Abstract
The cultivation of perennial energy crops is a new agricultural system and so there is limited information available on its effects on biodiversity. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the cultivation of energy crops on the diversity of weed flora and to compare this diversity with that found in crop production systems on arable land. The best habitats for weed flora were created by willow (Salix viminalis), poplar (Populus sp.), false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), and perennial grasses (25–30 species), with the exception of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) (20 species). The lowest diversity and abundance of weed flora were observed on plantations of Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus). Weed communities in energy crops included more perennial species (by 11%), ruderal species (by 10%), and those typical for grassland (by 7%) and forests (by 4%), in comparison to arable land. The plantations of energy plants promoted an increase in the density of the invasive species Solidago gigantea (from 1.9 to 6.3 plants m−2 over six years). The introduction of perennial energy crops into an agricultural landscape causes quantitative and qualitative changes in weed flora communities and, therefore, control of the spread of some non-native and invasive species is needed.
Highlights
Perennial energy crops include plant species cultivated on arable land and processed for biofuels, biocomponents, heat, or electrical power generation
The aims of this research were: (1) to analyze the changes in the flora community after the introduction of perennial energy crops from different botanical groups onto arable land, and (2) to compare the structure of weed flora communities accompanying perennial energy crops with those in typical agricultural crops grown on arable land under different farming systems
In the first three years of the research (2010–2012), the greatest diversity of weed flora was noticed on the plantations of poplar (28 species), false acacia (27 species), and willow harvested every year
Summary
Perennial energy crops include plant species cultivated on arable land and processed for biofuels, biocomponents, heat, or electrical power generation. Areas to be considered regarding the risks and opportunities of energy crop cultivation in relation to biodiversity include: variations in soil management, requirements for fertilization and plant protection, invasiveness, crop diversity, water footprint, climate change mitigation potential, and distortion of species interactions [2,3]. The influence of these plantations on flora diversity depends on the species cultivated, previous land use, agricultural practices, the age and size of the fields, and their spatial distribution in the landscape [4,5,6]. There is growing interest in the cultivation of perennial grasses, mainly miscanthus (Miscanthus sp.), and other species: prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Bosc ex Link), reed canary grass
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