Biomass Cultivation Research Articles

Extremophilic Microalgae Galdieria Gen. for Urban Wastewater Treatment: Current State, the Case of “POWER” System, and Future Prospects

Over the past decades, wastewater research has increasingly focused on the use of microalgae as a tool to remove contaminants, entrapping nutrients, and whose biomass could provide both material and energy resources. This review covers the advances in the emerging research on the use in wastewater sector of thermoacidophilic, low-lipid microalgae of the genus Galdieria, which exhibit high content of protein, reserve carbohydrates, and other potentially extractable high-value compounds. The natural tolerance of Galdieria for high toxic environments and hot climates recently made it a key player in a single-step process for municipal wastewater treatment, biomass cultivation and production of energetic compounds using hydrothermal liquefaction. In this system developed in New Mexico, Galdieria proved to be a highly performing organism, able to restore the composition of the effluent to the standards required by the current legislation for the discharge of treated wastewater. Future research efforts should focus on the implementation, in the context of wastewater treatment, of more energetically efficient cultivation systems, potentially capable of generating water with increasingly higher purity levels.

Ефективність використання стимуляторів і регуляторів росту під час вирощування біомаси міскантусу в умовах лівобережного лісостепу України

The article presents the indicators of economic efficiency of growing miscanthus biomass for the production of solid biofuels. The energy efficiency coefficient is calculated as the ratio of energy input to energy output. The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of the use of plant growth-promoting and regulating products Vympel-K and Quantum-Gold in the cultivation of miscanthus biomass in the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Results. Return on investments starts since the third year of harvesting. The gross income after the fourth vegetation season was 392 900 UAH per hectare. The highest energy efficiency index (4.2−4.4) calculated for the first-year harvest was in the following treatments: single and double dose of NPK, single and double treatment with Vympel-K. Profitability in these treatments was the highest and ranged from 345.3 to 341.4%. The proposed new component of cultivation technology − soaking the rhizomes before planting in the growth-regulating and promoting products Quantum Gold and Vympel-K is economically justified. The return on investments after the sale of the miscanthus biomass for the use of these techniques starts since the third year of cultivation.

Low-Resolution Raman Spectroscopy for the detection of contaminant species in algal bioreactors

Fouling of aquatic systems by harmful microalgal and cyanobacterial species is an environmental and public health concern. Microalgal bioreactors are engineered ecosystems for the cultivation of algal biomass to meet the increasing demand for alternative protein sources and algae-derived products. Such bioreactors are often open or semi-open ponds or raceways that are prone to contamination by contaminant photosynthetic microorganisms, including harmful cyanobacterial species (HCBs). HCBs affect the quality of products through the accumulation of off-flavours, reducing their acceptance by consumers, and through the production of several different toxins collectively known as cyanotoxins. The density of cultured species within the bioreactor environment creates difficulty in detecting low concentrations of contaminant cells, and there is currently no technology enabling rapid monitoring of contaminations. The present study demonstrates the potential of Low-Resolution Raman Spectroscopy (LRRS) as a tool for rapid detection of low concentrations of HCBs within dense populations of the spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) cultures. An LRRS system adapted for the direct measurement of raw biomass samples was used to assemble a database of Raman spectral signatures, from eight algal and cyanobacterial strains. This dataset was used to develop both quantitative and discriminative chemometric models. The results obtained from the chemometric analyses demonstrate the ability of the LRRS to detect and quantify algal and cyanobacterial species at concentrations as low as 103 cells/mL and to robustly discriminate between species at concentrations of 104 cells/mL. The LRRS and chemometric analyses were further able to detect the presence of low concentrations (103cells/mL) of contaminating species, including the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, within dense (>107 cells/mL) spirulina cultures. The results presented provide a first demonstration of the potential of LRRS technology for real-time detection of contaminant species within microalgal bioreactors, and possibly for early detection of developing harmful algal blooms in other aquatic ecosystems.

Substituting microalgal biomass with faecal sludge for high-quality biocrude production through co-liquefaction: A sustainable biorefinery approach

Cultivation and harvesting of microalgal biomass are energy-intensive and expensive processes. Hence, this study explored the effect of substituting microalgal biomass with faecal sludge (wet-waste) at different ratios (100:0, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 0:100) for biocrude production through hydrothermal liquefaction. Among the various ratios, the co-hydrothermal liquefaction of MA25FS75 (25% microalgae: 75% faecal sludge) sample showed the highest biocrude yield of 38% with a lighter hydrocarbon fraction of 43% (kerosene 15% and diesel 28%) and HHV of 33.8 MJ/Kg. In addition, the biocrude maturity and intensity analysis suggested higher A-factor and lower C-factor for MA25FS75, which indicated a high-quality crude property. Finally, the higher energy recovery of 85.6% and lower energy consumption ratio of 0.58 for MA25FS75 confirmed the net energy positivity system. So, this study suggested that the faecal sludge was an environment-friendly low-cost replacement of microalgae for high-quality biocrude production towards a sustainable biorefinery approach.

Impact of feeding strategy on the performance and operational stability of aerobic granular sludge treating high-strength ammonium concentrations

We evaluated the impact of feeding strategy on the performance and operational stability of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) treating high-strength ammonium concentrations. Synthetic wastewater with characteristics close to those found in sanitary landfill leachate was applied in sequential batch reactors (SBR) for biomass cultivation. In this sense, differing only in the feeding method, three identical 7.6 L (working volume) reactors were operated with the same total cycle time of 12 h duration. In R1 and R2, it was adopted feeding in the anaerobic period with a duration of 20 min (fast) and 40 min (slow), respectively. In R3, feeding was distributed throughout the cycle (step-feeding), half of which was introduced initially, and the other half divided equally with 40 and 60% of the cycle. Substrate distribution throughout the cycle (R3) minimized three of the biggest problems faced when treating leachate in AGS systems: granules' stability, biomass retention, and nitrite accumulation. Besides, compared to fast (R1) and slow (R3) feeding, this mode of operation obtained the best total phosphorus (TP, 53%) and total nitrogen (TN, 92%) removals, without any nitrite or nitrate accumulations. COD removals were very similar in R2 and R3, but TN and TP removals were significantly greater in R3. Therefore, the feeding method directly interferes with the performance, granules' characteristics, and system stability. The results obtained in this research can be used in future works applying the AGS technology for sanitary landfill leachate and other complex wastewaters treatment.

Secretomics: a biochemical footprinting tool for developing microalgal cultivation strategies.

Microalgae offer a promising source of biofuel and a wide array of high-value biomolecules. Large-scale cultivation of microalgae at low density poses a significant challenge in terms of water management. High-density microalgae cultivation, however, can be challenging due to biochemical changes associated with growth dynamics. Therefore, there is a need for a biomarker that can predict the optimum density for high biomass cultivation. A locally isolated microalga Cyanobacterium aponinum CCC734 was grown with optimized nitrogen and phosphorus in the ratio of 12:1 for sustained high biomass productivity. To understand density-associated bottlenecks secretome dynamics were monitored at biomass densities from 0.6 ± 0.1 to 7 ± 0.1g/L (2 to 22 OD) in batch mode. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry identified 880 exometabolites in the supernatant of C. aponinum CCC734. The PCA analysis showed similarity between exometabolite profiles at low (4 and 8 OD) and mid (12 and 16 OD), whereas distinctly separate at high biomass concentrations (20 and 22 OD). Ten exometabolites were selected based on their role in influencing growth and are specifically present at low, mid, and high biomass concentrations. Taking cues from secretome dynamics, 5.0 ± 0.5g/L biomass concentration (16 OD) was optimal for C. aponinum CCC734 cultivation. Further validation was performed with a semi-turbidostat mode of cultivation for 29days with a volumetric productivity of 1.0 ± 0.2g/L/day. The secretomes-based footprinting tool is the first comprehensive growth study of exometabolite at the molecular level at variable biomass densities. This tool may be utilized in analyzing and directing microalgal cultivation strategies and reduction in overall operating costs.

Исследование процесса культивирования биомассы консорциума пробиотических микроорганизмов в присутствии ферментного препарата Biolactase L20

Конкретизированы режимы применения ферментного препарата Biolactase L20, обеспечивающего снижение массовой доли лактозы до 0,95-1,0 % при условии достижения концентрации пробиотических микроорганизмов консорциума Str. thermophiles, B. bifidum, B. longum, B. adolescentis не менее 10 КОЕ/мл. The modes of application of the enzyme preparation Biolactase L20 are specified, which provides a decrease in the mass fraction of lactose to 0.95-1.0%, provided that the concentration of probiotic microorganisms of the consortium is reached Str. thermophiles, B. bifidum, B. longum, B. adolescentis not less than 10 CFU/ml.

Bioefuels from abandoned mines: A starting point for future developments

Abandoned mines and quarries represent sites with the request of restoration due to their pollution. On the other hand, biofuels represent a response to the present request of sustainable energy, in order to reduce the CO$_2$ emission, in transportation, but also in energy production and domestic use. However, biofuels production seldom requires lands for the biomass cultivation. In this paper, the use of the dismissed mines and quarries is suggested for the cultivation of algae, as biomass production. To support this approach, a theoretical numerical evaluation of a typical dismissed quarry is developed in order to highlight the feasibility of the approach itself.

Hybrid solar-seaweed biorefinery for co-production of biochemicals, biofuels, electricity, and water: Thermodynamics, life cycle assessment, and cost-benefit analysis

Combing solar energy with biomass processing facilities are emerging systems for efficient use of solar energy for electricity generation, energy storage, and production of renewable materials. In this work, we propose a novel combination of solar thermal energy systems with marine macroalgae biorefinery, which requires energy inputs for biomass cultivation and processing. In this work, we analyze a 10-ton dry weight per hour capacity pilot-scale hybrid solar seaweed biorefinery, located at the Mishor Rotem near Dimona, the current location for solar-thermal projects in Israel, where seaweed biomass supply comes from a hypothetical offshore farm located 15 km offshore. Our energy and mass balance analysis show that the overall First Law efficiency of the hybrid solar seaweed biorefinery system for the co-production of protein, hydrochar, ethanol, distilled water, and electricity is 32% and can exceed 40% with additional waste stream recycling. Our cost-benefit analysis of the proposed solar-seaweed biorefinery shows that the prices of seaweed, electricity, and protein are the key drivers of the profitability of the production process. The environmental impacts of the hybrid solar-seaweed biorefinery with intensified offshore cultivated biomass were quantified under various seaweed cultivation, transportation, and processing strategies.

Ukraine liquid biofuel market current state modeling

Development and use of alternative energy in Ukraine is one of the state priority directions. Production and use of liquid bioenergy fuels from energy crops and biomass cultivation for the production of biofuels of various types’ provision are the main priorities for Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to determine the opportunities of Ukraine liquid biofuel market development scenario binary econometric model design. In the article, based on the method of economic and statistical modeling with the use of statistical software environment «R» econometric models of Ukraine liquid bioenergy fuels market formation and functioning have been designed. The objective of the study is to substantiate the possibility of an econometric model and regression analysis in the study of prospects for the development of the liquid biofuel market application. The possibility of usage the alternative energy in Ukraine has been substantiated, as one of the state priority directions. The conducted study on Ukraine bioethanol market development and functioning until 2023 forecast enabled to establish that volumes of corn export and export price for wheat affect the Ukraine bioethanol production scope. It has been substantiated that in the country it is expedient to form the products consumption culture in the context of low-carbon economic development in the face of global climate challenges and taking into account future trends. A multifactor correlation model that is based on the bioethanol market in Ukraine's development and functioning study has been suggested.

Fish farm effluent as a nutrient source for algae biomass cultivation

One of the challenges of microalgae biotechnology is the cost of growth media nutrients, with microalgae consuming enormous quantities of fertilisers, more than other oil crops. The traditional use of synthetic fertilisers in mass cultivation of microalgae is associated with rising prices of crude oil and competition from traditional agriculture. The fact that fish farm wastewater (FFW) nutrients are released in the form preferred by microalgae (NH3 for nitrogen and PO4-3 for phosphate), and the ability of microalgae to use nitrogen from different sources, can be exploited by using fish farm effluent rich in nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the cultivation of cheaper microalgae biomass for production of biodiesel. The cultivation of algae biomass in FFW will also serve as wastewater treatment. We reviewed the benefits and potential of fish effluent in algae cultivation for the production of biodiesel. Microalgae can utilise nutrients in FFW for different applications desirable for the production of biomass, including the accumulation of lipids, and produce a fuel with desirable properties. Also, treating wastewater and reducing demand for fresh water are advantageous. The high lipid content and comparable biodiesel properties of Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus obliquus make both species viable for FFW cultivation for biodiesel production.
 Significance:
 
 The cost associated with microalgae growth media nutrients can be saved by using fish farm wastewater, which contains nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) suitable for microalgae cultivation.
 Fish farm wastewater has lower nutrient concentrations when compared to standard growth media suitable for higher lipid accumulation.
 Microalgae used as a biodiesel feedstock, cultivated in fish farm wastewater, has added benefits, including wastewater treatment.

Debottlenecking Thermophilic Cyanobacteria Cultivation and Harvesting through the Application of Inner-Light Photobioreactor and Chitosan.

Thermophilic cyanobacteria are a low-carbon environmental resource with high potential thanks to their innate temperature tolerance and thermostable pigment, phycocyanin, which enhances light utilisation efficiency and generates a high-value product. However, large-scale cultivation and harvesting have always been bottlenecks in unicellular cyanobacteria cultivation due to their micrometric size. In this study, a 40-litre inner-light photobioreactor (PBR) was designed for scaled-up cultivation of Thermosynechococcus elongatus E542. By analysing light transmission and attenuation in the PBR and describing it via mathematical models, the supply of light energy to the reactor was optimised. It was found that the hyperbolic model describes the light attenuation characteristics of the cyanobacterial culture more accurately than the Lambert–Beer model. The internal illumination mode was applied for strain cultivation and showed a two-fold better growth rate and four-fold higher biomass concentration than the same strain grown in an externally illuminated photobioreactor. Finally, the downstream harvesting process was explored. A mixture of chitosan solutions was used as a flocculant to facilitate biomass collection. The effect of the following parameters on biomass harvesting was analysed: solution concentration, flocculation time and flocculant concentration. The analysis revealed that a 4 mg L−1 chitosan solution is optimal for harvesting the strain. The proposed solutions can improve large-scale cyanobacterial biomass cultivation and processing.

Sustainability assessment of mobile juice processing unit: Farmers perspective

Downscaling of food processing with application of innovative technologies is becoming a viable and sustainable strategy for efficient utilization of agricultural unconditional materials and by-products. Application of mobile and modular units could lead to more flexible approaches for food processing at the place of biomass cultivation. Environmental impact of such production approaches and technologies are not quite known and should be thoroughly analyzed to define the feasible scope of application and potential hotspots. The current study reports an environmental sustainability assessment of a mobile and modular system (FOX system), and a stationary juice production system using conventional treatment, on an example of apple juice production. Based on primary data collected in an industrial environment, the study identified FOX system including innovative processing technologies for juice extraction (spiral filter press) and preservation (Pulsed Electric Fields) to be environmentally beneficial compared to traditional stationary counterpart. The scenario analysis revealed that it is more beneficial from the environmental perspective to transport the mobile unit and thus decrease the distance for apple transportation.

Ameliorating effect of nitrate on nitrite inhibition for denitrifying P-accumulating organisms

Lowered air supply and organic carbon need are the key factors to reduce wastewater treatment costs and thereby, avoid eutrophication. Denitrifying PO43−- removal (DPR) process using nitrate instead of oxygen for PO43− uptake was started up in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) at a nitrate dosing rate of 20–25 mg N L−1 d−1. Operation with a real municipal wastewater supplied with CH3COONa, K2HPO4 and KNO3 succeeded in the cultivation of biomass containing denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organisms (DPAOs). The durations of SBR process anaerobic/anoxic/oxic cycles were 1.5 h, 3.5 h and 1 h, respectively. SBR operation resulted in a maximum PO43−-P uptake of 17 mg PO43−-P g−1 MLSS. The highest TN and PO43− removal efficiencies were observed during the first half of reactor operation at 77 (±10) % and 71 (±5) %, respectively. An average COD removal rate of 172 (±98) mg g−1 MLSS and a high average removal efficiency of 89 (±4) % were achieved.Nitrite effect with/without nitrate as DPR electron acceptor was investigated in batch-scale to show possibilities to use high nitrite and nitrate contents simultaneously as electron acceptors for the anoxic phosphate uptake. Nitrate attenuation against nitrite toxicity can be economically justified in full-scale treatment applications in which wastewater has a high nitrogen content. Nitrate attenuated nitrite toxicity (caused by nitrite content at 5–100 mg NO2−-N L−1) when using supplemental additions of nitrate (at concentrations of 45–200 mg NO3−-N L−1) in batch tests. Illumina sequencing emphasized that during biomass adaption microbial community changed by lowered aerobic cycle length and by lowered nitrate dosing towards representation of key DPAO/PAO- organisms, such as Candidatus Accumulibacter, Xanthomonadaceae, Comomonadaceae, Saprospiraceae and Rhodocyclaceae. This study showed that DPAO biomass adaption to nitrate maintained an efficient COD, nitrogen and phosphorus removal and the biomass can be applied for treatment of wastewater containing high nitrite and nitrate content.

Novel Materials for Myco-Decontamination of Cyanide-Containing Wastewaters through Microbial Biotechnology

This study examined the effectiveness of decontamination of industrial cyanide-containing water using mycelium-based lignocellulosic materials. These results suggest that fungi biomass and plant substrates can be used successfully in the treatment of wastewater contaminated by cyanide. Fungi were isolated from old wood samples taken from a tailing dam with high cyanide content (more than 20 years in semi-submerged condition). All isolated fungi belonged to the genus Fusarium. Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. is most effective for biodegradation of cyanide-containing wastewaters (even at low temperatures). The most optimal lignocellulosic composition for production of mycelium-based biomaterial for biodegradation of cyanide wastewater consists of a uniform ratio of Siberian pine sawdust and wheat straw. The high efficiency of mycelium-based materials has been experimentally proven in vitro at 15-25 ° C. New fungal biomaterials are provide decrease in the concentration of cyanide ions to 79% (P <0.001). Large-scale cultivation of fungi biomass was carried out by the periodic liquid-phase cultivation. The submerged biomass from bioreactor was used as an inoculum for the production of mycelium-based materials for bioremediation of cyanide wastewater in situ (gold mine tailing).

A two-stage multi-objective second generation biodiesel supply chain design considering social sustainability: A case study

Undesirable environmental impacts caused by fossil fuel consumption have motivated governments to focus on biofuels production. Therefore, in our paper, we design a multi-objective biodiesel supply chain from Jatropha, which includes biomass cultivation center, pretreatment, and oil extraction center, biorefinery, and demand zone. In our study, a two-stage approach presented, which first specifies candidate locations for biomass cultivation with a common weight data envelopment analysis (CWDEA) method and then strategic and tactical decisions were made by a mathematical model. The presented multi-objective model focuses on cost minimization, besides social benefits and environmental impacts maximization while a life cycle assessment approach is used to model social indicators. The capability of the model is validated by proposing a case study of Iran and the augmented ε-constraint method is employed to reach a trade-off between three pillars of sustainability while managerial insights are provided by employing a Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method for the optimal solution selection. Model's results and sensitivity analysis on key parameters, specify the best locations for Jatropha Curcas L. (JCL) cultivation and facility construction as well as an optimal value of supply chain variables, which finally proves that Iran has a high potential for biodiesel production from JCL that leads improving balanced socio-economic development in this country.

Environmental and Economic Performance of Hybrid Power-to-Liquid and Biomass-to-Liquid Fuel Production in the United States.

Power-to-liquids are a class of liquid drop-in fuels produced from electricity and carbon dioxide as the primary process inputs, which have the potential to reduce transportation's climate impacts. We quantify the economic and life cycle environmental characteristics of four electrofuel technology pathways that rely on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis but produce synthesis gas via different schemes: power-to-liquid (PtL) via electrolysis and a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction; PtL via co-electrolysis; gasification of biomass-to-liquid (BtL); and a hybrid power- and biomass-to-liquid (PBtL) pathway. The results indicate that the hybrid PBtL pathway is the most environmentally and economically promising option for electrofuel production, with results highly dependent on input electricity source characteristics such as cost and emissions. The carbon intensities of electricity generation that must not be exceeded for electrofuels to have lower life cycle emissions than conventional diesel are 222, 116, and 143 gCO2e/kWh for PBtL, PtL electrolysis + RWGS, and PtL co-electrolysis, respectively. We characterize the PBtL pathway in more detail by combining spatially resolved data on biomass cultivation, electricity generation, and cost-optimized hydrogen production from renewable electricity in the United States (US). We find that the private emissions abatement cost for PBtL fuels varies between 740 and 2000 $/tCO2e, depending primarily on the location of fuel production.

Potential CO2 utilisation in Germany: An analysis of theoretical CO2 demand by 2030

This study assesses a theoretical carbon dioxide capture and utilisation (CCU) potential for a broad spectrum of 55 CCU pathways for Germany in 2030, encompassing direct utilisation of CO2 for biomass cultivation or in techno-physical processes and its conversion to energy carriers, chemicals and inorganic carbonates. For each good or production process that could technically substitute fossil carbon sources by renewable ones, Germany-specific production data is collected and combined with its corresponding CO2 conversion factors. By doing so, theoretical potentials for CO2 consumption are determined per pathway, aggregated to a total theoretical CO2 demand, which is then compared to German CO2 emissions, as a proxy for potential CO2 supply. The results show that the theoretical CO2 demand of all considered CCU pathways amounts to about 234–423 Mt CO2 p.a. in 2030 including energy carriers representing the largest share of more than 75 %. This theoretical demand exceeds the potential CO2 provision from possible biogenic and industrial point sources. Considering exclusively CCU pathways, being technologically mature at present state, only 9–13 Mt CO2 p.a. could be consumed in 2030, but a large variety of CCU pathways showing high consumption potentials are close to market maturity.

Year-Round Cultivation of Tetraselmis sp. for Essential Lipid Production in a Semi-Open Raceway System

There is increasing demand for essential fatty acids (EFAs) from non-fish sources such as microalgae, which are considered a renewable and sustainable biomass. The open raceway system (ORS) is an affordable system for microalgae biomass cultivation for industrial applications. However, seasonal variations in weather can affect biomass productivity and the quality of microalgal biomass. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of year-round Tetraselmis sp. cultivation in a semi-ORS in Korea for biomass and bioactive lipid production. To maximize biomass productivity of Tetraselmis sp., f medium was selected because it resulted in a significantly higher biomass productivity (1.64 ± 0.03 g/L) and lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio (0.52/1) under laboratory conditions than f/2 medium (0.70/1). Then, we used climatic data-based building information modeling technology to construct a pilot plant of six semi-ORSs for controlling culture conditions, each with a culture volume of 40,000 L. Over 1 year, there were no significant variations in monthly biomass productivity, fatty acid composition, or the omega-6/omega-3 ratio; however, the lipid content correlated significantly with photosynthetic photon flux density. During year-round cultivation from November 2014 to October 2017, areal productivity was gradually increased by increasing medium salinity and injecting CO2 gas into the culture medium. Productivity peaked at 44.01 g/m2/d in October 2017. Throughout the trials, there were no significant differences in average lipid content, which was 14.88 ± 1.26%, 14.73 ± 2.44%, 12.81 ± 2.82%, and 13.63 ± 3.42% in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. Our results demonstrated that high biomass productivity and constant lipid content can be sustainably maintained under Korean climate conditions.

Short-Rotation Coppice Managed According to Ecological Guidelines—What Are the Benefits for Phytodiversity?

In recent years, the impact of short-rotation coppice (SRC) on biodiversity has been a regular subject of research and ecological guidelines have been developed to make biomass cultivation on SRC more compatible with biodiversity concerns. However, since these guidelines are only implemented voluntarily by farmers, there are barely any SRC that are managed according to ecological guidelines. Consequently, knowledge about their importance for farmland biodiversity and about the impact of different measures for increasing biodiversity remains scarce. Therefore, three experimental SRC, which are managed according to ecological guidelines and thus include stands of different tree species (varieties of poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), silver birch (Betula pendula)) and different growth-stages within the same site, were investigated with regard to their importance as habitat for vascular plants. Species numbers and species composition were compared with the following habitat types: afforestations (AFO), young (HE-Y) and old hedges (HE-O), field margins (FM) and arable land (AL). Furthermore, different stand types (i.e., stands with different tree species and growth-stages, headlands, clearings) within these SRC were surveyed and compared. Species numbers of SRC were similar to HE-Y, AFO and FM and significantly higher than in AL and HE-O. The composition of plant communities in SRC differed considerably from the other farmland habitats, especially from AL, HE-O and FM. Within the SRC, most stand types had similar species numbers. Only the non-harvested poplar stands were particularly species-poor. Harvesting led to increased species numbers. This increase was significant for the poplar stands but only moderate for the willow stands. With regard to their species composition, the different stand types differed considerably in many cases. We conclude that SRC, which are managed according to ecological guidelines, can be an additional measure to promote phytodiversity in agricultural landscapes as they contain relatively high species numbers (of mainly common and adaptable species) and support distinct plant communities that differ from other farmland habitats. Therefore, measures such as the cultivation of different tree species or sectional harvesting could be offered as agri-environmental schemes to further increase the ecological sustainability of biomass production on SRC.