Perennial Herbaceous Biomass Production and Harvest: Best Management Guidelines to Achieve Sustainability of Wildlife Resources

Presenter: Susan Rupp, Certified Wildlife Biologist, Enviroscapes Ecological Consulting
Host: Amy Kohmetschter, CenUSA* quarterly web seminar series: Sustainable Production and Distribution of Bioenergy for the Central USA

This webinar will focus "Best Management Guidelines" (BMG's) to achieve sustainability of wildlife resources during perennial herbaceous biomass production and harvest by producers and industry in the Prairie Pothole region of the northern Great Plains.

Though the use of biomass for heat and fuel production is not new in the US, there has been a renewed interest in bioenergy production in response to increasing energy costs, dependence on foreign oil, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The central US holds some of the greatest potential for the production of perennial biomass, but the region is also critical for wildlife producing 50 to 80% of waterfowl populations and providing breeding habitat for more than half of the bird species that breed in North America .

The BMG's were developed through a process that involved an advisory group of natural resource professionals with expertise in agronomy, establishment, management and harvest of these feedstocks on wildlife and their habitats (i.e. food, water, cover, and space). Effects on grassland songbirds, waterfowl shorebirds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and aquatic organisms are discussed.

BMGS are available at the National Wildlife Federation .

*Learn more about CenUSA at http://www.cenusa.iastate.edu/ - CenUSA is an ambitious multi-state USDA research project investigating the creation of a Midwestern sustainable biofuels system.

Past web seminars are archived at http://vimeo.com/cenusabioenergy

How to Register: We request those who plan to attend fill out a short registration form. Registering does not obligate you to attend, but it helps us set up the meeting room based on expected attendance. Register Here

How To Connect: Start connecting 5 minutes prior to the start time. You need a computer with Internet access (if at all possible avoid using wireless internet) and speakers. At the meeting time, copy and paste this URL into your browser to enter the meeting: https://connect.unl.edu/cenusawebinar

At that URL you will find a login page. “Enter as a Guest” with your name, and business or institution and click “Enter Room.” The audio portion of the meeting will come through your computer speakers.

Any time before the meeting you can visit the following URL to confirm your ability to connect: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/testconnect/

http://farmenergymedia.extensi...n-northern