Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation
Abstract Carbon neutrality in the transport sector is a key challenge for the growing bioeconomy as the share of biofuels has stagnated over the past decade. This can be attributed to basic economics and a lack of a robust market for these technologies. Consequently, more sustainable biomass supply...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001478 |
| _version_ | 1818179264394035200 |
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| author | Moritz Von Cossel Bastian Winkler Anja Mangold Jan Lask Moritz Wagner Iris Lewandowski Berien Elbersen Michiel vanEupen Stephan Mantel Andreas Kiesel |
| author_facet | Moritz Von Cossel Bastian Winkler Anja Mangold Jan Lask Moritz Wagner Iris Lewandowski Berien Elbersen Michiel vanEupen Stephan Mantel Andreas Kiesel |
| author_sort | Moritz Von Cossel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Carbon neutrality in the transport sector is a key challenge for the growing bioeconomy as the share of biofuels has stagnated over the past decade. This can be attributed to basic economics and a lack of a robust market for these technologies. Consequently, more sustainable biomass supply concepts are required that reduce negative impacts on the environment and at the same time promote environmental services for sustainable agricultural cropping systems including erosion prevention, soil fertility improvement, greenhouse gas mitigation, and carbon sequestration. One promising concept is the cultivation of perennial biomass crops such as Miscanthus (Miscanthus Andersson) as biofuel feedstock. In this study, the multiple environmental services provided by Miscanthus are first explored and subsequently monetized. Then the integration of Miscanthus cultivation for biomass production into European agricultural systems is assessed. One hectare of Miscanthus provides society with environmental services to a value of 1,200 to 4,183 € a−1. These services are even more pronounced when cultivation takes place on marginal agricultural land. The integration of Miscanthus into existing agricultural practices aids both conservation and further optimization of socio‐economic welfare and landscape diversification. As these environmental services are more beneficial to the public than the Miscanthus farmers, subsidies are required to close the gap between biofuels and biodiversity that are calculated based on the provision of environmental services. Similar approaches to that developed in this study may be suitable for the implementation of other biomass cropping systems and therefore help foster the transition to a bioeconomy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:01:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b19e52e3847a48419acf11a0d8af4098 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2328-4277 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:01:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth's Future |
| spelling | doaj.art-b19e52e3847a48419acf11a0d8af40982022-12-22T00:50:59ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772020-10-01810n/an/a10.1029/2020EF001478Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus CultivationMoritz Von Cossel0Bastian Winkler1Anja Mangold2Jan Lask3Moritz Wagner4Iris Lewandowski5Berien Elbersen6Michiel vanEupen7Stephan Mantel8Andreas Kiesel9Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyTeam Earth Informatics Wageningen Environmental Research Wageningen The NetherlandsTeam Earth Informatics Wageningen Environmental Research Wageningen The NetherlandsInternational Soil Reference and Information Centre Wageningen The NetherlandsBiobased Resources in the Bioeconomy (340b), Institute of Crop Science University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyAbstract Carbon neutrality in the transport sector is a key challenge for the growing bioeconomy as the share of biofuels has stagnated over the past decade. This can be attributed to basic economics and a lack of a robust market for these technologies. Consequently, more sustainable biomass supply concepts are required that reduce negative impacts on the environment and at the same time promote environmental services for sustainable agricultural cropping systems including erosion prevention, soil fertility improvement, greenhouse gas mitigation, and carbon sequestration. One promising concept is the cultivation of perennial biomass crops such as Miscanthus (Miscanthus Andersson) as biofuel feedstock. In this study, the multiple environmental services provided by Miscanthus are first explored and subsequently monetized. Then the integration of Miscanthus cultivation for biomass production into European agricultural systems is assessed. One hectare of Miscanthus provides society with environmental services to a value of 1,200 to 4,183 € a−1. These services are even more pronounced when cultivation takes place on marginal agricultural land. The integration of Miscanthus into existing agricultural practices aids both conservation and further optimization of socio‐economic welfare and landscape diversification. As these environmental services are more beneficial to the public than the Miscanthus farmers, subsidies are required to close the gap between biofuels and biodiversity that are calculated based on the provision of environmental services. Similar approaches to that developed in this study may be suitable for the implementation of other biomass cropping systems and therefore help foster the transition to a bioeconomy.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001478agrobiodiversitybioenergyecosystem serviceenvironmental servicevalorizationperennial crop |
| spellingShingle | Moritz Von Cossel Bastian Winkler Anja Mangold Jan Lask Moritz Wagner Iris Lewandowski Berien Elbersen Michiel vanEupen Stephan Mantel Andreas Kiesel Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation Earth's Future agrobiodiversity bioenergy ecosystem service environmental service valorization perennial crop |
| title | Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation |
| title_full | Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation |
| title_fullStr | Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation |
| title_short | Bridging the Gap Between Biofuels and Biodiversity Through Monetizing Environmental Services of Miscanthus Cultivation |
| title_sort | bridging the gap between biofuels and biodiversity through monetizing environmental services of miscanthus cultivation |
| topic | agrobiodiversity bioenergy ecosystem service environmental service valorization perennial crop |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001478 |
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