Bridging biofuel sustainability indicators and ecosystem services through stakeholder engagement

Authors: DALE, VIRGINIA - Oak Ridge National Laboratory; KLINE, KEITH - Oak Ridge National Laboratory; RICHARD, TOM - Pennsylvania State University; Karlen, Douglas; BELDEN, WILLIAM - Antares Group Incorporated

Submitted to: Biomass and Bioenergy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/23/2017
Publication Date: 8/1/2018
Citation: Dale, V.H., Kline, K.L., Richard, T.L., Karlen, D.L., Belden, W.W. 2018. Bridging biofuel sustainability indicators and ecosystem services through stakeholder engagement. Biomass and Bioenergy. 114:143-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.09.016.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.09.016

Interpretive Summary: Development of economically viable, environmentally benign, and socially acceptable biofuel industries based on cellulosic feedstock can have multiple benefits throughout the Midwestern U.S. and many other regions. A critical first step toward sustainable development of these industries is the selection of indicators to monitor their effects on ecosystem and social services. Eleven categories of indicators were identified using scientific literature, landscape research design and stakeholder meetings, as well as directed surveys. Five environmental categories focused on soil quality, water quantity and quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and productivity and six socioeconomic categories focused on social well-being, energy security, external trade, profitability, resource conservation, and social acceptability will be tested as part of a multi-agency and private sector landscape design research project entitled “Enabling Sustainable Landscape Design for Continual Improvement of Operating Bioenergy Supply Systems.” This information will be useful for conservationists, scientists, environmentalists, and persons striving to develop viable cellulosic-based biofuel industries around the world.

Technical Abstract: Cellulosic-based biofuels are needed to help meet energy needs and to strengthen rural investment and development in the midwestern United States (US). This analysis identifies 11 categories of indicators to measure progress toward sustainability that should be monitored to determine if ecosystem and social services are being maintained, enhanced, or disrupted by production, harvest, storage, and transport of cellulosic feedstock. The indicator categories are identified using scientific literature, input from two stakeholder meetings, and response information from targeted surveys. Five of the categories focus on environmental concerns (soil quality, water quality and quantity, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and productivity), and six focus on socioeconomic categories (social well-being, energy security, external trade, profitability, resource conservation, and social acceptability). We hypothesize that by measuring these indicators, it will be feasible to quantify changes in ecosystem and social services related to provisioning (e.g., energy, nutrition and materials), cultural, regulating, and supporting services such as optimum soil water and nutrient balances, remediation of wastes, toxins, or other nuisance compounds, and continuation of physical, biological and chemical conditions. To advance our hypothesis from conceptual to real-world sustainability assessments, the next step will be to work with a team of stakeholders and researchers to implement a Landscape Design Project entitled “Enabling Sustainable Landscape Design for Continual Improvement of Operating Bioenergy Supply Systems.” The desired outcome is to identify a science-based approach so that progress toward sustainability can be assessed and useful management practices can be identified.