Impact of Shrub Willow As a Potential Bioenergy Feedstock on Water Quality and GHG Emissions at the Field Scale.

The sustainable development of biomass as a feedstock for biofuels and bioenergy is a critical national priority in the United States.  Within this context, the US Department of Energy has identified shrub willow as a potential energy crop to help fill this need in Upstate New York. However, before making recommendations pushing for the development of shrub willow as an alternative crop to corn and hay on marginal cropland in New York State, we must better understand the potential impact of shrub willow (relative to corn and hay) on water quality (nitrogen, phosphorus) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) at the soil atmosphere interface. To address this question, we designed a study measuring the impact of shrub willow fields of various ages (2-3, 5-6 years old) and various management strategies (fertilized vs. not fertilized) on water, N, P, and C cycling at the field scale. Sampling occurred seasonally for two years, as well as 24-48 hours after storm events to identify potential hot moments of GHG production at the field scale. In this talk, preliminary results stressing the impact of shrub willow on water quality and quantity compared to corn and hay and potential trade-offs (nutrient reduction, GHG production) will be presented. Trade-off data will be presented within the context of the intensification of extreme weather events (drought, high intensity storms) associated with climate change, and in terms of ecosystem services provided (or not provided) by shrub willow relative to corn and hay. The implications of our results for management will also be discussed.