The DOI matches its Crossref record; 27 of the 27 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Novel Framework to Classify Marginal Land for Sustainable Biomass Feedstock Production
Abstract
To achieve food and energy security, sustainable bioenergy has become an important goal for many countries. The use of marginal lands to produce energy crops is one strategy for achieving this goal, but what is marginal land? Current definitions generally focus on a single criterion, primarily agroeconomic profitability. Herein, we present a framework that incorporates multiple criteria including profitability of current land use, soil health indicators (erosion, flooding, drainage, or high slopes), and environmental degradation resulting from contamination of surface water or groundwater resources. We tested this framework for classifying marginal land in the state of Nebraska and estimated the potential for using marginal land to produce biofuel crops. Our results indicate that approximately 1.6 million ha, or 4 million acres, of land (approximately 8% of total land area) could be classified as marginal on the basis of at least two criteria. Second-generation lignocellulosic bioenergy crops such as switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus), native prairie grasses, and short-rotation woody crops could be grown on this land in redesigned landscapes that meet energy and environmental needs, without significant impacts on food or feed production. Calculating tradeoffs between the economics of redesigned landscapes and current practices at the field scale is the next step for determining functional designs for integrating biofuel feedstock production into current land management practices.
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“Gopalakrishnan et al. (2011) identified marginal land resources based on soil health, land use and environmental degradation in Nebraska (USA).”
From Concepts of agricultural marginal lands and their utilisation: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Gopalakrishnan et al. (2011)
In the citing paper
“Land can be marginal if land use includes idle and fallow cropland or conservation reserve program land.”
From Concepts of agricultural marginal lands and their utilisation: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Gopalakrishnan et al. (2011)
In the citing paper
“Land is also marginal when the nitrate level of groundwater exceeds 10 mg/L.”
From Concepts of agricultural marginal lands and their utilisation: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Gopalakrishnan et al. (2011)
In the citing paper
“Based on the biophysical attributes of the land the marginal land is eroded, frequently flooded (> 50%), poorly drained (classes 6 and 7), highly sloped (> 15 • ) and low productivity for the main grain crop (nonirrigated yields of corn <9 tones/ha).”
From Concepts of agricultural marginal lands and their utilisation: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Gopalakrishnan et al. (2011)
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gopalakrishnan, G., Cristina Negri, M., & Snyder, S. W.
- Affiliations
- Argonne National Laboratory (US)
- Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Lab. 9700 S. Cass Ave. Argonne IL 60439
- Corresponding author
- Gopalakrishnan, Gayathri
- ORCID
- Snyder, Seth W.
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Quality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1593-1600
- ISSN
- 0047-2425 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-2537
- OpenAlex
- W2132224397
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 16.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Quality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development
- Keywords
- energy crops, soil quality indicators, soil erosion, surface water contamination, groundwater contamination, second-generation biofuels, switchgrass, Miscanthus, short rotation woody crops, landscape redesign, Nebraska
- MeSH terms
- Biodegradation, Environmental, Soil, Biomass, Biofuels
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