If I understand the purpose of Ecolog correctly, it is a place for
announcements of matters of interest to ecologists and their
fellow-travelers, and a place for informal discussion of such matters. The
most basic unwritten rule that governs discourse in a forum of any kind is
to be specifically responsive to the points made by fellow participants.
Condescension in any form, direct or indirect, is considered by most to be
unkind at best, but rude, really--"bad form," as some might say.
I look forward to an open and honest discussion of the points made by the
discussants. It should be pretty simple to clearly and concisely state the
evidence for and against such hare-brained stunts as converting CRP lands to
switchgrass monocultures. Similarly, those knowledgeable enough to foster
conferences should be able to state the net energy yields of switchgrass
plantations, a simple matter of an input/output calculation.
I hope that these pivotal issues will not be evaded by those who have vested
interests in, say, switchgrass culture.
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Raasch" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2013 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] ENERGY Biofuels and their questionable potential Re:
[ECOLOG-L] Switchgrass Conference September 2013
Hello Wayne and David.
Thank you for voicing your concerns and contributing to the discussion. It
is important to look at the big picture and recognize the full impact of
human activity on the landscape.
Regarding the switchgrass conference, there will be a session devoted to
environmental services and impacts. The first speaker for this will be G.
Philip Robertson, Professor of Ecosystem Science, Michigan State
University.
There's also a two-day poster session and still room in the schedule for
additional oral presentations. I hope people will take adavantage of the
opportunity to present research covering their concerns.
http://www.dfrc.wisc.edu/switchgrass/
John
On Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:40:38 -0500, David L. McNeely <[email protected]>
wrote:
I did not see conservation listed as a discipline involved
in "Switchgrass II." There is a move afoot in Oklahoma and Kansas to
convert Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, which have been
succeeding toward something resembling a prairie in those states after
having been inappropriately farmed, to switchgrass production. Some of
these CRP lands are important Lesser Prairie Chicken habitat, a formerly
hugely abundant grouse that has been seriously declining and is proposed
as an endangered species.
Farmers and ranchers, partly because of misinformation, partly because of
experience, distrust the endangered species program but work cooperatively
with the CRP program -- mostly because it pays to do so, but the result is
more habitat for chickens.
If it is all converted to monoculture, where will the Lesser Prairie
Chickens go?
David McNeely
---- Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> wrote:
Do I hear a "Giant Sucking Sound?" What is the evidence that
switchgrass can
produce more energy that it takes to get said energy to the point of
doing
work more efficiently than alternatives? What are the implications for
the
ecosystems that would be effectively destroyed by widespread planting of
switchgrass? Upon what theoretical foundations is the whole concept
based,
including the "use" of "marginal" lands? Does anyone really think that
marginal lands will not produce marginal amounts of energy? At what
cost in
dollars and degradation/destruction of ecosystems?
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Raasch" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2013 10:11 AM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Switchgrass Conference September 2013
Announcing SWITCHGRASS II, taking place in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 10-
12
September 2013 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center. Registration,
housing, and abstract submission information available at the following
website: www.dfrc.wisc.edu/switchgrass.
The conference will bring together scientists and students interested in
switchgrass and other prairie grasses to discuss the state of the art of
prairie grass research. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet and
interact with researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including
agronomy, physiology, ecology, soil science, pathology, entomology,
genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. The conference will include a
field tour, several plenary presentations, selected volunteered oral
presentations, a poster session, and a community workshop.
Program Highlights:
All-day tour of prairie/savanna and bioenergy research.
Eight topical areas, each with one invited speaker.
One-day poster session, organized according to the eight topical areas.
A small group of abstracts from each topical area will be chosen, with
the
author's permission, for oral presentations. The committee will make
this
decision before the conference, so that authors have time to plan for an
oral presentation.
Abstract submission deadline: 11:59pm Friday 16 August (Central Daylight
Time USA)
Registration deadline: 1 September
For more information contact [email protected] or [email protected].
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David McNeely
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