1. SMART LAND USE FOR BIO-BASED ECONOMIES Simultaneous optimization of biomass harvesting and other Ecosystem Services in Bosland
Pieter Vangansbeke1,2,*, Leen Gorissen1 and Kris Verheyen2
Towards a sustainable bio-based economy
Climate is changing and we are running out of fossil fuels. Optimal use of biomass, as a source of energy and as a material can be part of the solution. The share and significance of biomass in the world economy will certainly expand in near future and lead to bio-based economies (European Commission, 2011). Forest and nature area’s are considered as a source for woody biomass provision. However, biomass underlies several ecological processes and exploitation will inevitably influence other ecosystem services. These ecosystem services are the benefits for society coming from natural resources on earth. The challenge we face is thus to make a transition towards a sustainable bio-based economy.
Bosland: A case study area for innovation
Bosland is a Flemish forest- and nature reserve covering 5000 ha in the municipalities Lommel, Hechtel-Eksel and Overpelt. It is owned and managed by a partnership of different public and non-profit organizations.
The area offers excellent opportunities for a case study. There is a high availability of data, an already innovative way of actual management with a long term vision and existing plans for establishment of an energy conversion plant in Lommel.
Moreover Bosland has a unique participation structure: the Bosland parliament. It consists of different houses and involves different stakeholder groups in decision making. This makes Bosland the perfect test case for co-owned and community-based forest management.
Does biomass harvesting harm the black woodpecker or other habitat services?
Research question and goals
The question arises how the demand for woody biomass for the energy conversion plant can be answered without largely damaging the ecosystem and functioning. An ecosystem services approach can be used to assess the impact of biomass harvesting in every piece of forest. A smart land use plan for the future of Bosland (see box) can be developed.
The final goal is to upscale the results and develop a generally applicable framework for simultaneous optimization of the production of biomass and other ecosystem services by smart land management.
One of the devices of Bosland:
“Where children can be kings”
Research Set-up
Smarter management of land asks for a new approach: innovating the system content wise (management for coherence and multifunctionality) but also innovation of the process to get there. For innovation of the process, participation of the stakeholders will play a major role. Transitioning towards smarter and more sustainable land use will require genuine social involvement through active ownership and engagement of all relevant stakeholders safeguarding the legitimacy of the process. Bosland is a pioneering case in this regard. Content wise innovation will be done through real life application of an ecosystem services approach. Several services will be quantified and analyzed in a spatial explicit way for different future scenario’s based on the stakeholders point of view. At least one ecosystem service from each category will be selected: a provisioning, a cultural, a regulating and the habitat service. As a provisioning service, biomass production for various applications will be investigated. After quantification of the different services and their mutual influence, an optimal scenario will be modeled with the aid of the stakeholders visions, in which the actual ecosystem services will be conserved or enhanced and biomass production maximized.
Schematic representation of the research set-up: process and system innovation in a case study inspiring a general operational framework.
1 VITO NV
Boeretang 200 – 2400 Mol – Belgium – Tel –
Fax –
² Ghent University, Forest and Nature Laboratory
Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267 – 9900 Melle–Gontrode –
Belgium – Tel
* Contact
Pieter Vangansbeke -
Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267 – 9900 Melle–Gontrode – Belgium – Tel