What is it about?
Global demand for biomass from the southeastern U.S. to support bioenergy production is increasing. The region contains forest ecosystems with high biodiversity, including bottomland hardwood and longleaf pine ecosystems, which could be affected by bioenergy production. We used simulation models to project future changes in the areas of forest ecosystems under scenarios of bioenergy production. Using forests for biomass retained more forest overall, but resulted in smaller areas of high-biodiversity habitats. Conversely, using agricultural crops reduced forest area, but retained more high-biodiversity habitat. Our results demonstrate the complex effects of bioenergy production and can inform evaluations of bioenergy sustainability.
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Why is it important?
As policies promoting the use of bioenergy are increasing globally, it is important to examine all aspects of its sustainability. In the southeastern US, there is potential for a large amount of biomass to be produced for bioenergy, and specifically for wood pellets. Our work showed that biomass harvest could have a large effect on forests and habitats, and especially in the coastal plain, which is a region that has been globally recognized for its biodiversity. That means that developing and implementing best practices for biomass production will be essential for maintaining diversity, and for ensuring the sustainability of bioenergy.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Bioenergy production and forest landscape change in the southeastern United States, GCB Bioenergy, August 2016, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.12386.
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Resources
News release
News release from NCSU about our project
Interactive data exploration
An interactive data exploration app for the results in this paper. The app was written using R Shiny by Dr. C. Ashton Drew KDV Decision Analysis LLC www.kdv-decisions.com
National Wildlife Federation letter to the European Union
U.S. Scientists called on the European Union to adopt sustainable bioenergy policy solutions that consider wildlife and biodiversity impacts. This is the letter that was sent, along with a press release about it. The letter cites the results of our publication.
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