Short-rotation woody crops and phytoremediation: opportunities for agroforestry?

Worldwide, fuelwood demands, soil and groundwater contamination, and agriculture's impact on nature are growing concerns. Fast growing trees in short rotation woody crop (SRWC) systems may increasingly meet societal needs ranging from renewable energy to environmental mitigation and remediation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agroforestry systems 2004-07, Vol.61 (1-3), p.51-63
Main Authors: Rockwood, D.L, Naidu, C.V, Carter, D.R, Rahmani, M, Spriggs, T.A, Lin, C, Alker, G.R, Isebrands, J.G, Segrest, S.A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural development
Agroforestry
Contaminants
Contamination
Environmental cleanup
Environmental factors
Eucalyptus
fast growing trees
forest rotations
forest trees
fuelwood
groundwater contamination
Groundwater pollution
Phytoremediation
Populus
Renewable energy
Riparian buffers
Salix
shelterbelts
short rotation woody crops
Soil contamination
soil pollution
Sustainable development
Sustainable energy
tree growth
Trees
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Summary:Worldwide, fuelwood demands, soil and groundwater contamination, and agriculture's impact on nature are growing concerns. Fast growing trees in short rotation woody crop (SRWC) systems may increasingly meet societal needs ranging from renewable energy to environmental mitigation and remediation. Phytoremediation, the use of plants for environmental cleanup, systems utilizing SRWCs have potential to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater. Non-hyperaccumulating, i.e., relatively low contaminant concentrating, species such as eucalypts (Eucalypts spp.), poplars (Populus spp.), and willows (Salix spp.) may phytoremediate while providing revenue from fuelwood and other timber products. Effective phytoremediation of contaminated sites by SRWCs depends on tree-contaminant interactions and on tree growth as influenced by silvicultural, genetic, and environmental factors. Locally adapted trees are essential for phytoremediation success. Among the different agroforestry practices, riparian buffers have the greatest opportunity for realizing the SRWC and phytoremediation potentials of fast growing trees. Agroforestry that combines SRWC and phytoremediation could be an emerging holistic approach for sustainable energy, agricultural development, and environmental mitigation globally.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0167-4366
1572-9680
DOI:10.1023/B:AGFO.0000028989.72186.e6