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The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of two types of treated sewage sludge as soil amendment, composted with pruning wastes (CP) and thermally dried (ST) on the production of ten woody perennials species for energy purposes. The species used were: Paulownia tomentosa (princess tree), Populus x euramericana (Canadian poplar), Ulmus minor (field elm, tree clones), Ulmus laevis (European white elm), Prunus x amygdalo-persica (adafuel), Tamarix gallica (tamarisk), Salix alba (white willow) and Platanus x hispanica (plane tree). The increase in plant growth three years after amendment application is evaluated with the aim to analyze the long term effect of the treated sewage sludges application on plant production. In general, the plants developed in the soils treated with ST sludge present the highest values of growth (diameter, height and width), which can be due to the faster supply of nitrogen from this material. However, the growth rate was higher in the CP treatment for the most of the species due to a continuous release of nutrients from the CP degradation. In this sense, the effect of CP treatment on plant production would be observed at the longer time than the ST one. Proceedings of the 26th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 14-17 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 369-373

Исследование ландшафтов всегда было традиционным научным направлением географии. В России подобная направленность исследований остаётся актуальной, несмотря на то, что термины «геоэкология» и «ландшафтная экология» сегодня более распространены в англоязычном научном сообществе. Наш краткий обзор показывает значительное ускорение антропогенных ландшафтных изменений в Европе, Центральной Азии и азиатской части России за последние пять десятилетий. Ландшафтные исследования в антропоцене должны быть направлены на достижение и сохранение устойчивости ландшафта при его высокой производительности, что включает в себя прекращение деградации ландшафтов, развитие культурных и сохранение природных ландшафтов. Чистая вода и чистый воздух, плодородные и здоровые почвы для производства продуктов питания и других экосистемных услуг, а также биологически разнообразная зеленая среда являются атрибутами ландшафтов, обеспечивающих выживание и благополучие населения. Дисциплинарные и междисциплинарные исследования должны генерировать знания, инновации и правила принятия действенных решений. Генерация знаний в глобализованном мире основана на сборе больших массивов данных и моделировании сценариев. Международные длительные полевые опыты и системы агроэкологического мониторинга будут предоставлять данные для экосистемных моделей и систем поддержки принимаемых решений. Landscape research has been a traditional scientific discipline of geography. This is still the case in Russia, whilst the terms geo-ecology and landscape ecology have become established in the English speaking scientific community. Our short review reveals huge and accelerating anthropogenic landscape transformations in Europe, Central Asia and Asian Russia since the end the 1960s. Landscape research in the Anthropocene has to focus on achieving landscape sustainability at high productivity. This includes halting landscape degradation, developing cultural landscapes, and maintaining semi-natural landscapes. Clean water and air, fertile and healthy soils for food and other ecosystem services and a green and bio-diverse environment are attributes of landscapes for the survival and well-being of humans. Research has to generate knowledge, innovations and decision rules by disciplinary, interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary work. Knowledge generation in a globalized world is based on big data gathering and scenario modelling. International long-term experiments and agri-environmental monitoring systems will deliver data for ecosystem models and decision support systems.

The climatic, energetic and political context promotes the development of bioenergies. However we have a lack of knowledge to find out the best energy crops, depending on the soil, the climate and the end­use. This work aimed at studying the adaptation and the biomass and biofuel yield, of several energy crops grown in France in different soil and climate conditions. The biomass yields were very variable between the different experimental sites and no differences were observed on the median biomass yield between crops. Moreover, there was no evidence of a highly productive crop in all the conditions of soil and climate. Because of little differences of the lower heating value between crops, no differences were observed on the primary energy yield. The ethanol yield per hectare was higher for miscanthus, switchgrass and fiber sorghum because of higher cellulose content in these crops. The nitrogen removed at harvest by miscanthus and switchgrass were significantly lower than the other crops witch could lead to reduced fertilizer­N requirements. Further research are needed to clarify the effect of limiting factors on the biomass yield of the different energy crops and to consider other parameters such as the environmental impacts to give rules to choose the most suitable crop in a given region. Proceedings of the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 3-7 May 2010, Lyon, France, pp. 269-272

Renewable energy (mainly hydroelectric power plants) has a significant share in energy generation sector in Brazil. Recent climate changes, however, resulted in lower rainfall indexes and acted as a driving factor for the increasing interest in biomass applications. Therefore, having the land available for forest planting and a critical need for a new source of renewable energy, Brazil has the potential to further increase the energy generation from biomass. Due to the diverse nature of biomass materials, their properties range widely and exhibit different behaviors in thermal processes. To choose the most efficient way for production of energy, it is required to know the energy potential of the biomass samples. This study focuses on the physical-chemical characterization of nine lignocellulosic biomasses widely available in Brazil: five types of eucalyptus wood chips, sugarcane bagasse, elephant grass, bamboo, and coconut husk. Some characteristics regarded as important to thermochemical conversion are evaluated, such as: biomass chemical composition - polisacharides (glucans, xylans, galactans, mannans, arabinans), total uronic acids, acetyl groups, lignin, chloride, elementary analysis of the ash (Cu, Fe, Ca, Mn, Mg and K), silica and extractives, heating value, ultimate and proximate analyses. Moreover, the studied samples were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG and DTG). The evaluation of these characteristics is important for understanding the processes of the thermochemical conversion of biomasses. Proceedings of the 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 1-4 June 2015, Vienna, Austria, pp. 294-298

How will carbon source-sink relations of 35-yr-old larch trees (Larix decidua) at the alpine treeline respond to changes in atmospheric CO(2) and climate? We evaluated the effects of previously elevated CO(2) concentrations (9 yr, 580 ppm, ended the previous season) and ongoing soil warming (4 yr, + 4°C). Larch branches were pulse labeled (50 at% (13)CO(2)) in July 2010 to trace fresh assimilates through tissues (buds, needles, bark and wood) and non-structural carbon compounds (NCC; starch, lipids, individual sugars) using compound-specific isotope analysis. Nine years of elevated CO(2) did not lead to increased NCC concentrations, nor did soil warming increase NCC transfer velocities. By contrast, we found slower transfer velocities and higher NCC concentrations than reported in the literature for lowland larch. As a result of low dilution with older carbon, sucrose and glucose showed the highest maximum (13)C labels, whereas labels were lower for starch, lipids and pinitol. Label residence times in needles were shorter for sucrose and starch (c. 2 d) than for glucose (c. 6 d). Although our treatments showed no persistent effect on larch carbon relations, low temperature at high altitudes clearly induced a limitation of sink activities (growth, respiration, root exudation), expressed in slower carbon transfer and higher NCC concentrations.

Poplar is largely utilized in Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) plantations for energy purposes. Its cultivation can produce environmental benefits but requires the availability of water and nutrients. Because of environmental and energetic implications of production and use of water and fertilizers, it’s important to test the efficiency of yield also without these costly cultivation practices. Within SUSCACE Project (funded by MiPAAF) in 2009 a trial was established near Casale Monferrato, Italy, with Populus ×canadensis ‘Imola’, to compare SRC models and treatments: 2-year rotation, very high density (8333 trees·ha-1) - vSRC, and 5-year rotation, high density (1111 trees·ha-1) - SRC. Fertilization(F) and irrigation(I) effects were applied with two levels, fertilized – not fertilized, irrigated-not irrigated. Data of five years of growth are available. SRC is the model most productive during this period. Within treatments the difference in yield is due to irrigation, that increases the productions about of 120%; fertilization had no effect. The water availability remains the key factor for a good production. However, to reduce the costs of cultivation ensuring the availability of water, other studies are ongoing to improve the application of wastewater that combines the purification of water and the production of biomass. Proceedings of the 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 1-4 June 2015, Vienna, Austria, pp. 214-218

In face of increased efforts to mitigate climate change, biofuels may be included in reduction plans forgreenhouse gas emissions. Feedstock for first generation biofuels and food crops both use arable land andmay compete for it. Also, fuel is an input for the production and transport of food. The purpose of thispaper is to quantify with empirical data how these two aspects affect market outcomes and to introduce acounterfactual setting where the latter aspect dominates the former. The setting allows an expansion ofbiofuel production to increase food production by lowering costs of production and transport. Namely,lower costs increase market access, allowing a higher utilization of idle production capacities for foodcrops. For this quantification, I develop an open market, welfare maximizing, partial equilibrium modelfor three interdependent goods fuel, fuel feedstock, and food (these goods are represented by diesel/biodiesel,palm oil, and cassava/maize respectively). The model is calibrated to Zambia, which exhibits the necessaryunderlying conditions of underutilized agricultural capacity, high transport costs, and low exports offood. Compared to a baseline, model results show the counterfactual switch from fossil diesel to biodieselto reduce the diesel price by51%. This increases food supply (cassava and maize combined) by0.4%and decreases related prices by3%. Overall welfare increases by9.9%. If additionally, a higher worldmarket price of maize renders exports just profitable, overall welfare continues to gain9.9%, domesticfood supply rises by0.3%, and related prices drop by2%, but food supply including exports grows by32%. Furthermore, the introduction of a palm oil based biodiesel sector eliminates import dependency onfossil diesel and palm oil.

In July 2009, 238 ha were rented and planted with Paulownia in Villamartín, Cadiz, Spain by RWE. In the context of guaranteeing the supply of Lebrija Biomass Power Plant (to be built in Lebrija, Sevilla). The strategic approach of planting before the construction of the biomass power plant is starting to produce relevant results after two years of plantation. The size of this plantation makes it one of the most relevant plantations of Short Rotation Coppices (SRC) for biomass world wide and it is an important milestone in Spanish energy crops development. Proceedings of the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-10 June 2011, Berlin, Germany, pp. 49-51

Within the scope of sustainable development goals and climate change mitigation, this study focuses on investigating the effects of energy consumption, agriculture, and economic growth on CO 2 emissions in the top ten agricultural countries for the period 1997-2016. By investigating the validity of the agricultural induced environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), the study mainly aims to explore how agricultural activities affect environmental quality. In doing so, this study utilizes the augmented mean group (AMG) estimator that allows for heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. The results of the AMG estimator suggest that the agricultural induced EKC hypothesis is valid for six out of the ten countries. The empirical results also indicate that agriculture reduces CO2 emissions, while energy consumption accelerates environmental degradation. All these results suggest that agricultural production and economic development can play an essential role in reducing environmental pollution.

The most significant thermal water resource in the Carpathian Basin can be found under the territory of the Hungarian-Serbian border, in the Szeged-Morahalom-Subotica triangle. The abstraction for extensive and complex utilization is currently being started on both sides of the border. For the safe and sustainable abstraction, and its international monitoring, it is necessary to determine the hydrogeological-hydrodynamic features of the common thermal water base, and to elaborate a two-phase 4D model of the water base for the mapping of the water resource and its gas content. FP7