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WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Prof. Mark Emmerson
The effects of environmental context on biodiversity in agro-ecosystems: managing for biodiversity and
ecosystem services.
Mark EmmersonBiocontrolQUB
Jane StoutPollinationTCD
Padraig WhelanInvasionsUCC
Jens DauberProject Manager
David BourkeProject Manager
Lisa Dolan WP1 & 2Research Assistant
Florence Hecq WP1Research Assistant
Dara StanleyPollinators
Jesko ZimmermanCarbon sequestration
Erin O’RourkeBiocontrol
Rosalyn ThompsonInvasion resistance
Mike JonesCarbon sequestrationTCD
Sectoral Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
WP1 Project Team
~20 Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants
WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Food?
WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Fuel?
WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Conventional crops Novel Bioenergy Crop
WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
Novel Bioenergy Crop
Novel Bioenergy Crop
Miscanthus x giganteus
•High dry weight annual yield (25t/h).
•Rhizomatous perennial grass with a C4 photosynthesis pathway.
•Originates in Asia.
•Adapted to temperate climates.
•Introduction subsidised in Ireland.
The role of Energy Crops in landscapes.The role of Energy Crops in landscapes.
Source or refuge for Biodiversity Sink for Biodiversity
The experimental design and sampling effort for studying the natural enemy biodiversity of bioenergy crops.
Pol
linat
ors
Nat
ural
Ene
mie
sA
rabl
eP
lant
sValuation of Ecosystem Services
€535 Million UK Economy
€3.6 Billion US Economy
Car
bon
Seq
.
€847 Million UK Economy
NEA (2011), Power (2010)
?Unknown?
1. Quantify the effects of novel energy crops on the biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems (O’Rourke et al., Stanley et al., Emmerson et al.)
2. Define the relationship between biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in agricultural systems (Emmerson et al.)
3. Assess impacts of high and low intensity energy crop farming on diversity. (O’Rourke et al.)
4. Document landscape scale effects of intensification on biodiversity in energy crops. (Bourke et al.)
WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
The experimental design and sampling effort for studying the natural enemy biodiversity of bioenergy crops.
CROP TYPE
MT MG OSR CT CG
EDGE CENTREMARGIN
pollinators Natural EnemiesArable Plants
Experimental Design
Carbon Sequestration
Study Area
Counties:WexfordKilkennyCarlow
WaterfordTipperary
CorkConventional Tillage
Winter Oilseed Rape
Miscanthus on Grass
Miscanthus on Tillage
Conventional Grass
Pollination services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of pollinators?
Dara StanleyTCD
1 2 3 4 5
05
10
15
20
Spe
cies
Ric
hnes
s
Crop Type
MG CG MT CT OSR
b
a,b
b
b,c
c
Pollination services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of pollinators?
Dara StanleyTCD
0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
4.6
4.8
5.0
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6.0
log10(Species Richness)
Po
llin
atio
n P
ote
ntia
l
MTMGOSRCTCG
Biocontrol services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of natural enemies?
Erin O’RourkeUCC
1 2 3 4 5
05
10
15
20
Spe
cies
Ric
hnes
s
Crop Type
MG CG MT CT OSR
a a a
a,b
b
Biocontrol services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of natural enemies?
Erin O’RourkeUCC
0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
log10(Species Richness)
Co
nsu
mp
tion
M0.
75
MTMGOSRCTCG
Production services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of arable plants?
Rosalyn ThompsonUCC
1 2 3 4 5
05
10
15
20
25
30
Spe
cies
Ric
hnes
s
MG CG MT CT OSR
Crop Type
b b b
a
b
Production services
• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of arable plants?
Rosalyn ThompsonUCC
0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6
2.4
2.6
2.8
3.0
3.2
log10(Species Richness)
log
10(P
erce
nt C
over
)
MTMGOSCTCG
Log10(Species Richness)
Information to inform policy Information to inform policy
1. Different energy crops affect components of biodiversity differently.
2. We can account for these context dependencies.
3. Manage for directly for biodiversity and you manage for the delivery of associated ecosystem services indirectly.
4. Information to inform composition of bioenergy crops that maximise biodiversity.
5. Diversity of crop types at the landscape scale has positive effects on landscape diversity.
Acknowledgements Acknowledgements
All PhD students and Post Doctoral Researchers working on SIMBIOSYS.
Many Farmers that enabled the work.
Funders: EPA
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