Potential production and spatial distribution of hybrid poplar as a biofuel crop in Connecticut, USA
Keywords:
biofuel plants, hybrid poplar, suitability model, spatial distribution, ethanol production, Connecticut, ecological suitabilityAbstract
The objective of this study was to assess the biomass production potential from hybrid poplars using marginal lands in the state of Connecticut, USA. A land-use suitability model was developed to identify and classify marginal lands in the state that could be used for growing hybrid poplars as a biofuel woody energy crop. The model was built on a geographic information system (GIS) platform, consisting of an exclusion area section, an ecological suitability section, and an economic/land-use suitability section. The model then was used to estimate the total biomass of the land-cover forests, annual biomass from forest and agricultural residues, and in particular the production potential of biomass from hybrid poplars over marginal lands in the state at county level. The results indicated that about 50% of the land in this state is unavailable for hybrid poplar cultivation and that less than 5% is highly suitable. The amount of usable area is highly variable on the county level. Without large-scale land use change, it appears that biofuel production in this state can only be a supplemental resource to the current energy supply. Keywords: biofuel plants, hybrid poplar, suitability model, spatial distribution, ethanol production, Connecticut, ecological suitability DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20140702.002 Citation: Xue Z, Qu L Q, Yang X S. Potential production and spatial distribution of hybrid poplar as a biofuel crop in Connecticut, USA. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2014; 7(2): 10-18.References
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[2] Bioeconomy Institute. Glossary of biorenewables terms. Iowa State University. Found at http://www.biorenew. iastate.edu/who-we-are.html. 2002.
[3] Burnside C, Smith R, Waite S. Habitat suitability modeling for calcareous grassland restoration on the South Downs, United Kingdom. Journal of Environmental Management, 2002; 65, 209-221.
[4] California Department of Conservation. California Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site Assessment model, Instruction Manual. California Department of Conservation, Office of Land Conservation. Sacramento, California. 1997.
[5] Czapowskyh M, Safford L. Site preparation, fertilization and 10-year yields of hybrid poplar on a clear-cut forest site in eastern Maine, USA. New Forests, 1993; 7(4).
[6] DeBell D, Clendenen G, Zasada J. Chapter 2: Growing populus biomass: Comparison of woodgrass versus wide-spaced short-rotation systems. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1993; 4(5): 305-313. Found at http://bioenergy. ornl.gov/reports/debell/chapter2.html .
[7] de Smith M J, Goodchild M F, Longley P A. Geospatial Analysis: a comprehensive guide. Matador. Leicester, England. 2nd edition. 2006.
[8] Energy Information Administration. Biofuels in the US transportation sector. Annual Energy Outlook 2007. Washington D.C. Found at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ analysispaper/biomass.html. 2007.
[9] Farrell A E, Plevin R J, Turner B T, Jones A D, O’Hare M, Kammen D M. Ethanol can contribute to energy and environmental goals. Science, 2006; 311, 506-511.
[10] Hammerson G. Connecticut Wildlife: Biodiversity, Natural History, and Conservation. University Press of New England. Lebanon, NH. 2004.
[11] Lehmann J. A handful of carbon. Nature, 2007; 447(10): 143-144.
[12] Lubowski R N, Bucholts S, Claassen R, Roberts M J, Cooper J C, Gueorguieva A, et al. Environmental effects of agricultural land-use change. Economic Research Report 25, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2006.
[13] Malczewski J. GIS-base land-use suitability analysis: a critical overview. Progress in Planning, 2004; 62, 3-65.
[14] McHarg I. Design with Nature, 25th anniversary issue. John Wiley and Sons. New York, NY. 1992.
[15] National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, (2004). Connecticut state and county data. Vol 1, geographic area series, part 7. 2002 Census of Agriculture. Issued June, 2004. Washington, D.C.
[16] Pimentel D, Moran M A, Weber S F G, Bukantis R, Balliett L, Cleveland P B C, et al. Biomass Energy from Crop and Forest Residues. Science, 1981; Vol. 212.
[17] Purdue University News. (August 23, 2006) Fast growing trees could take root as future energy source. Found at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/2006/060823.Chapple.poplar.htm
[18] Shapouri H, Duffield J A, Wang M. The Energy Balance of Corn thanol: An Update, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Agricultural Economic Report No. 814. 2002.
[19] Smith C S, Howes A L, Price B, McAlpine C A. Using a Bayesian belief network to predict suitable habitat of an endangered mammal- the Julia Creek dunnar (Sminthopsis douglasi). Biological Conservation, 2007; 333-347.
[20] Stokes K, Cunningham S. Predictors of recruitment for willows invading riparian environments in south-east Australia: implications for weed management. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2006; 43, 909-921.
[21] Thomas K, Comeau P, Brown K. The silviculture of hybrid poplar plantations. Extension Note 47. B.C. Ministry of Forests. British Columbia, Canada. March, 2000.
[22] Tuskan G. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Popular poplars, trees from many purposes. Found at http://bioenergy.ornl. gov/misc/poplars.html.
[23] van Aardt J A N, Wynne R H, Oderwald R G. Forest Volume and Biomass Estimation Using Small-Footprint Lidar-Distributional Parameters on a Per-Segment Basis, Forest Science, 2006; 52(6): 636-649.
[24] Veldkamp A. CLUE: a conceptual model to study the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects. Ecological Modeling. 1996; 85, Issues 2-3, 253-270.
[25] Verburg P H, Schot P P, Dijst M J, Veldkamp A. Land use change modeling: current practice and research priorities. GeoJournal, 2004; 61, 309–324.
[26] Verburg P. Simulating feedbacks in land-use and land cover change models. Landscape Ecology, 2006; 21, 1171-1183.
[27] Wright L L. Production technology status of woody and herbaceous crops. Biomass and Bioenergy, 1994; 6, 191-209.
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Xue, Z., Qu, L., & Yang, X. (2014). Potential production and spatial distribution of hybrid poplar as a biofuel crop in Connecticut, USA. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 7(2), 10–18. Retrieved from https://ijabe.migration.pkpps03.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/ijabe/article/view/1223
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