Linking biomass production in short rotation coppice with soil protection and nature conservation

Biomass from short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations has attracted widespread attention as a component of new sustainable energy concepts. Nevertheless, as yet the surface area of SRC plantations in Europe is relatively low compared to other biomass producing land-use systems. This is somewhat incomprehensible because it has been shown that SRC systems also offer distinct ecological benefits. Therefore, greater consideration of the related ecosystem services should be incorporated into land-use planning processes. Presented in this study is a conceptual framework for the integration of soil protection and nature conservation into the spatial prioritization of areas suitable for SRC. This approach includes the development of a site-specific yield model and the identification and classification of criteria and indicators for both soil protection and nature conservation. The basic concept for planning procedures was established and tested for the State of Saxony (Germany). Existing constraints were identified, and could be attributed mainly to the availability of adequate information at different spatial scales. The regional-scale study emphasized the considerable biomass potential of SRC and the related synergy effects for soil protection and nature conservation. Future work should focus on the local (district, farm) and catchment scale and attempt to integrate additional aspects such as hydrological ecosystem services and carbon sequestration.