ABSTRACT
Since the advent of agriculture, more than one-fourth of Earth’s land surface has been converted for agricultural purposes. Conversion from natural to agricultural landscapes dramatically changes the plant communities that are integral to ecosystem processes. Renewable biomass to be used in bioenergy production is expected to play a multifunctional role including food production, source of energy and fodder, biodiversity conservation, and environmental services, as well as mitigation of the impact of climate change.
