Authors
Joseph E Fargione, Thomas R Cooper, David J Flaspohler, Jason Hill, Clarence Lehman, David Tilman, Tim McCoy, Scott McLeod, Erik J Nelson, Karen S Oberhauser
Publication date
2009/10/1
Journal
BioScience
Volume
59
Issue
9
Pages
767-777
Publisher
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Description
Demand for land to grow corn for ethanol increased in the United States by 4.9 million hectares between 2005 and 2008, with wide-ranging effects on wildlife, including habitat loss. Depending on how biofuels are made, additional production could have similar impacts. We present a framework for assessing the impacts of biofuels on wildlife, and we use this framework to evaluate the impacts of existing and emerging biofuels feedstocks on grassland wildlife. Meeting the growing demand for biofuels while avoiding negative impacts on wildlife will require either biomass sources that do not require additional land (e.g., wastes, residues, cover crops, algae) or crop production practices that are compatible with wildlife. Diverse native prairie offers a potential approach to bioenergy production (including fuel, electricity, and heat) that is compatible with wildlife. Additional research is required to assess the …
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