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Bioenergy

Biofuel production on the margins

Nature volume 493, pages 483–484 (2013)Cite this article

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An analysis shows that fuel made from wild, herbaceous vegetation grown on land currently unsuitable for cultivating field crops could contribute substantially to the United States' targets for biofuel production. See Letter p.514

When assessing the potential climate benefits of biofuels, it is essential to consider the consequences of land-use change and of fertilization associated with growing biofuel crops3,4 — particularly any changes in the carbon stocks of affected ecosystems, and in the emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas produced by soil bacteria. It is also crucial to determine whether the growing of biofuel crops poses local threats to biodiversity, or to water and nutrient cycling5.

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Figure 1: Wild biofuel crops.

G. W P. ROBERTSON, MICHIGAN STATE UNIV. W. K. KELLOGG BIOLOGICAL STATION

Notes

  1. *This article and the paper under discussion2 were published online on 16 January 2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl and Ralf Kiese are at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 82467, Germany.,

    Klaus Butterbach-Bahl & Ralf Kiese

  2. K.B.-B. is also at the International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.,

    Klaus Butterbach-Bahl

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  1. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
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  2. Ralf Kiese
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Correspondence to Klaus Butterbach-Bahl or Ralf Kiese.

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Butterbach-Bahl, K., Kiese, R. Biofuel production on the margins. Nature 493, 483–484 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11853

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