thornton, Jones, & Clawson, ).…”

Section: Water Quality Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study in Texas found increased nitrate concentrations in groundwater in clear‐cut watersheds (Messina et al, ), while a study in Alabama found no effect of harvest on groundwater nutrients (Lockaby, Thornton, Jones, & Clawson, ). Pesticides are generally immobile in soils (Michael, ) and were not detected in groundwater in the Coastal Plain of Florida (Neary & Michael, ) or South Carolina (Griffiths et al, ).…”

Section: Water Quality Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Modeling of a watershed in Minnesota found that conversion of a portion of the landscape from agriculture to SRWCs reduced sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loads (Updegraff, Baughman, & Taff, ; Updegraff, Gowda, & Mulla, ). A watershed‐scale study in the southeast United States examined the effect of growing and managing short‐rotation loblolly pine for bioenergy with BMPs and found no changes in stream water nitrate concentrations in the first 3.5 years after planting; however, nitrate concentrations increased in groundwater (Griffiths et al, ; Figure ). Thus, this study suggested that BMPs may be adequate to protect stream water quality in the first years after planting, but also highlighted the need for longer‐term studies that focus on quantifying lagged effects (e.g., groundwater travel times) (Griffiths et al, ).…”

Section: Water Quality Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental effects of short‐rotation woody crops for bioenergy: What is and isn't known

Griffiths

Rau²,

Vaché

et al. 2018

GCB Bioenergy

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Logging and mill residues are currently the largest sources of woody biomass for bioenergy in the United States, but short‐rotation woody crops (SRWCs) are expected to become a larger contributor to biomass production, primarily on lands marginal for food production. However, there are very few studies on the environmental effects of SRWCs, and most have been conducted at stand rather than at watershed scales. In this manuscript, we review the potential environmental effects of SRWCs relative to current forestry or agricultural practices and best management practices (BMPs) in the southeast United States and identify priorities and constraints for monitoring and modeling these effects. Plot‐scale field studies and a watershed‐scale modeling study found improved water quality with SRWCs compared to agricultural crops. Further, a recent watershed‐scale experiment suggests that conventional forestry BMPs are sufficient to protect water quality from SRWC silvicultural activities, but the duration of these studies is short with respect to travel times of groundwater transporting nitrate to streams. While the effects of SRWC production on carbon (C) and water budgets depend on both soil properties and previous land management, woody crops will typically sequester more C when compared with agricultural crops. The overall C offset by SRWCs will depend on a variety of management practices, the number of rotations, and climate. Effects of SRWCs on biodiversity, especially aquatic organisms, are not well studied, but a meta‐analysis found that bird and mammal biodiversity is lower in SRWC stands than unmanaged forests. Long‐term (i.e., over multiple rotations) water quality, water use, C dynamics, and soil quality studies are needed, as are larger‐scale (i.e., landscape scale) biodiversity studies, to evaluate the potential effects of SRWC production. Such research should couple field measurement and modeling approaches due to the temporal (i.e., multiple rotations) and spatial (i.e., heterogeneous landscape) scaling issues involved with SRWC production.

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Ensemble modeling of watershed‐scale hydrologic effects of short‐rotation woody crop production

Vaché

Bitew

Griffiths

et al. 2021

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

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Short‐rotation woody crop (SRWC) production involves a set of silvicultural practices that aim to produce large volumes of biomass over relatively short time frames. The area over which these practices are employed is likely to increase in the coming decades as the demand for bioenergy increases, but the potential effects of this change in land management, including the hydrologic effects, are largely unknown. Here we outline the results from an ensemble modeling study that was developed to forecast the range of potential hydrological responses to the implementation of SRWC production over areas that are large (>1000 ha) relative to the size of individual clearcuts. The three models, SWAT, MIKE‐SHE, and Envision‐SRS, a physically based model designed to represent watersheds with dynamic land cover, represent a range of simulation tools that include hydrological response to landcover change. Results suggest that SRWC production will affect the hydrologic balance, primarily through changes in the volume of transpired water associated with the rapidly growing young stands. In particular, average annual actual evapotranspiration (ET) rates tend to decline under SRWC production in response to the less mature vegetation. These reductions in ET are balanced in the hydrological cycle through elevated groundwater recharge, expressed in the model results as elevated annual stream discharge. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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Water quality effects of short-rotation pine management for bioenergy feedstocks in the southeastern United States

Cited by 18 publications

References 61 publications

Assessing the Potential Impact of Rising Production of Industrial Wood Pellets on Streamflow in the Presence of Projected Changes in Land Use and Climate: A Case Study from the Oconee River Basin in Georgia, United States

Assessing the Potential Impact of Rising Production of Industrial Wood Pellets on Streamflow in the Presence of Projected Changes in Land Use and Climate: A Case Study from the Oconee River Basin in Georgia, United States

Environmental effects of short‐rotation woody crops for bioenergy: What is and isn't known

Ensemble modeling of watershed‐scale hydrologic effects of short‐rotation woody crop production

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