Konsequenzen des Bioenergiepflanzenanbaus für die Segetalvegetation

We conducted a short literature review of the positive or negative effects of bioenergy cropping on the phytodiversity of arable land and made a preliminary assessment of the results. The introduction of annual energy crops may lead to increased crop rotation, which could help to increase biodiversity at the landscape level. On the other hand, the current boom of energy cropping in Germany has generally resulted in a reduction of crop diversity and reduced crop rotation. The widespread and expanding cultivation of maize is viewed as particularly problematic with respect to farmland plant diversity because maize fields were found in the majority of studies to support the lowest number of arable species when compared to other crops. Perennial biomass crops generally exhibit in the first years after establishment an increase in phytodiversity; the initially dominating annual species are replaced after 2 to 3 years by more competititve perennial species. There is an urgent need to conduct and adequately publish long-term studies on the ecological effects of perennial biomass crops and other newly introduced crop species used for bioenergy cropping.