There is a reason many midwestern herpetologists refer to the region as a cornfield desert. any uniculture (trees to moss) will be essentially a desert for other organisms not directly associated with the plant. Add in the agrichemicals and you got sterile blah.
On Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 10:58 PM, Bruce Robertson <rober...@msu.edu> wrote: > Wayne, > > Certain types of biomass crops currently in production (e.g. short-rotation > woody biomass) do have a higher biodiversity value to certain taxa than > traditional intensively managed row-crops. This includes next-generation > crops such as switchgrass and mixed-grass-forb prairie, which are only now > entering production in North America thanks to incentives provided through > the BCAP program. These feedstocks also appear to provide enhanced > biodiversity value over rowcrops that they may replace and can increase > landscape heterogeneity, which also benefits biodiversity at larger spatial > scales. While research is still needed, especially to study how various > biodiversity components will fare in more intensively managed > perennially-based feedstock stands, these types of biomass feedstocks seem > to have potential to enhance biodiversity when they enter existing > agricultural landscapes. > > Replacement of grasslands with any type of crop is, of course, going to be a > very bad decision for biodiversity given the history and state of this > ecosystem in North America. The Europeans have been attempting to provide > some guidance for producers on how to produce bioenergy with minimal impacts > to biodiversity. While they have had some failures in this respect, they are > well ahead of North America in that they have enforced producer standards to > minimize biodiversity losses. > > Bruce > > On 8/15/2011 4:52 PM, Wayne Tyson wrote: >> >> Ecolog: >> >> Whilst "researching" something else, I came across this interesting item >> and website. I have not delved into the details, but couldn't help but >> stumble when I came to: "The challenge is to provide a methodology and >> relevant information for all Article 17(c) categories that an operator can >> follow to avoid these grassland areas." >> >> I am struck by the implicit presumption (perhaps well-calculated evidence >> exists, but I am ignorant of it) that ANY kind of "biofuel" production has >> any net positive effect upon any ecosystem, or, for that matter, that any >> such production even pencils out on the positive side of an net-energy >> calculation. >> >> I stand ready to be educated to the contrary. >> >> WT >> >> http://www.natureserve.org/publications/library.jsp#techrpts >> >> World Grasslands and Biodiversity Patterns >> 2010 >> The European Union Directive from 2008 on the promotion and use of energy >> from renewable resources referred to as "RED" states that biofuels and >> bioliquids cannot be produced from raw material obtained from land with high >> biodiversity value. These lands are defined to include, among other >> categories, "highly biodiverse grassland areas, including natural and >> non-natural grasslands." The challenge is to provide a methodology and >> relevant information for all Article 17(c) categories that an operator can >> follow to avoid these grassland areas. 29 OF PAGES, PDF file (422 KB); >> Details of source information, XLXS file (755 KB) > > > -- > Bruce Robertson > Postdoctoral Fellow > Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute > Migratory Bird Center > National Zoological Park > PO Box 37012, MRC 5503 > Washington, DC 20013-7012 > robertso...@si.edu > 206-718-9172 > Homepage: http://brucerobertson.weebly.com/ > ------------------------------------------- > "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known" > - Carl Sagan > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Oceania University of Medicine Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
