Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Grassland Management Practices.

Biomass from conservation and dedicated grasslands could be an important feedstock for biofuels. Estimating the carbon (C) intensity of biofuel production pathways is important in order to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) targets set by government policy. Management decisions made during feedstock production, from site selection including prior land use history, establishment practices and plant species composition, to yield potential and harvest season all affect life cycle GHG emissions from grasslands. N₂O emissions are the largest source and soil C the greatest sink of GHGs during feedstock production. N₂O and soil C vary with soil texture, precipitation, and land use history across complex landscapes that typify important biofuel production regions in the US. Comparisons of these relationships among contrasting landscapes can help develop maps describing the C intensity of biofuel production across the entire US.