Symposium: The biobased economy - back to earth?

Recently, the proposal "Ecology of the Bio-based Economy" was awarded for funding as an "Emerging Science Topic" of the research school PE&RC. The objective of this EST project is to study how soil ecology will be affected by the increasing demands that the biobased economy will make on limited soil resources. Within the project, a series of symposia will be organized, and a field experiment will be initiated.

In order to mark the kick-off of this project, a symposium will be organized on Tuesday, September 14th. The objectives of this symposium are (i) to provide a general outline of the challenges that the biobased economy poses for soil and society; and (ii) to review the current state of knowledge of the effect biochar amendment has on soil quality -ecology.

In the morning, several speakers will discuss the technical possibilities of the biobased economy, as well as the challenges it presents for agriculture, ecosystem services and society. In the afternoon, the focus will be on biochar production and the effects biochar has on soil functions. The symposium will end with a presentation of ongoing research at the field site at De Mossel, and of the new biochar emendment experiment that will be established there as part of the EST project.

Program

9:00     Coffee / Tea

9:15     Welcome / Opening

             Lijbert Brussaard                     Wageningen University                      

             Liesje Mommer                       Wageningen University

             Martijn Bezemer                      NIOO

            Jan Willem van Groenigen     Wageningen University          

9:30     From agrification towards a biobased economy

             Rudy Rabbinge                        Wageningen University

10:10   The biobased economy and soil quality       

             Johan Sanders                         Wageningen University

10:50   Coffee / Tea

11:20   The art of biochar production

             Gerrit Brem                              University of Twente

11:50   Biochar and soil life - concepts and mechanisms

            Thom Kuyper                           Wageningen University

12:20   Lunch

13:30   The influcence of wildfire-derived charcoal on ecosystem carbon storage and fluxes      

             Paul Kardol                               Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

14:00   Grave to cradle: bioenergy rest products as soil amendments

              MariLuz Cayuela                   Wageningen University

              Kealan Gell                            Wageningen University

14:30   The effects of Soil pH on Communities of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi:

            Implications for Biochar Ecology

              Alex Dumbrell                        University of York, UK

15:00   Coffee / Tea

15:30   Land use intensity and plant-soil feedback

              Gera Hol                                 NIOO

16:00   Soils in transition: responses of community composition and ecosystem   processes to land abandonment

              Wim van der Putten               NIOO

16:30   Introducing the field experiment with biochar amendment at De Mossel

              Liesje Mommer                      Wageningen University

              Martijn Bezemer                     NIOO

              Jan Willem van Groenigen   Wageningen University          

17:00   Closing / Drinks

Registration is required for all attendees of the Symposium. To register please send an email to PE-office@wur.nl  with your name/organization; please indicate if you have any dietary requirements.