Abstract
Landscape implications of bioenergy feedstock choices are significant and
depend on land-use practices and their environmental impacts. Although land-use changes
and carbon emissions associated with bioenergy feedstock production are dynamic and
complicated, lignocellulosic feedstocks may offer opportunities that enhance sustainability
when compared to other transportation fuel alternatives. For bioenergy sustainability, major
drivers and concerns revolve around energy security, food production, land productivity, soil
carbon and erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, air quality, and water quantity
and quality. The many implications of bioenergy feedstock choices require several indicators
at multiple scales to provide a more complete accounting of effects. Ultimately, the long-term
sustainability of bioenergy feedstock resources (as well as food supplies) throughout the world
depends on land-use practices and landscape dynamics. Land-management decisions often
invoke trade-offs among potential environmental effects and social and economic factors as
well as future opportunities for resource use. The hypothesis being addressed in this paper is
that sustainability of bioenergy feedstock production can be achieved via appropriately
designed crop residue and perennial lignocellulosic systems. We find that decision makers need
scientific advancements and adequate data that both provide quantitative and qualitative
measures of the effects of bioenergy feedstock choices at different spatial and temporal scales
and allow fair comparisons among available options for renewable liquid fuels.
