RT Journal Article
T1 A realistic meteorological assessment of perennial biofuel crop deployment: a Southern Great Plains perspective
A1 Wagner, Melissa
A1 Wang, Meng
A1 Míguez Macho, Gonzalo
A1 Miller, Jesse
A1 Vanloocke, Andy
A1 Bagley, Justin E.
A1 Bernacchi, Carl J.
A1 Georgescu, Matei
K1 Biofuel crops
K1 Drought
K1 Hydroclimate
K1 Land-use change
K1 Modeling
K1 Renewable energy
AB Utility of perennial bioenergy crops (e.g., switchgrass and miscanthus) offers unique opportunities to transitiontoward a more sustainable energy pathway due to their reduced carbon footprint, averted competition with foodcrops, and ability to grow on abandoned and degraded farmlands. Studies that have examined biogeophysicalimpacts of these crops noted a positive feedback between near-surface cooling and enhanced evapotranspiration(ET), but also potential unintended consequences of soil moisture and groundwater depletion. To better understandhydrometeorological effects of perennial bioenergy crop expansion, this study conducted high-resolution(2-km grid spacing) simulations with a state-of-the-art atmospheric model (Weather Research and Forecastingsystem) dynamically coupled to a land surface model. We applied the modeling system over the Southern Plainsof the United States during a normal precipitation year (2007) and a drought year (2011). By focusing thedeployment of bioenergy cropping systems on marginal and abandoned farmland areas (to reduce the potentialconflict with food systems), the research presented here is the first realistic examination of hydrometeorologicalimpacts associated with perennial bioenergy crop expansion. Our results illustrate that the deployment of perennialbioenergy crops leads to widespread cooling (1–2 °C) that is largely driven by an enhanced reflection ofshortwave radiation and, secondarily, due to an enhanced ET. Bioenergy crop deployment was shown to reducethe impacts of drought through simultaneous moistening and cooling of the near-surface environment. However,simulated impacts on near-surface cooling and ET were reduced during the drought relative to a normalprecipitation year, revealing differential effects based on background environmental conditions. This studyserves as a key step toward the assessment of hydroclimatic sustainability associated with perennial bioenergycrop expansion under diverse hydrometeorological conditions by highlighting the driving mechanisms and processesassociated with this energy pathway.
PB Wiley
SN 1757-1693
YR 2017
FD 2017
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22800
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22800
LA eng
NO Wagner, M., Wang, M., Miguez‐Macho, G., Miller, J., VanLoocke, A., Bagley, J.E., Bernacchi, C.J. and Georgescu, M. (2017), A realistic meteorological assessment of perennial biofuel crop deployment: a Southern Great Plains perspective. GCB Bioenergy, 9: 1024-1041. doi:10.1111/gcbb.12403
NO This work was funded by NSF Grant EAR-1204774
DS Minerva
RD 4 may 2026