Download or read book Bioenergy Cropping Systems on Marginal Land written by Stephanie Lyn Smith and published by ProQuest. This book was released on 2009 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Biofuel Cropping Systems written by Hans Langeveld and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-21 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Choosing appropriate practices and policies for biofuel production requires an understanding of how soils, climate, farm types, infrastructure, markets and social organisation affect the establishment and performance of these crops. The book highlights land use dynamics, cultivation practices related to conversion and wider impacts. It explores how biofuel production chain development is steered by emerging technologies and management practices and how both can be influenced by effective policies designed to encourage sustainable biofuel production. The book highlights major biofuel production chains including: cane cultivation in Brazil corn ethanol in the USA wheat and rapeseed in Europe oil palm in the Far East cane in Asia and Africa SRC and other lignocellulosic crops. In each case the development, cropping systems and impacts are discussed, system dynamics are shown and lessons drawn for the way things could or should change. Biofuel Cropping Systems is a vital resource for all those who want to understand the way biofuels are produced and how they impact other elements of society and especially how improvements can be made. It is a handbook for students, biofuel producers, researchers and policymakers in energy and agriculture.
Download or read book Land Allocation for Biomass Crops written by Ruopu Li and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume establishes a forum for international experts to explore cutting-edge questions associated with the land use and biomass production. Topics include ‘do we have enough land, either primary or marginal, to accommodate future production of biomass?’, ‘how are farming decisions made in response to biomass incentives?’, ‘is the current bio-mass production socially, economically and environmentally sustainable?’, and ‘what are the main constraints currently limiting biofuel deployment?’ The expansion of biomass production is often at the cost of reduced land availability for food production and losses of areas with ecological functions such as forests and wetlands. This process often involves complex interplay of physical dynamics and human systems that are driven by numerous geographic and socio-economic factors at different scales. Thus, the state-of-the-art research on the land use issues surrounding the biomass production and its environmental impacts is important for informed land management decision making. This book will be of great use to researchers in land use management and biomass-based renewable energy, as well as practitioners.
Download or read book Woody Bioenergy Crops on Marginal Land written by Rouse Smith Farnham and published by . This book was released on 198? with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems written by Douglas L. Karlen and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-06-12 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems presents a comprehensive overview of how cellulosic energy crops can be sustainably produced and converted to affordable energy through liquid fuels, heat and electricity. The book begins with an introduction to cellulosic feedstocks, discussing their potential as a large-scale sustainable energy source, and technologies for the production of liquid fuels, heat and electricity. Subsequent chapters examine miscanthus, switchgrass, sugarcane and energy cane, sorghums and crop residues, reviewing their phylogeny, cultural practices, and opportunities for genetic improvement. This is followed by a detailed focus on woody crops, including eucalyptus, pine, poplar and willow. Critical logistical issues associated with both herbaceous and woody feedstocks are reviewed, and alternate strategies for harvesting, transporting, and storing cellulosic materials are also examined. The final sectionof the booktackles the challenge of achieving long-term sustainability, addressing economic, environmental and social factors. Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems is a valuable resource for academics, students and industry professionals working in the field of biomass cultivation and conversion, bioenergy, crop science and agriculture. Topics covered include: Identifying suitable cellulosic energy crops that are adapted to a wide range of climates and soils Best management practices for sustainably growing, harvesting, storing, transporting and pre-processing these crops The development of integrated cellulosic energy cropping systems for supplying commercial processing plants Challenges and opportunities for the long-term sustainability of cellulosic energy crops This book was conceived and initiated by David I. Bransby, Professor of Energy and Forage Crops in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University, USA. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs
Download or read book Geospatial Strategies to Optimize Placement of Advanced Bioenergy Crops in Marginal Landscapes written by Sarah Marie Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As energy policies around the world progressively mandate increases in bioenergy production, the amount of land required to meet these demands might come at the cost of food production or environmental protection. To ensure sustainable practices, planting energy crops on marginal land is frequently proposed as a solution to this land use dilemma in order to meet mandates while avoiding negative externalities. Yet even though the term "marginal land" has become so entwined with discussions surrounding bioenergy, its definition is in fact malleable - easily shaped to fit research needs. This research investigates how marginal lands are commonly viewed in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework and presents an innovative and flexible model that optimizes the placement of drought-tolerant bioenergy crops in marginal landscapes in the United States. In my first chapter, I present the first work that evaluates a suite of studies that use GIS to map marginal lands available for bioenergy production. In my second two chapters, I focus on the development of a site suitability model for several types of drought-tolerant bioenergy crops, which are of particular interest in the US because of their ability to grow on land not suitable for conventional agricultural production. In this work I demonstrate that incorporating fuzzy logic into the suitability model provides a more progressive suitability index that best synthesizes tradeoffs between multiple criteria. Using this model I present the first evidence to demonstrate that the area suitable for growing Agave as a bioenergy feedstock in the Southwestern US is sufficient to contribute to domestic renewable energy needs. I conclude that Agave would not be a major competitor to other energy feedstocks, but rather serve a parallel benefit as a renewable energy crop on lands unsuitable for conventional bioenergy production.
Download or read book Potential Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production written by United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment and published by Congress. This book was released on 1993 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Plants and BioEnergy written by Maureen C. McCann and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-23 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A country's vision for developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is typically propelled by three important drivers – security, cost, and environmental impact. The U.S. currently accounts for a quarter of the world’s total oil consumption, with domestic demands necessitating – at an ever growing cost – a net import of more than 50% of the oil used in this country. At the same time, Brazil, because of its forward thinking on energy strategy, is today energy independent. As emerging economies around the world increase their petroleum use by large margins and as large fractions of that new consumption are necessarily supplied from unstable parts of the world, the inevitable repercussions on petroleum-driven economies will continue to escalate. In addition, there is an unequivocal imperative to take immediate and aggressive measures to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing fossil fuel consumption and increasing our use of carbon-neutral or carbon-negative fuels as well as improving efficiency of fuel use. Economic growth and development worldwide depend increasingly on secure supplies of reliable, affordable, clean energy. Together with its counterpart societies, was convened the First Pan-American Congress on Plants and BioEnergy, which was held in June, 2008, in Mérida, Mexico. Sponsored by the American Society of Plant Biologists, this congress was designed to initiate Pan-American research collaborations in energy biosciences. At that congress, the organizational committee committed themselves to continue the meeting biennially, resulting in the 2nd Pan-American Congress on Plants and BioEnergy to be held with the endorsement of ASPB, July 6-10, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil. Whereas the 1st congress covered a broad range of topics that bioenergy impacted, the second congress will focus more on the advances in plant biology: the genetic improvement of energy crop plants, their fit into regional environments, and the development of a sustainable energy agriculture.
Download or read book Economic Valuation of Environmental Benefits and the Targeting of Conservation Programs written by Peter Milton Feather and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Political Ecology of Industrial Crops written by Abubakari Ahmed and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-02 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book employs a political ecology lens to unravel how industrial crops catalyse ecological, agrarian, socioeconomic, and institutional transformation. Using the conceptual tools and perspectives of political ecology, namely multi-scalar analysis and attention to marginalisation, social difference, and discourses and narratives, this volume provides a critical and comprehensive assessment of the transformative power of industrial cropping systems. It presents a truly international overview by drawing on a range of case studies from the global South, including soybeans in South America, cashew nuts in Guinea Bissau, cotton in India, maize in China, jatropha in Ghana, sugarcane in Peru and Eswatini, and oil palm in Ghana and Peru. The unique case studies are put into perspective with chapters introducing the key concepts of political ecology and critical dimensions of industrial cropping systems related to large-scale land acquisitions, land grabbing, and marginal land. The individual chapters employ different approaches all rooted in political ecology, thus offering a rich overview of how the field engages with such cropping systems. Overall, this volume contains valuable propositions for improving current policies and practices in industrial crop settings in both developed and developing countries. Through its comprehensive and interdisciplinary outlook, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of political ecology, agrarian studies, development studies, and ecological economics.
Download or read book Ex ante Analysis of a Novel Production Practice written by Daniel F. Mooney and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study develops ex-ante methods to analyze landowner decisions to supply land for bioenergy cropping systems. It complements previous research that uses budgeting and math programming methods to develop point estimates of breakeven values by incorporating heterogeneity in farm enterprises and landowner preferences for non-pecuniary benefits as factors that affect the opportunity cost of switching land uses. The three essays herein employ distinct methodological approaches, landowner populations, and empirical applications. Their respective objectives are: first, to identify the distribution of farm operator reservation prices to adopt bioenergy cropping systems; second, to examine the effect of preferences for non-pecuniary benefits on non-operators' willingness-to-accept to replace an existing land use; and third, to infer potential rates of adoption using recent historical data on disaggregated land cover. To accomplish the first two, contingent valuation surveys were conducted in four counties in Wisconsin with abundant physically-marginal land on which bioenergy cropping systems were hypothesized to be feasible. Regression analysis revealed that land opportunity costs vary significantly across farm enterprise types, median payments required to supply land are several multiples above budgeting breakeven values, and short-run land supply for bioenergy cropping systems will be inelastic and geographically-fragmented. Some optimism exists, however, because preferences over non-pecuniary benefits could lead some landowners to supply land at payment levels close to current land rental rates. The third objective was met by analyzing recent, statewide remote-sensing data on land cover change during a time of rising cropland profitability. Panel estimation mostly confirmed insight gained from the surveys. Overall, this study demonstrates the need for future assessments to consider heterogeneity in pecuniary and non-pecuniary opportunity costs when forecasting the supply of land for bioenergy systems.
Download or read book Handbook of Bioenergy Crops written by N. El Bassam and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2010 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This completely revised second edition includes new information on biomass in relation to climate change, new coverage of vital issues including the "food versus fuel" debate, and essential new information on "second generation" fuels and advances in conversion techniques. The book begins with a guide to biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels. This is followed by an examination of the environmental impact and economic and social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy. The book then goes on to cover all the main potential energy crops.
Download or read book The Role of Bioenergy in the Emerging Bioeconomy written by Carmen Lago and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Role of Bioenergy in the Bioeconomy: Resources, Technologies, Sustainability and Policy provides the reader with a complete understanding on how bioenergy technologies fit into the new bioeconomy paradigm. Sections focus on the main resources and technologies for bioenergy and its integration in energy systems and biorefining chains, analyze the available methodologies for assessing the sustainability of bioenergy, and address and the propose approaches that are demonstrated through concrete case studies. Additionally, the implications of bioenergy in the water-energy and land nexus is presented, along with new challenges and opportunities. This book’s strong focus on sustainability of bioenergy, both as a standalone, and in the larger context of a bio-based economy, makes it a useful resource for researchers, professionals and students in the bioenergy field who need tactics to assess the lifecycle and sustainability of bioenergy technologies and their integration into existing systems. Presents a complete overview of the main challenges that bioenergy will have to overcome in order to play a key role in future energy systems Explores sustainability aspects in detail, both qualitatively and by applying proposed methodologies to concrete bioenergy case studies Covers, in detail, the water-energy-land nexus implications and governance aspects
Download or read book Bioenergy Feedstocks written by Malay C. Saha and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bioenergy and biofuels are generated from a wide variety of feedstock. Fuels have been converted from a wide range of sources from vegetable oils to grains and sugarcane. Second generation biofuels are being developed around dedicated, non-food energy crops, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, with an eye toward bioenergy sustainability. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics looks at advances in our understanding of the genetics and breeding practices across this diverse range of crops and provides readers with a valuable tool to improve cultivars and increase energy crop yields. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics opens with chapters focusing primarily on advances in the genetics and molecular biology of dedicated energy crops. These chapters provide in-depth coverage of new, high-potential feedstocks. The remaining chapters provide valuable overview of breeding efforts of current feedstocks with specific attention paid to the development of bioenergy traits. Coverage in these chapters includes crops such as sorghum, energy canes, corn, and other grasses and forages. The final chapters explore the role of transgenics in bioenergy feedstock production and the development of low-input strategies for producing bioenergy crops. A timely collection of work from a global team of bioenergy researchers and crop scientists, Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics is an essential reference on cultivar improvement of biomass feedstock crops.
Download or read book Current Prospects for Bioenergy Crop Production on Marginal Lands written by Daniel Mooney and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Handbook of Bioenergy Crop Plants written by Chittaranjan Kole and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-03-22 with total page 874 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the world's population is projected to reach 10 billion or more by 2100, devastating fossil fuel shortages loom in the future unless more renewable alternatives to energy are developed. Bioenergy, in the form of cellulosic biomass, starch, sugar, and oils from crop plants, has emerged as one of the cheaper, cleaner, and environmentally sustainab
Download or read book Biofuel Crops written by Bharat P. Singh and published by CABI. This book was released on 2013 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing comprehensive coverage on biofuel crop production and the technological, environmental and resource issues associated with a sustainable biofuel industry, this book is ideal for researchers and industry personnel. Beginning with an introduction to biofuels and the challenges they face, the book then includes detailed coverage on crops of current importance or with high future prospects, including sections on algae, sugar crops and grass, oil and forestry species. The chapters focus on the genetics, breeding, cultivation, harvesting and handling of each crop.