Bioenergy Crops for Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

Bioenergy Crops for Ecosystem Health and Sustainability PDF Author: Alex Baumber
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317559002
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 181

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Book Description
The growing of crops for bioenergy has been subject to much recent criticism, as taking away land which could be used for food production or biodiversity conservation. This book challenges some commonly-held ideas about biofuels, bioenergy and energy cropping, particularly that energy crops pose an inherent threat to ecosystems, which must be mitigated. The book recognises that certain energy crops (e.g. oil palm for biodiesel) have generated sustainability concerns, but also asks the question "is there a better way?" of using energy crops to strategically enhance ecosystem functions. It draws on numerous case studies, including where energy crops have had negative outcomes as well as well as cases where energy crops have produced benefits for ecosystem health, such as soil and water protection from the cropping of willow and poplar in Europe and the use of mallee eucalypts to fight salinity in Western Australia. While exploring this central argument, the volume also provides a systematic overview of the socio-economic sustainability issues surrounding bioenergy.

Bioenergy Crops for Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

Bioenergy Crops for Ecosystem Health and Sustainability PDF Author: Alex Baumber
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317559002
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 181

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Book Description
The growing of crops for bioenergy has been subject to much recent criticism, as taking away land which could be used for food production or biodiversity conservation. This book challenges some commonly-held ideas about biofuels, bioenergy and energy cropping, particularly that energy crops pose an inherent threat to ecosystems, which must be mitigated. The book recognises that certain energy crops (e.g. oil palm for biodiesel) have generated sustainability concerns, but also asks the question "is there a better way?" of using energy crops to strategically enhance ecosystem functions. It draws on numerous case studies, including where energy crops have had negative outcomes as well as well as cases where energy crops have produced benefits for ecosystem health, such as soil and water protection from the cropping of willow and poplar in Europe and the use of mallee eucalypts to fight salinity in Western Australia. While exploring this central argument, the volume also provides a systematic overview of the socio-economic sustainability issues surrounding bioenergy.

Potential Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production

Potential Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production PDF Author: United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment
Publisher: Congress
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Book Description


Bioenergy and Land Use Change

Bioenergy and Land Use Change PDF Author: Zhangcai Qin
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119297362
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Although bioenergy is a renewable energy source, it is not without impact on the environment. Both the cultivation of crops specifically for use as biofuels and the use of agricultural byproducts to generate energy changes the landscape, affects ecosystems, and impacts the climate. Bioenergy and Land Use Change focuses on regional and global assessments of land use change related to bioenergy and the environmental impacts. This interdisciplinary volume provides both high level reviews and in-depth analyses on specific topics. Volume highlights include: Land use change concepts, economics, and modeling Relationships between bioenergy and land use change Impacts on soil carbon, soil health, water quality, and the hydrologic cycle Impacts on natural capital and ecosystem services Effects of bioenergy on direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions Biogeochemical and biogeophysical climate regulation Uncertainties and challenges associated with land use change quantification and environmental impact assessments Bioenergy and Land Use Change is a valuable resource for professionals, researchers, and graduate students from a wide variety of fields including energy, economics, ecology, geography, agricultural science, geoscience, and environmental science. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/bioenergys-impacts-on-the-landscape

Bioenergy And The Environment

Bioenergy And The Environment PDF Author: Janos Pasztor
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 042969458X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
This book shows in detail that environmental consequences of very large increases in biomass utilization could be serious, if they were carried out without proper management. It provides knowledge of adverse and beneficial effects that bioenergy systems have on the environment to energy planners.

Biomass and Agriculture Sustainability, Markets and Policies

Biomass and Agriculture Sustainability, Markets and Policies PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264105549
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 570

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Book Description
The 21st century could see the switch from the fossil fuel to the biological based economy. Papers presented in this conference proceedings explore the questions involved.

Phytotechnology with Biomass Production

Phytotechnology with Biomass Production PDF Author: Larry E. Erickson
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000387283
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
This book explains the concept of using phytotechnology with biomass production to improve soil quality and restore contaminated sites to a useful state that has economic and social value. Phytotechnology with Biomass Production: Sustainable Management of Contaminated Sites focuses on the application of second-generation biofuel crops, primarily Miscanthus, to slightly contaminated or marginal postmilitary and postmining soils. Based on recent and ongoing research from the United States, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Germany, along with case studies from other countries, this is the first comprehensive book on using phytotechnology with biomass production at contaminated sites at a global level. FEATURES Focuses on an important topic of a growing global activity: soil improvement through biomass production Includes case studies and success stories from different countries on application of Miscanthus phytotechnology to sites differently contaminated by trace elements, pesticides, and petroleum products Discusses the peculiarities of Miscanthus production on postmilitary and postmining contaminated lands and the impact of plant growth regulators, soil amendments, fertilizers, and biochar to the process Introduces soil fauna as indicators of soil health during Miscanthus phytotechnology application Presents Miscanthus value chain associated with the processing of Miscanthus biomass to different bioproducts While written primarily for faculty, students, research scientists, environmental and agricultural professionals, gardeners, farmers, landowners, and government officials, this book has value for all who are working on phytotechnology projects and phytomining to reduce risk and/or improve soil quality at contaminated sites. Phytotechnology with Biomass Production: Sustainable Management of Contaminated Sites is also a great new resource for those who are new to the topic and want to learn to apply phytotechnologies and biomass production with further conversion into energy and bioproducts.

Potential environmental impacts of bioenergy crop production.

Potential environmental impacts of bioenergy crop production. PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428921044
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description


Phytoremediation Potential of Bioenergy Plants

Phytoremediation Potential of Bioenergy Plants PDF Author: Kuldeep Bauddh
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811030847
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Book Description
The globally escalating population necessitates production of more goods and services to fulfil the expanding demands of human beings which resulted in urbanization and industrialization. Uncontrolled industrialization caused two major problems – energy crisis and accelerated environmental pollution throughout the world. Presently, there are technologies which have been proposed or shown to tackle both the problems. Researchers continue to seek more cost effective and environmentally beneficial pathways for problem solving. Plant kingdom comprises of species which have the potential to resolve the couple problem of pollution and energy. Plants are considered as a potential feedstock for development of renewable energy through biofuels. Another important aspect of plants is their capacity to sequester carbon dioxide and absorb, degrade, and stabilize environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic biphenyls, radioactive materials, and other chemicals. Thus, plants may be used to provide renewable energy generation and pollution mitigation. An approach that could amalgamate the two aspects can be achieved through phytoremediation (using plants to clean up polluted soil and water), and subsequent generation of energy from the phyto-remediator plants. This would be a major advance in achieving sustainability that focuses on optimizing ‘people’ (social issues), ‘planet’ (environmental issues), and ‘profit’ (financial issues). The “Phytoremediation-Cellulosic Biofuels” (PCB) process will be socially beneficial through reducing pollution impacts on people, ecologically beneficial through pollution abatement, and economically viable through providing revenue that supplies an energy source that is renewable and also provides less dependence on importing foreign energy (energy-independence). The utilization of green plants for pollution remediation and energy production will also tackle some other important global concerns like global climate change, ocean acidification, and land degradation through carbon sequestration, reduced emissions of other greenhouse gases, restoration of degraded lands and waters, and more. This book addresses the overall potential of major plants that have the potential to fulfil the dual purposes of phytoremediation and energy generation. The non-edible bioenergy plants that are explored for this dual objective include Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, Leucaena leucocephalla, Milletia pinnata, Canabis sativa, Azadirachta indica, and Acacia nilotica. The book addresses all possible aspects of phyto-remediaton and energy generation in a holistic way. The contributors are one of most authoritative experts in the field and have covered and compiled the best content most comprehensively. The book is going to be extremely useful for researchers in the area, research students, academicians and also for policy makers for an inclusive understanding and assessment of potential in plant kingdom to solve the dual problem of energy and pollution.

Biofuel Feedstocks

Biofuel Feedstocks PDF Author: El Hadji Habib Sy Diop
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Biofuel feedstocks such as grains and cellulose are gaining increased attention as part of the U.S. portfolio of solutions to address climate change and improve energy security. As the future of biofuels unfolds, major concerns are emerging, including the sustainability of the soil resource in bioenergy cropping system. With a clear understanding of the sustainability risks that exist within the agricultural soil resources, it is now essential to develop metrics that document the soil health as well as the total biomass production of different cropping system. We tested the effectiveness of eight bioenergy plant species grouped between annual and perennial crops. Our main objective was to determine the sustainability of bioenergy cropping systems. There was significantly greater soil structural stability plus greater root biomass under the perennial crops but greater aboveground biomass in the annual crop. Differences in soil carbon measured to 1.2 m were not significant between energy crops after five years. A transparent, unbiased method to identify possible change in soil characteristics under bioenergy cropping practice was offered. Our next metrics were soil aggregate stability and microbial community structure as indicators of soil ecosystem health and environmental stability. The effects 24 years of differing levels of residue and fertilizer inputs on soil aggregate stability, aggregate C and microbial community structure were evaluated. A native, undisturbed prairie site, located nearby was used as a reference in this study. The results showed that greater inputs of inorganic N and increased returns of crop residues did not cause a proportionately greater increase in SOC. The abundance of microbial parameters generally followed their potential carbon pool in cultivated soils but a strong mismatch was observed in the native prairie site. Our results showed for the first time a clear disconnect between decomposers and macroaggregates; highlighting the role of soil structure in protecting organic matter. Soil carbon sequestration is one of the mechanisms that have been proposed as temporary measure to mitigate global climate change. However, there was a particularly large risk of negative effects of mitigation measures related to the increased removal of crop residues from cropping systems for use in bioenergy, if this means that soil carbon is reduced. Effective measurement of soil C at the field scale requires an understanding of the spatial variability of soil C on a landscape scale. Recent technological advances in soil C measurement offer new opportunities in this area. Our surface measurements of soil C by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provided a quick assessment of soil C and, soil C predicted by NIRS and measured by dry combustion laboratory measurements was correlated with and R-squared of 0.84.

Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules

Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules PDF Author: Santosh Kumar Upadhyay
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111971723X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
BIOPROSPECTING OF PLANT BIODIVERSITY FOR INDUSTRIAL MOLECULES A comprehensive collection of recent translational research on bioresource utilization and ecological sustainability Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules provides an up-to-date overview of the ongoing search for biodiverse organic compounds for use in pharmaceuticals, bioceuticals, agriculture, and other commercial applications. Bringing together work from a panel of international contributors, this comprehensive monograph covers natural compounds of plants, endophyte enzymes and their applications in industry, plant bioprospecting in cosmetics, marine bioprospecting of seaweeds, and more. Providing global perspectives on bioprospecting of plant biodiversity, the authors present research on enzymes, mineral micro-nutrients, biopesticides, algal biomass, and other bioactive molecules. In-depth chapters assess the health impacts and ecological sustainability of the various biomolecules and identify existing and possible applications ranging from ecological restoration to production of essential oils and cosmetics. Other topics include, bio-energy crops as alternative fuel resources, the role of plants in phytoremediation of industrial waste, and the industrial applications of endophyte enzymes. This comprehensive resource: Includes a through introduction to plant biodiversity and bioprospecting Will further the knowledge of application of different plants and improve research investigation techniques. Summarizes novel approaches for researchers in food science, microbiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules is an indispensable compendium of biological research for scientists, researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, and academics in the areas of microbiology, food biotechnology, industrial microbiology, plant biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology.