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Item Co-firing in Coal Power Plants and its Impact on Biomass Feedstock Availability(Elsevier, 2013-09) Dumortier, Jerome; School of Public and Environmental AffairsSeveral states have a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and allow for biomass co-firing to meet the RPS requirements. In addition, a federal renewable fuel standard (RFS) mandates an increase in cellulosic ethanol production over the next decade. This paper quantifies the effects on local biomass supply and demand of different co-firing policies imposed on 398 existing coal-fired power plants. Our model indicates which counties are most likely to be able to sustain cellulosic ethanol plants in addition to co-firing electric utilities. The simulation incorporates the county-level biomass market of corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass, and forest residues as well as endogenous crop prices. Our scenarios indicate that there is sufficient feedstock availability in Southern Minnesota, Iowa, and Central Illinois. Significant supply shortages are observed in Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and the tri-state area of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky which are characterized by a high density of coal-fired power plants with high energy output.Item Impact of agronomic uncertainty in biomass production and endogenous commodity prices on cellulosic biofuel feedstock composition(Wiley, 2015) Dumortier, Jerome; School of Public and Environmental AffairsThis study evaluates the effect of agronomic uncertainty on bioenergy crop production as well as endogenous commodity and biomass prices on the feedstock composition of cellulosic biofuels under a binding mandate in the United States. The county-level simulation model focuses on both field crops (corn, soybean, and wheat) and biomass feedstocks (corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass, and Miscanthus). In addition, pasture serves as a potential area for bioenergy crop production. The economic model is calibrated to 2022 in terms of yield, crop demand, and baseline prices and allocates land optimally among the alternative crops given the binding cellulosic biofuel mandate. The simulation scenarios differ in terms of bioenergy crop type (switchgrass and Miscanthus) and yield, biomass production inputs, and pasture availability. The cellulosic biofuel mandates range from 15 to 60 billion L. The results indicate that the 15 and 30 billion L mandates in the high production input scenarios for switchgrass and Miscanthus are covered entirely by agricultural residues. With the exception of the low production input for Miscanthus scenario, the share of agricultural residues is always over 50% for all other scenarios including the 60 billion L mandate. The largest proportion of agricultural land dedicated to either switchgrass or Miscanthus is found in the southern Plains and the southeast. Almost no bioenergy crops are grown in the Midwest across all scenarios. Changes in the prices for the three commodities are negligible for cellulosic ethanol mandates because most of the mandate is met with agricultural residues. The lessons learned are that (1) the share of agricultural residue in the feedstock mix is higher than previously estimated and (2) for a given mandate, the feedstock composition is relatively stable with the exception of one scenario.Item Impact of different bioenergy crops on area allocation and cellulosic ethanol feedstock mix(2014-05) Dumortier, JeromeAlthough a cellulosic ethanol mandate for 2022 is in place, significant political, economic, and agronomic uncertainty exists surrounding the attainability of the mandate. This paper evaluates the effects of bioenergy crop yield and cost uncertainty on land allocation and the feedstock mix for cellulosic ethanol in the United States. The county-level model focuses on corn, soybeans, and wheat as the field crops and corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass, and miscanthus as the biomass feedstocks. The economic model allocates land optimally among the alternative crops given a binding cellulosic biofuel mandate. The model is calibrated to 2022 in terms of yield, crop demand, and baseline prices. The bioenergy and commodity prices resulting from a mandate are endogenous to the model. The scenarios simulated differ in terms of bioenergy crop types (switchgrass and miscanthus), bioenergy crop yields, bioenergy production cost, and the cellulosic biofuel mandate ranging from 15 to 60 billion gallons. Our results indicate that the largest proportion of agricultural land dedicated to either switchgrass or miscanthus is found in the Southern Plains and the Southeast. Almost no bioenergy crops are grown in the Midwest across all scenarios. The 15 and 30 billion liter mandates in the high production cost scenarios for switchgrass and in all miscanthus scenarios are covered to 95\% by agricultural residues. Changes in the prices for the three commodities are negligible for low cellulosic ethanol mandates because most of the mandate is met with agricultural residues. The amount of bioenergy crops brought into production at the highest imposed mandate result in price increases ranging from 5% for corn and soybeans to almost 14% for wheat.Item THE IMPACT OF STORM CHARACTERISTICS AND LAND USE ON NUTRIENT EXPORT IN TWO GLACIATED WATERSHEDS IN CENTRAL INDIANA, USA(2007-09-18T17:29:39Z) Wagner, Laura E.; Vidon, Philippe G.; Tedesco, Lenore P.; Licht, Kathy J.This study investigated nutrient export during three spring storm events in two different land use watersheds (agricultural and mixed land use) in a glacial till landscape of the Midwestern, USA. The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine how land use affects water, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) delivery (timing, amount) to streams during spring storms in two central Indiana watersheds with contrasting land use; and (2) to determine nitrate, SRP and DOC flow pathways to streams during spring storms. High frequency stream sampling of nutrients and cations, coupled with hydrograph separations using δ18O, was used to identify water flow pathways and event and pre-event water contributions to the streams. Data indicate land use and storm characteristics play a role in the export of water and nutrients. In the agricultural watershed (Watershed A), the storm hydrograph is dominated by pre-event water, whereas the mixed land use watershed (Watershed M) storm hydrograph is more event water dominated. Watershed A also contains higher nutrient concentrations, especially nitrate. High bulk precipitation and greater maximum intensity export more nitrate, SRP, and DOC to the streams. Results also indicate nitrate, DOC, and SRP concentrations display distinct temporal patterns during spring storm events. DOC concentration increased with stormflow and peaked on the rising limb/with maximum discharge regardless of land use or storm event. In Watershed A, SRP concentration followed a similar pattern to DOC during small storms; therefore they are believed to be exported together with flushing of saturated near-surface soil waters via macropores/overland flow. However, SRP likely has multiple flowpaths, one dominated over another depending on the storm. Nitrate concentrations matched Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ trajectories and decreased with stormflow, suggesting a tile drain/subsurface flowpath. Nitrate and SRP peak concentrations are delayed relative to DOC in Watershed M. The wet retention ponds in the headwaters are believed to delay the stormflow response, and therefore, the delivery of nutrients to the stream.Item THE INFLUENCE OF SEASON, FLOW REGIME, AND WATERSHED LAND USE AND LAND COVER ON NUTRIENT DELIVERY TO TWO RAPIDLY URBANIZING WATERSHEDS IN CENTRAL INDIANA, USA(2007-03-20T15:13:04Z) Casey, Leda René; Tedesco, Lenore P.; Vidon, Philippe G.; Wilson, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1967-This study explores relationships between temperate stream geochemistry and watershed land cover in two temperate streams, Fishback Creek and School Branch Creek, located in a rapidly urbanizing area on the northwest side of Indianapolis in Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana. The temporal and spatial patterns of NO3-N, PO4, DOC, SiO2, Cl-, and Na+ were assessed to understand the influence of land cover on the magnitude and timing of water, chemical, and nutrient delivery to streams. Results of the study indicate that the influences of different land cover types on water delivery to streams and in-stream water quality vary seasonally and with respect to flow regime, that urbanization may result in decreased nitrate input, and that phosphate and dissolved organic carbon concentrations will likely remain constant as the watershed is developed. Results also indicate that riparian buffer downstream of intense agriculture lands dilutes high agricultural NO3-N concentrations, but not enough to return in-stream concentrations to natural levels.Item Land Use and Crime(Oxford, 2017) Stucky, Thomas D.Item Land Use And Violent Crime(2009-11) Stucky, Thomas D.; Ottensmann, John R.Although research has shown specific land uses to be related to crime, systematic investigation of land uses and violent crime has been less common. This study systematically examines links between land uses and violent crime and assesses whether such links are conditioned by socioeconomic disadvantage. We employ geocoded Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data from the Indianapolis police department and information on 30 categories of land use and demographic information from the 2000 U.S. Census. We use land use variables to predict violent crime counts in 1,000 × 1,000-feet grid cells using negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that, net of other variables, specific land uses predict variation in counts for individual violent crimes and aggregate rates. Some nonresidential land uses are associated with higher violent crime counts, whereas others are associated with lower counts. Specific land uses also condition the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on violent crime. The implications for routine activity/opportunity and social disorganization/collective efficacy theories of crime are discussed.Item Rivers of the Anthropocene Phase 1: A Comparative Study of the Tyne and Ohio River Valleys(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Stump, Aaron M.; Bird, Broxton W.; Wilson, Jeremy J.The Rivers of the Anthropocene project is an international effort. Our part is an attempt to determine flood frequency and land use by American Indian tribes of the Mississippian Culture along the Ohio River. Methodologically, we will measure the physical and geochemical properties of lacustrine sediments recovered from Hovey Lake, a flood plane lake located on the Ohio River in southwestern Indiana. Sediment cores taken from Hovey Lake are being measured for bulk density and loss-on-ignition tests to determine organic composition by weight. Magnetic susceptibility is also being measured to determine variations in the delivery of terrestrial material (e.g. from flooding/land erosion) to the lake. Land use will be evaluated by measuring variations in the elemental abundance and isotopic composition of nitrogen and organic carbon, which has been used in the past to identify prehistoric land use. Here we present the initial results of our ongoing work, including sedimentological and chronological data. Ultimately, these data will help bring together historical records, geochemical records, and other contributions from scientists around the world in our attempt to better understand mankind’s impact on our environment.Item Valuing the Benefits of the Urban Forest: A Spatial Hedonic Approach(2008-11) Payton, Seth; Lindsey, Greg; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Ottensmann, John R.; Man, JoyceThis paper measures the benefits of the urban forest by examining its effect on housing prices. A Geographic Information System is used to develop a measure of the urban forest, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, from satellite imagery and to construct other variables from a variety of sources. Spatial hedonic housing price models for the Indianapolis/Marion County area are estimated. The models indicate that greener vegetation around a property has a positive, significant effect on housing price, holding everything else constant. This effect is dominated by measures at the neighborhood level. These findings indicate that property owners value the urban forest, at least in part, by the premium they pay to live in neighborhoods with greener, denser vegetation. These findings also indicate that public action to maintain and enhance the urban forest may be warranted. Planners and urban foresters can use these findings to inform public and policy debates over urban forestry programs and proposals.