Environmental benefits of cropland conversion to hybrid poplar: economic and policy considerations
✍ Scribed by Karen Updegraff; Melvin J. Baughman; Steven J. Taff
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2004
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 382 KB
- Volume
- 27
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0961-9534
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
To evaluate environmental benefits that might accrue from conversion of farmland to short-rotation woody crops (SRWC), a hypothetical conversion of 10%, 20% and 30% of cropland was modeled in a watershed of the Lower Minnesota River. The analysis synthesized output from a watershed model (ADAPT) with literature-based estimates of productivity and economic values for water quality, forest conservation and carbon sequestration.
A Monte Carlo simulation approach was used to estimate ranges of environmental benefit values for cropland conversion to SRWCs. The summed average net benefits justified annual public subsidies ranging from $44 to $96 ha À1 , depending on market scenario and conversion level.
Cropland conversion to SRWCs reduced cumulative annual stream flows, sediment and nitrogen loadings by up to 9%, 28% and 15%, respectively. Reduced sediment loads resulted in potential average annual public savings on culvert and ditch maintenance costs of $9:37 Mg À1 of sediment not delivered to the watershed outlet.
Hybrid poplars over a 5-year rotation produced an estimated annual economic value due to carbon sequestration of $13-15 ha À1 when used for bioenergy and $29-33 ha À1 (depending on conversion rate) when converted to wood products. If hybrid poplars are substituted for aspen traditionally harvested from natural woodlands, the poplars create annual forest preservation values of $4.79-5:44 ha À1 .