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Expanding the US Cornbelt Biomass Portfolio: Forester Perceptions of the Potential for Woody Biomass

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Abstract

With the strong emergence of the bioeconomy in the US, there is growing interest in the ability of biomass production systems to meet the legislated demand for cellulosic biofuels. While corn grain will continue to comprise the primary feedstock for biofuel in the Cornbelt, it is unlikely that a single biomass feedstock will suit all the needs of an evolving bioenergy market; thus, the potential contribution of woody biomass should be considered. To meet informational needs, we conducted structured interviews with state-employed professional foresters along the Mississippi River corridor in five Corn Belt states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin). Foresters were queried regarding the types of woody materials available, ecological considerations, the likely silvicultural systems that might support a biomass market, and their experiences with landowner management decisions as related to removing currently low-value material. Results suggest noteworthy interest in expanded woody biomass market systems within our study area. Furthermore, substantial opportunities exist to capture trimmings, small-diameter, and low-quality material in conjunction with on-going intermediate stand treatments or sawtimber harvests that are common in the region; capturing social and economic value while potentially contributing to long-term forest health. Costs for removing this material are estimated to range between $185–494/ha ($75–200/ac) depending on site conditions and accessibility. Such a wide range in costs (and therefore break-even biomass prices) suggests that some properties throughout the study region may be priced out of the market, at least in the initial stages of market development. Markets are distinctly lacking at present, however, and our interviewees suggested that market-pull will be required to organize a well-rounded infrastructure to harvest, process, store, and transport woody materials. This and future studies will be significant because they inform the enhancement of agricultural prosperity on small-to-medium farms and contribute to regional and national energy goals in ways that ideally improve, rather than diminish, the ecosystem services provided by woodlands in rowcrop-dominated landscapes.

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Notes

  1. Energy return on investment (EROI) is the ratio of the amount of usable energy acquired from a feedstock source to the amount of energy expended to obtain that energy resource. Comparative studies have shown that woody materials yield a more favorable EROI than grain—e.g., Hammerschlag (2006) reports on poplar feedstock returning an EROI of 4.55 (unitless) compared to a high of 1.65 for corn.

  2. The disparity in the number of foresters interviewed per state is a function of how the individual states assign jurisdiction to their foresters within our study region. For example we interviewed individual foresters in all 24 study region counties in Wisconsin, all 9 district foresters responsible for the 42 study counties in IA, 6 of 9 district foresters responsible for the 36 counties in Illinois, all 3 foresters responsible for the 11 counties in MN, and all 7 foresters responsible for the 26 counties in Missouri.

  3. Short rotation woody crops (SRWC) plantations utilize fast growing trees such as hybrid poplars, willows, and other species, specifically grown to be an energy feedstock (or pulp). Tree species are often chosen because of their ability to coppice. Depending on region and management, SRWCs can grow rapidly with rotations that range from 3 to 12 years (Kuhn et al. 1998).

  4. For reference, ≈98,000 acres in CRP contracts within the Iowa study region alone will expire in September 2010 (FSA 2010).

  5. The 2008 Farm Bill has provisions that allow certain commercial uses of CRP land planted to grass (e.g., grazing, haying) but with a 25% reduction in the CRP rental payment (10% reduction for grazing under emergency drought conditions) (FSA 2010). Currently there are not similar mid-contract provisions for CRP lands planted to trees.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Iowa State University’s Bioeconomy Institute and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. We thank Luke Gran, Kumudan Grubh, Chelsea Kincheloe of the Landscape Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystem Modeling Lab at Iowa State University for help with data collection and processing and Tricia Knoot for editorial assistance. We also thank our interviewees for sharing their knowledge and expertise.

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  1. Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 339 Science Hall II, Ames, IA, 50010, USA

    John C. Tyndall, Lisa A. Schulte & Richard B. Hall

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  1. John C. Tyndall
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Correspondence to John C. Tyndall.

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Tyndall, J.C., Schulte, L.A. & Hall, R.B. Expanding the US Cornbelt Biomass Portfolio: Forester Perceptions of the Potential for Woody Biomass. Small-scale Forestry 10, 287–303 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-010-9149-4

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