Developing a Saskatchewan model for short rotation willow biomass production and GHG benefits

萨斯喀彻温省有大量的农业用地，其中一些是由于过去90年来对当地森林的砍伐而存在的。此外，由于投入和运输成本增加以及大宗商品价格低迷，农民正在失去传统农作物的收入。有没有其他创新的方法来管理这一农业生态系统并获取价值，不仅能让农民受益，还能解决人们对可再生能源的担忧，并通过不断变化的气候创造健康的生态系统？能否建立木本物种，以满足萨斯喀彻温省在20年内种植400万英亩耕地的愿景，并在2030年之前让我们三分之一的电力来自可再生能源？一种解决办法是引进高密度柳树种植园；然而，人们对使用哪些柳树克隆和栽培方法、可能产生的生物量或草原的相关病虫害风险一无所知。将传统作物大面积转为柳树，可能会改变生物地球化学循环和未来的长期生产力，并影响碳储量。该项目的重点是在农田上种植短轮作柳树生物质种植园，以及这些种植园将如何通过实地和模拟研究影响(1)林分水平的生物地球化学循环和(2)景观尺度的碳储量。将在几个地点建立高密度人工林，以研究生物量产量、识别柳树无性系的标记、纯柳树和混合柳树(与锦鸡儿间作)的营养循环(大气、植物和土壤)、水分利用效率、疾病风险和碳积累。将利用环境和土壤数据库以及实地测量过程，在不同的时间和空间尺度上模拟碳储存和养分循环的气候情景。该项目的知识将协助加拿大提供另一项战略，通过短期轮作木本植物种植园履行其在《京都议定书》的承诺，为能源部门提供适合大规模生物质种植园的柳树无性系作为可再生能源，通过在萨斯喀彻温省发展生物经济创造就业机会，使农民收入多样化，并使农村经济受益。

Saskatchewan has a large agricultural land base, some of which exists due to the previous deforestation of the native forest during the last 90 years. In addition, farmers are losing income from traditional crops due to increasing input and transportation costs and poor commodity prices. Are there other innovative ways to manage this agrarian ecosystem and capture value that would benefit not only farmers but also address renewable energy concerns and create healthy ecosystems through a changing climate? Could woody species be established that would also address Saskatchewan's vision to plant 4 M acres of arable land to trees in 20 years and have 1/3 of our electricity from renewable energy by 2030? One solution would be the introduction of high density willow plantations; however, nothing is known about which willow clones and cultural practices to use, the biomass yields possible or the associated risks of diseases and pests for the prairies. Converting traditional crops to willow over a large area could alter biogeochemical cycling and future long-term productivity as well as impact carbon stocks. This project focuses on growing short rotation willow biomass plantations on agricultural land and how these plantations will impact (1) biogeochemical cycling at a stand level and (2) carbon stocks at a landscape scale through both field and modeling studies. High density plantations will be established at several locations to research biomass yields, markers for identifying willow clones, nutrient cycling (atmosphere, plant and soil) for pure and mixed (intercropped with caragana) willow plantations, water use efficiencies, disease risks and carbon accumulation. Environmental and soil databases as well as field measured processes will be used to model climate scenarios on carbon storage and nutrient cycling at different temporal and spatial scales. Knowledge from this project will assist Canada in providing another strategy to meet its Kyoto commitments through short rotation woody plantations, provide the energy sector with suitable willow clones for large scale biomass plantations as a renewable energy source, diversify farmer income and benefit rural economies by creating jobs through a developing bioeconomy in Saskatchewan.