Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest fuel production and harvesting: A review of current standards for sustainable forest management

Stupak, Inge; Lattimore, Brenna; Titus, Brian; Smith, C. T.

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.11.032

Cited by 108 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…As such, the impact of crop agriculture, forest biomass, energy crops, such as switchgrass, on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil, hydrology and water quality, site productivity and regenerative capacity, landscape, ecosystem, species, genetic biodiversity, net carbon sequestration and noncarbon greenhouse gases release, and socioeconomic performance cannot be assumed to be the same. Each factor may require different mitigation approaches and corresponding specialized criteria and indicators certifying the sustainable production of that feedstock (Stupak et al 2011). The currently available biomass certification programs do not specifically address switchgrass-based bioenergy as a product; the agronomic recommendations do not specifically address switchgrass as a bioenergy feedstock separate from other types of biomass, or even the hay and forage end use of switchgrass production .…”

Section: Need For a Specialized Certification Program For Switchgrassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Protocols and Certification Criteria for Switchgrass-Based Bioenergy

et al. 2016

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Production of bioenergy from cellulosic sources is likely to increase due to mandates, tax incentives, and subsidies. However, unchecked growth in the bioenergy industry has the potential to adversely influence land use, biodiversity, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and water resources. It may have unintended environmental and socioeconomic consequences. Against this backdrop, it is important to develop standards and protocols that ensure sustainable bioenergy production, promote the benefits of biofuels, and avoid or minimize potential adverse outcomes. This paper highlights agronomic information on switchgrass, a high-potential bioenergy feedstock, and the role of specialized certification programs. The existing sustainability standards and protocols were reviewed in order to identify key gaps that justify a certification program specifically for switchgrass-based bioenergy. The criteria and indicators that should be considered for such a certification program are outlined.

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Section: Need For a Specialized Certification Program For Switchgrassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Protocols and Certification Criteria for Switchgrass-Based Bioenergy

et al. 2016

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“…According to forest typology, vegetation condition and climatic parameters, wood residues can represent a factor of risk for forest fires (Stupak et al 2010). The removal of woody debris and thinning material is, thus, a potential method of fire prevention (Soliño et al 2010 No biomass removal limits were set for CO2 emissions reduction…”

Section: Sustainable Bioenergy Quantificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Berg et al (2012) developed a tool for sustainability impact assessment (ToSIA) of the whole forest wood chain, including economic, social and environmental indicators. Among the variety of possible influences resulting from such biomass extraction, the possible positive impacts include fire prevention, risk management and forest health (Raison 2002, Soliño et al 2010), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction (Wang et al 2010, Valente et al 2011) and the addition of touristic-recreational value (Ribe 1989, Stupak et al 2010. In contrast, an analysis of the literature stresses that negative impacts can potentially arise in the areas of soil fertility reduction (Eisenbies et al 2009, Wall & Hytönen 2011, Aherne et al 2012, decreased soil and water protection (Abbas et al 2011, Aherne et al 2012 and biodiversity losses (Riffell et al 2011, Sullivan et al 2011.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomasfor: an open-source holistic model for the assessment of sustainable forest bioenergy

Sacchelli¹,

Zambelli²,

Zatelli³

et al. 2013

iForest

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© iForest -Biogeosciences and Forestry IntroductionThe assessment of the agroenergy chain is a fundamental issue in the field of renewable energies, in particular for the substitution of alternative energy sources for fossil fuels in rural areas (Fiorese & Guariso 2010). In this framework, the relevant topics are the evaluation of the bioenergy demand/supply ratio and the quantification of the impact of biomass on ecological and socio-economic parameters (Steubing et al. 2010). Furthermore, the evaluation of the agroenergy chain must consider policy directives and the presence of fundings and regulation that can cause market distortion (Sonneborn 2004).The analysis of the biomass sector in holistic terms is quite complex given the proposed objectives and scale of results (Cornelissen et al. 2012). Territorial and technological characteristics can be highly differentiated among study areas and could introduce variation into assessments of agroenergy (Freppaz et al. 2004, Vettorato et al. 2011. The characteristics of the European region, particularly those of the Italian territorial area, coupled with the present forest landscape dynamics (Tattoni et al. , 2011 have suggested how the exploitation of wood-energy sources can achieve a high level of importance for bioenergy production in these areas (e.g., for a widespread relationship linking the agroforestry environment with the local population -Ramachandra 2009, Notaro & Paletto 2011). The variability of national forest areas in terms of geomorphology, species composition, facilities and socio-economic issues requires the use of flexible tools and Decision Support Systems (DSSs) to quantify the resources and to facilitate the communication between researchers, local stakeholders and policy makers in woodenergy planning activities as applied to the forest sector. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach appears to represent an appropriate tool for attaining this goal.Several studies have analysed GIS and spatial analysis instruments as tools for biomass chain evaluation at the European, national and local levels. Angelis-Dimakis et al. (2011) classify energy availability in terms of potential availability (according to the gross energy of the source), theoretical availability (the harvestable fraction) and exploitable availability (based on ecological and economic sustainability criteria). A state-of-the-art treatment of the topic of forest biomass availability at the European level was developed by Rettenmaier et al. (2008) who analysed the methodological approaches and input datasets used for bioenergy estimation. These authors classified the analytic process according to biomass typology (ecological, technical, economical, sustainable), biomass sources (e.g., residues, stem, stumps) and spatial-temporal variables (e.g., scale of analysis, time frame). Geomatic applications for biomass resource evaluation have been implemented by different authors (Chirici et al. 2007, Lasserre et al. 2011, Kotamaa et al. 2010). For example, Gallaun et al. (2010) have com...

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“…While there is continuing discussion over the efficacy of certification per se (FSC-watch (2012)), the bigger issue is that only a small proportion of the world's forests are certified, and that most of the certified forests are in countries where there are already regulatory and other mechanisms to promote sustainable forest management (Stupak et al, 2011). In 2007, certified forests covered 306.3 million ha, constituting about 7.9% of the 3.9 billion ha of global forests (Purbawiyatna & Simula, 2008).…”

Section: Sustainability Certification Experiences In the Forestry Indmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is sustainability certification for biochar the answer to environmental risks?

Cowie

Downie²,

George³

et al. 2012

Pesq. agropec. bras.

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-Biochar has the potential to make a major contribution to the mitigation of climate change, and enhancement of plant production. However, in order for biochar to fulfill this promise, the industry and regulating bodies must take steps to manage potential environmental threats and address negative perceptions. The potential threats to the sustainability of biochar systems, at each stage of the biochar life cycle, were reviewed. We propose that a sustainability framework for biochar could be adapted from existing frameworks developed for bioenergy. Sustainable land use policies, combined with effective regulation of biochar production facilities and incentives for efficient utilization of energy, and improved knowledge of biochar impacts on ecosystem health and productivity could provide a strong framework for the development of a robust sustainable biochar industry. Sustainability certification could be introduced to provide confidence to consumers that sustainable practices have been employed along the production chain, particularly where biochar is traded internationally.Index terms: climate change, life cycle assessment, risk management, sustainable land management.A certificação de sustentabilidade do "biochar" é a resposta para os riscos ambientais?Resumo -O "biochar" tem potencial para dar uma importante contribuição para a mitigação das mudanças climáticas e para o aumento da produção vegetal. No entanto, para que o "biochar" possa atender a esta expectativa, a indústria e os organismos reguladores devem seguir alguns passos para gerenciar as potenciais ameaças ambientais e abordar as percepções negativas. As ameaças potenciais à sustentabilidade dos sistemas de "biochar", para cada estágio de seu ciclo de vida foram revisadas. Nós propomos que a estrutura da sustentabilidade para o "biochar" poderia ser adaptada de estruturas já existentes, desenvolvidas para a bioenergia. Políticas de uso sustentável da terra, combinadas com a regulação efetiva das instalações de produção do "biochar" e incentivos para a utilização eficiente de energia, além do conhecimento aperfeiçoado dos impactos do "biochar" na saúde e na produtividade do ecossistema, poderiam fornecer uma estrutura robusta para o desenvolvimento de uma indústria sustentável de "biochar". A certificação de sustentabilidade poderia ser introduzida, para proporcionar confiança aos consumidores de que práticas sustentáveis foram empregadas ao longo da cadeia de produção, particularmente onde o "biochar" é comercializado internacionalmente.Termos para indexação: mudanças climáticas, avaliação do ciclo de vida, gerenciamento de risco, gerenciamento sustentável da terra.

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Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest fuel production and harvesting: A review of current standards for sustainable forest management

Cited by 108 publications

References 10 publications

Sustainability Protocols and Certification Criteria for Switchgrass-Based Bioenergy

Sustainability Protocols and Certification Criteria for Switchgrass-Based Bioenergy

Biomasfor: an open-source holistic model for the assessment of sustainable forest bioenergy

Is sustainability certification for biochar the answer to environmental risks?

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