JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 10, 013107
(2018)
Biomass energy utilization and soil carbon sequestration in rural
China: A case study based on circular agriculture
Guanglei Wu,1 Da
Cheng,1,2 Lijun
Li,1,2 Caihong
Li,1 Gaoming
Jiang,1 and
Yanhai Zheng1,a)
1State
Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of
Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing
100093, People’s
Republic of China
2University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 Yuquanlu, Beijing
100049,
People’s Republic of China
Biogas projects have been promoted by the Chinese government in
rural areas for several decades. However, these
projects have proceeded slowly under the lack
of biogas production technology. A circular
agricultural experiment in combination with a
local biogas promotion project was carried out in Jiangjiazhuang, a
typical agricultural
village in China, from 2008 to 2015. Agricultural production
proceeded in an agricultural loop:
“Crops/Grains/crop residues-Human/cattle
excreta -Biogas digester-Biogas/biogas
residues-Domestic
fuels-organic fertilizers -Crops.” The abundant crop residues were
used as cattle forage to turn the biomass energy into human-edible
food. Human/cattle excreta was used as the substrate to produce
biogas for livelihood energy. Biogas digester residues were used as
organic fertilizers after composting to improve soil quality and
crop yield. The results showed that the proportion
of crop residues used for cattle
forage increased
from 1.3% in 2008 to 86.2% in 2015, while cattle population
increased from 3 to 198. The proportion of biogas
in total household energy increased from 1.1% in
2008 to 62.3% in 2015. Soil organic carbon increased under organic
fertilizer application
from 83.8Mg C hm_2 to
213.5Mg C hm_2.
Our findings demonstrate that
the promotion of circular agriculture may effectively enhance
the utilization rate of biomass energy (crop
residues) and reduce the consumption potential of
fossil energy over 50%. Circular agriculture is a sustainable
agricultural system that could improve the
environmental conditions in rural areas.
JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 10, 013107
(2018)