Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Poland.
Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Poland.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Sep;368:122132. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122132. Epub 2024 Aug 11.
The economic management of lignocellulosic biomass from semi-natural grasslands is now a challenge across Europe. The abandonment of mowing these grasslands leads to the gradual degradation of these ecosystems. This study investigates how chemical and biological factors affect the suitability of biomass from abandoned grasslands for biogas production. We sampled 30 mown and 30 abandoned grassland sites in the Sudetes Mountains (Poland and Czechia). The cover contribution of short herbs was found to be significantly higher in mown grasslands (p < 0.001), while that of tall herbs was more prevalent in abandoned grasslands (p < 0.01). The specific biogas yield (SBY, NL kg volatile solids) is negatively affected by an increased percentage of herbs in the biomass of mown and abandoned grasslands. This is due to the inhibitory effect of herbs on biodegradation, the increase in lignin content and the decrease in cellulose. This study highlights the importance of individual plant species in assessing grassland biomass for area biogas yield (ABY, m ha) and provides new insights into a field that has not yet been extensively investigated. In mown grasslands, ABY was most positively correlated with grass species (Arrhenatherum elatius, Trisetum flavescens and Festuca pratensis). In abandoned grasslands, the ABY was most correlated with herbaceous species (Galium aparine, Urtica dioica and Chaerophyllum aromaticum) and grasses (A. elatius and Elymus repens). Mown grasslands had significantly higher species richness (p < 0.001) compared to abandoned grasslands, but the number of species sampled did not correlate with SBY and ABY. This study contributes to the development of a sustainable bio-economy by highlighting the need for efficient use of grassland biomass. This approach helps protect semi-natural ecosystems and facilitates sustainable management of renewable resources.
从半自然草地中提取木质纤维素生物量的经济管理，如今在整个欧洲都是一项挑战。放弃对这些草地的修剪会导致这些生态系统逐渐退化。本研究调查了化学和生物因素如何影响废弃草地生物质用于沼气生产的适宜性。我们在苏台德山脉（波兰和捷克）采集了 30 个修剪过的和 30 个废弃的草地样本。结果发现，修剪过的草地中短草本植物的盖度显著更高（p<0.001），而废弃草地中高草本植物的盖度更高（p<0.01）。修剪过和废弃草地生物质中草本植物的比例增加，会对特定的沼气产量（SBY，NL kg 挥发性固体）产生负面影响。这是由于草本植物对生物降解的抑制作用、木质素含量的增加和纤维素的减少。本研究强调了在评估草地生物质的面积沼气产量（ABY，m ha）时，个别植物物种的重要性，并为这一尚未得到广泛研究的领域提供了新的见解。在修剪过的草地中，ABY 与草种（鹅观草、金色狗尾草和羊茅）的相关性最大。在废弃的草地中，ABY 与草本植物（繁缕、荨麻和茴芹）和草类（鹅观草和偃麦草）的相关性最大。修剪过的草地的物种丰富度显著高于废弃的草地（p<0.001），但采样物种的数量与 SBY 和 ABY 不相关。本研究通过强调高效利用草地生物质的必要性，为可持续生物经济的发展做出了贡献。这种方法有助于保护半自然生态系统，并促进可再生资源的可持续管理。
