Skip to main content

Review of the Impacts on Water of Land-Use Changes Induced by Non-food Biomass Production

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 30

Part of the book series: Sustainable Agriculture Reviews ((SARV,volume 30))

Abstract

The expansion of crops grown solely for energy production results in land-use changes that in turn carry environmental consequences, notably for water resources. By means of a review of the literature, we analyzed the causal chain linking the expansion of perennial and annual crops destined for bioenergy (heat, electricity, fuel), to land-use changes (direct and indirect), and then to impacts on the quantity and quality of water. Fifty-four articles were identified. The majority of research since the end of the 2000s relates (in equal amounts) to first-generation or second-generation biofuels, although other forms of bioenergy, for example for heat or electricity, have also received some attention. The most frequently studied production areas are in North America (mainly in the USA), South America, and Europe, all regions where public policies have encouraged the development of biomass crops. Direct and indirect land-use changes considered relate primarily to the conversion of forests and grasslands into annual crops, and secondarily to the establishment of perennial crops to replace annual crops. The most frequently studied impacts are those relating to water consumption and eutrophication, usually at the regional level. Methodologies are rarely based on data collected in the field, but instead make use of biophysical modeling to generate projections, or adopt multi-criteria approaches of the life-cycle analysis type. Given the range of different climates, geographic zones, biomass types, and research methods involved, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions, but it would appear that second-generation biofuels have less of an impact on water resources than other forms of bioenergy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Annex: References in the Study Corpus Addressing Impacts on Water

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Agency for Energy and the Environment (ADEME) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (contract no. 12-60-C0004). It was made possible by the work of Sophie Le Perchec (INRA Rennes), who completed the literature search, as well as by the following researchers, who contributed to the detailed analysis of the articles: Laure Bamière (INRA Grignon), Aude Barbottin (INRA Grignon), Valentin Bellassen (INRA Dijon), Martial Bernoux (IRD Montpellier), Cécile Bessou (CIRAD Montpellier), Antonio Bispo (ADEME Angers), François Chiron (AgroParisTech, Orsay), Stéphane De Cara (INRA Grignon), Patrice Dumas (CIRAD Montpellier), Guillaume Décocq (Univ. Picardie Jules-Vernes, Amiens), Jean-François Dhôte (INRA Nancy), Monia El Akkari (INRA Paris), Sabrina Gaba (INRA Dijon), Benoît Gabrielle (AgroParisTech, Grignon), Philippe Lescoat (AgroParisTech, Paris), David Makowski (INRA Grignon), Olivier Réchauchère (INRA Paris), and Julie Wohlfahrt (INRA Mirecourt).

The author would also like to thank two anonymous readers for their insightful comments, which made it possible to improve the quality of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Bispo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

5.1 Supplementary Electronic Material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bispo, A. (2018). Review of the Impacts on Water of Land-Use Changes Induced by Non-food Biomass Production. In: Réchauchère, O., Bispo, A., Gabrielle, B., Makowski, D. (eds) Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 30. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, vol 30. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96289-4_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics