The Value of Perenniality and Polyculture in Bioenergy Landscapes Dr. Tim Meehan UW Entomology, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Current Bioenergy Landscapes
Current Bioenergy Landscapes
40% of corn crop 13 billion gallons ethanol
Current Bioenergy Landscapes
40% of corn crop 13 billion gallons ethanol
15% of soybean oil 1 billion gallons biodiesel
Future Bioenergy Goals
Future Bioenergy Landscapes
Expanded corn and soybean production? Cellulosic ethanol from annual crop residues?
Future Bioenergy Landscapes
Future Bioenergy Landscapes
Miscanthus
Switchgrass
Poplar
Grasses and forbs
Replacement of annual monocultures with perennial monocultures or perennial polycultures?
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Why Bother?
Animal diversity increases with plant diversity at the field and landscape level.
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Why Bother?
Animal diversity increases with plant diversity at the field and landscape level.
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Why Bother? Meehan and Gratton, in review
Animal diversity increases with plant diversity at the field and landscape level.
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But, Really, Who Cares?
Klein et al. 2003
Diverse communities deliver services more affectively and reliably than simple communities.
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But, Really, Who Cares?
Diverse communities deliver services more affectively and reliably than simple communities.
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But, Really, Who Cares?
Diverse communities deliver services more affectively and reliably than simple communities.
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Bioenergy and Insect Diversity
Robertson et al. 2011
Insect communities become more diverse with biomass crop perenniality and polyculture.
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Bioenergy and Insect Diversity
Robertson et al. 2011
Gardiner et al. 2010
Insect communities become more diverse with biomass crop perenniality and polyculture.
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Removal of crop pests
Bioenergy and Biocontrol
Werling et al. 2010
Biocontrol potential increases with perenniality and polyculture.
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Bioenergy and Biocontrol Meehan et al. 2011
Pest abundance and insecticide usage declines with increases in perenniality and polyculture.
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Bioenergy and Biocontrol Meehan et al. 2011
Pest abundance and insecticide usage declines with increases in perenniality and polyculture.
Which Will We Choose?
Will society pay energy and biomass producers to use cropping systems that enhance biodiversity and biodiversity services?