RELU-Biomass: social, economic and environmental implications of increasing rural land use under energy crops

摘要

Government policies are encouraging more land use under biomass crops. In the UK the most advanced biomass crops are willow, grown as short rotation coppice (SRC), and Miscanthus grass. These crops will make an important contribution to the UK's commitment to reducing CO_2 emissions and are grown under low input agriculture. However, they are quite different from arable crops and it is not clear how planning decisions based on climate, soil and water should be balanced against potential impacts on the landscape, social acceptance, biodiversity and the rural economy. RELU-Biomass will assess the potential impacts of increasing rural land use under SRC willow and Miscanthus in comparison with arable crops and grassland, by comparing rural economics, social acceptability, landscape character, water use and biodiversity. The results will be used to: (1) Develop an integrated scientific framework for Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of conversion of land to energy crops; (2) Evaluate the implementation ofthe SA framework; (3) Update Best Practice Guides for planting short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and Miscanthus; (4) Provide the scientific tools for Environmental Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments of planting of energy crops