Revealing Bioenergy Potentials: Mapping Marginal Lands in Europe - The Seemla Approach

Abstract

Marginal land use for biomass production has received a lot of attention in the past decades. This alternative land use is free from conflicts with food and feed crops, however it presents multiple challenges starting from its definition, which varies between disciplines and is often determined based on management goals. Moreover, concerns over the impacts of marginal land use on environment, ecosystem services and sustainability are frequently raised. In response to these issues, the SEEMLA (1) project proposes an algorithm and tools to support the identification and mapping of marginal lands, as well as the assessment of their potential for biomass production. Approximately 64 Mio ha of land in Europe (2) is marginal based on the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating [1]. However, 53.7 Mio ha are considered suitable for biomass production due to ecological/ environmental issues or regulatory/ legal restrictions and constraints posed by national or EU policies. Alternative exploitation scenarios are developed for each class of marginal land, based on climatic zone and crop suitability. The sustainability of each scenario will be evaluated through Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Environmental Impact Assessment, considering also the results of the pilot sites established in Germany, Greece and Ukraine.