Innovations in energy systems Dr. Claudio Gratton Department of Entomology Dr. Chris Kucharik Department of Agronomy Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment
Innovations in bio-energy systems Dr. Claudio Gratton Department of Entomology Dr. Chris Kucharik Department of Agronomy Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment
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blog.lib.umn.edu/govref/fdlp100/federal_agencies/
June 2004 National Geographic
Photograph by Peter Essick National Geographic
Photograph by Robert Clark National Geographic
Biofuels good, right? Sugarcane Oil Palm Grain ethanol Photo by Achmad Rabin Taigam Wikimedia Commons www.extension.iastate.edu
It depends... Net energy production Competition for food and water Wildlife Indirect land use changes...
Second generation biofuels Cellulosic Crop residues Grasses Woody pulp Algae CRP Land Blue Mound, WI
Simultaneously, we need to: Increase food, fiber, and fuel supplies and minimize environmental damage Increase yields Increase nutrient use efficiency (N, P); reduce NOx and N2O emissions Maintain, restore soil fertility; reduce other GHG emissions Increase water use efficiency Understand implications of land-use on local/regional climate, biodiversity Combat new diseases and pests with new management, hybrids, breeding, understanding of the landscape Source: Tilman et al. 2002
Miscanthus 15
Corn Stover as a Biofuel Feedstock? BIG TRADEOFFS! 1. Soil erosion control 2. Maintenance of soil organic matter (or sequestration), microbial communities, soil structure, and other properties 3. Protection of water quality (N, P - sediment) 4. Protection from high intensity rainfall events
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Area 4 Development of a Sustainable Bioenergy Economy Our goal is to obtain the knowledge needed to deploy biofuel cropping systems that are profitable and environmentally sustainable.
GLBRC Area 4: Sustainable Bioenergy Practices Overall objective: support the biomass-to-bioenergy pipeline by developing ecological, agricultural & life cycle practices that are economically viable & environmentally responsive Overcome bottlenecks in agricultural, industrial, & behavioral systems to improve: carbon neutrality and net greenhouse gas mitigation across the entire biofuel life cycle at multiple scales ecosystem services in biofuel landscapes (e.g., water quality, biodiversity, pest suppression) Integrate ecological, agricultural & life cycle practices with: improved plants (Area 1) new processing (Area 2) improved conversion (Area 3)
Novel Production Systems Model Systems Poplars
Observations and measurements
Biogeochemical Responses Working hypothesis Biofuel cropping systems differ in key biogeochemical responses that can be managed to improve their overall sustainability. Obj. 1, Carbon Cycle: Assess carbon neutrality of different biofuel cropping systems using GWP (global warming potential) approaches: Soil carbon change (net plant inputs, microbial oxidation) Fuel use Nitrogen fertilizer, pesticide use Lime inputs Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) flux Methane (CH 4 ) flux
Land-use Change and Ecosystem Carbon Balance Grassland C Fluxes (CRP) Replaced by corn for ethanol? Plant inputs Soil respiration Soil C pool Plant inputs Soil respiration Soil C pool C Stocks C Stocks CO 2 release Time (decades) Time (years)
Cause for concern Large number of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts expiring in the next two years Farmers are converting land back to grow corn (~$7/bu) ~39% of 2010 US corn crop used to produce ethanol! Conversion of CRP land back to tillage practices could allow sequestered carbon to be released back to atmosphere Promote indirect land use change elsewhere
Indirect land use change - GHGs USA biofuel demand less soybeans grown and/or more domestic corn use (USDA data) Global feed stock less feed exported overseas (USDA, FAO data) Amazonian deforestation demand for soybeans from Brazil GHG emissions Figures courtesy of Paul Lefebvre, WHRC; Navin Ramankutty, McGill
Runoff of Agrochemicals to Waterways Low dissolved oxygen levels
Biogeochemical Responses, cont. Obj. 2, Water use and nutrient loss Assess water use by different biofuel cropping systems and associated nutrient loss Biofuel crops vary greatly in water demand and water use efficiency Infiltrating water quantity and quality affects groundwater and surface waters Principal questions: Water budgets for the soil-plant system Potential for water limitation of biomass production Movement of nutrients (NO 3- ) to groundwater
Biodiversity Responses Taxa Ecosystem Service Predatory/parasitic insects Biocontrol Wild/managed bees Pollination Game/song birds Conservation, recreation Microbes GHG production/sequestration
The landscape context matters 1.5 km
Bell s Vireo Dickcissel Field sparrow Boblink Loggerhead shrike