Achievement

Nell Campbell (IGERT cohort 3, Ecology) and John Field (IGERT cohort 1, Mechanical Engineering) under the direction of Dr. Keith Paustian (Soil and Crop Sciences and the Ecology) are developing several models to illustrate ecosystems of bioenergy production systems. Unlike current models in which only one ecosystem is assessed at a time, Nell's model, using DayCent as a template, will enable researchers to assess the bioenergy production of multiple ecosystems. This model will work in conjunction with an LCA model developed by John to simultaneously assess production and carbon footprint of differing production systems. This project allows both students to participate in research that spans ecological, soil, and engineering production systems. Achievements include presentations 1) J. Field, “Trends in Bioenergy Lifecycle Assessment” at the CSU Cenergy Expo and C2B2 SAM and 2) E. Campbell, “Using the DayCent Model to Assess Bioenergy Feedstocks” at the CSU Cenergy Expo and FRSES.