Assessing and Governing Ecosystem Services Trade-Offs in Agrarian Landscapes: The Case of Biogas

Christian Albert,Johannes Hermes,Christina Von Haaren,Felix Neuendorf,Michael Rode

doi:10.3390/land5010001

Christian Albert, Johannes Hermes + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010001

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Abstract

This paper develops a method to explore how alternative scenarios of the expansion of maize production for biogas generation affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Our approach consists of four steps: (i) defining scenario targets and implementation of assumptions; (ii) simulating crop distributions across the landscape; (iii) assessing the ES impacts; and (iv) quantifying the impacts for a comparative trade-off analysis. The case study is the region of Hannover, Germany. One scenario assumes an increase of maize production in a little regulated governance system; two others reflect an increase of biogas production with either strict or flexible environmental regulation. We consider biodiversity and three ES: biogas generation, food production and the visual landscape. Our results show that the expansion of maize production results in predominantly negative impacts for other ES. However, positive effects can also be identified, i.e., when the introduction of maize leads to higher local crop diversity and, thus, a more attractive visual landscape. The scenario of little regulation portrays more negative impacts than the other scenarios. Targeted spatial planning, implementation and appropriate governance for steering maize production into less sensitive areas is crucial for minimizing trade-offs and exploiting synergies between bioenergy and other ES.

Highlights

Policy, business and civil society actors in many EU member states have pushed for an expansion of biogas production as a renewable energy source
The area utilized for fodder maize equals the area of maize demanded by the high number of biogas plants situated in this part of the region in 2012
This paper has explored a landscape planning approach to provide decision-support for a sustainable development and expansion of biogas production in the face of a general lack of publicly available data on spatial crop production patterns

Summary

Introduction

Business and civil society actors in many EU member states have pushed for an expansion of biogas production as a renewable energy source. Sources Act (2004) has provided substantial financial incentives for the establishment of biogas plants and for the contribution of biogas to the energy system. In response to these calls, many states, counties and communities have set themselves ambitious targets for renewable energy generation, and for biogas in particular, to be achieved approximately between 2025 and 2050. Numerous biogas plants have been installed, causing a substantial change in the crop cycles within their proximity in order to expand the production of biomass for biogas generation. In some German municipalities, for instance, increased maize cultivation for biogas and fodder production encompasses more than 85% of all arable land [1,2].

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