Wildlife and bioenergy
Welcome! This website hosts information about various projects relating to grassland bioenergy and wildlife. Most of the projects are managed by Dr. Clarence Lehman, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota.
The broad objective of this research program is to learn how landscapes can be managed for human well-being while improving conditions for wildlife. The Wildlife & Bioenergy project measures the effects of biomass harvest from restored grasslands on wildlife and habitat. Other projects that have been conducted, or are in progress, expand on the potential of diverse grasslands as a sustainable energy source. Download a schematic of the general timeline of activities and funding for the first three years of the project (2008-2011).
Funding is provided by the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund, as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NWFW), and a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) grant. Funding by the LCCMR has been extended for three additional years, 2011 through 2014.
Partners in this project include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Nature Conservancy.