Method for assessing impacts on life support functions (LSF) related to the use of 'fertile land' in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Journal of Cleaner Production

Volumn 15, Issue 15, 2007, Pages 1426-1440

  Milà i Canals, Llorenç ^a   Romanyà, Joan ^b   Cowell, Sarah J ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SURREY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA   (Spain)

Author keywords

Agriculture; Fertile land use; Life Cycle Impact Assessment; Life support functions; Soil organic matter

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS; SOILS;

FERTILE LAND USE; LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT; LIFE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS (LSF); SOIL ORGANIC MATTER;

LAND USE;

LAND USE; LIFE CYCLE; SOIL;

EID: 34147128758     PISSN: 09596526     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.05.005     Document Type: Article

References (81)

1. Audsley E., Alber S., Clift R., Cowell S., Crettaz P., Gaillard G., et al. Harmonisation of environmental life cycle assessment for agriculture. [Final Report. Concerted Action AIR3-CT94-2028] (1997), European Commission, DG VI Agriculture
2. Cowell SJ. Environmental life cycle assessment of agricultural systems: integration into decision-making. Ph.D thesis. Guildford, UK: Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey; 1998.
3. Müller-Wenk R. Land use - the main threat to species. How to Include land use in LCA (1998), IWÖ, Universität St. Gallen, IWÖ - Diskussionsbeitrag No. 64, St. Gallen, Switzerland
4. Milà i Canals L. Contributions to LCA methodology for agricultural systems. Site-dependency and soil degradation impact assessment. Ph.D thesis. Barcelona, Spain: Autonomous University of Barcelona; 2003 [Available from: http://www.tdx.cesca.es/TDX-1222103-154811/].
5. Lindeijer E. Review of land use impact methodologies. J Clean Prod 8 (2000) 273-281
6. Lindeijer E., Müller-Wenk R., and Steen B. Impact assessment of resources and land use. In: Lindeijer E., Müller-Wenk R., Steen B., Udo de Haes H.A., Finnveden G., Goedkoop M., Hauschild M., Hertwich E.G., Hofstetter P., Jolliet O., Klöpffer W., Krewitt W., Lindeijer E.W., Müller-Wenk R., Olsen S.I., Pennington D.W., Potting J., and Steen B. (Eds). Life cycle impact assessment: striving towards best practice (2002), SETAC, Pensacola, USA 11-64
7. Teller A., Kohsiek L., van de Velde R., Cornelese A., Willems J., Fraters D., et al. Soil. [Chapter 7]. In: EEA & European Commission DG XI (Ed). Europe's environment: the Dobris assessment (1995), European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
8. Blum W.E.H. The challenge of soil protection in Europe. Environ Conserv 17 (1990) 724
9. Udo de Haes H.A., and Lindeijer E. The conceptual structure of life cycle impact assessment. In: Udo de Haes H.A., Finnveden G., Goedkoop M., Hauschild M., Hertwich E.G., Hofstetter P., Jolliet O., Klöpffer W., Krewitt W., Lindeijer E.W., Müller-Wenk R., Olsen S.I., Pennington D.W., Potting J., and Steen B. (Eds). Life cycle impact assessment: striving towards best practice (2002), SETAC, Pensacola, USA 209-226
10. Weidema BP. Can resource depletion be omitted from environmental impact assessments? In: Text version of poster presented to the third SETAC World Congress, Brighton (UK); 21-25 May 2000.
11. Pimentel D., Harvey C., Resusodarmo P., Sinclair K., Kurz D., Mcnair M., et al. Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 267 (1995) 1117-1123
12. FAOSTAT. FAOSTAT statistics database (1997), FAO, Rome, Italy
13. UNEP. Global environment outlook 3 (GEO-3) (2002), Earthscan, London, UK
14. Stewart M., and Weidema B. A consistent framework for assessing the impacts from resource use. A focus on resource functionality. Int J LCA 10 4 (2005) 240-247
15. Cowell S.J., and Clift R. A methodology for assessing soil quantity and quality in life cycle assessment. J Clean Prod 8 (2000) 321-331
16. Tillman A.-M. Significance of decision-making for LCA methodology. Environ Impact Assess Rev 20 (2000) 113-123
17. Weidema BP. New developments in the methodology for life cycle assessment. In: Proceedings of the third international conference on ecobalance. Tsukuba (Japan); 1998. p. 47-50.
18. Ekvall T., and Weidema B.P. System boundaries and input data in consequential life cycle inventory analysis. Int J LCA 9 3 (2004) 161-171
19. Weidema B. Avoiding co-product allocation in life-cycle assessment. J Ind Ecol 4 3 (2001) 11-33
20. Mattsson B., Cederberg C., and Ljung M. Principles for environmental assessment of land use in agriculture. [SIK-Report 1998 Nr 642] (1998), The Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, Gothenburg, Sweden
21. Lindeijer E., van Kampen M., Fraanje P., van Dobben H., Nabuurs G.J., Schouwenberg E., et al. Biodiversity and life support indicators for land use impacts in LCA (1998), IVAM and IBN/DLO, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
22. Baitz M., Kreißig J., and Schöch C. Method to integrate land use in lifecycle assessment (1999), IKP, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
23. Lindeijer E. Biodiversity and life support impacts of land use in LCA. J Clean Prod 8 (2000) 313-319
24. Weidema B.P., and Lindeijer E. Physical impacts of land use in product life cycle assessment. [Final report of the EUROENVIRON-LCAGAPS sub-project on land use] (2001), Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
25. Burger J.A., and Kelting D.L. Using soil quality indicators to assess forest stand management. For Ecol Manage 122 (1999) 155-166
26. Bouma J. Land quality indicators of sustainable land management across scales. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88 (2002) 129-136
27. Doran J.W. Preface: soil health as an indicator of sustainable management. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88 (2002) 107-110
28. Allison F.E. Soil organic matter and its role in crop production (1973), Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
29. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations). A provisional methodology for soil degradation assessment (1979), FAO, Rome, Italy
30. SSSA (Soil Science Society of America). Soil fertility and organic matter as critical components of production systems. [SSSA Special Publication no 19] (1987), SSSA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
31. Barrow C.J. Land degradation. Development and breakdown of terrestrial environments (1991), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
32. ISRIC, and UNEP. World map of the status of human-induced soil degradation (1991), International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Wageningen, The Netherlands
33. Reeves D.W. The role of soil organic matter in maintaining soil quality in continuous cropping systems. Soil Tillage Res 43 (1997) 131-167
34. Karlen D.L., Mausbach M.J., Doran J.W., Cline R.G., Harris R.F., and Schuman G.E. Soil quality: a concept, definition, and framework for evaluation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 61 (1997) 4-10
35. Lal R. Soil quality and sustainability. In: Lal R., Blum W.H., Valentine C., and Stewart B.A. (Eds). Methods for assessment of soil degradation (1998), CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA
36. Stenberg B. Soil attributes as predictors of crop production under standardized conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 27 (1998) 104-112
37. Dumanski J., and Pieri C. Land quality indicators: research plan. Agric Ecosyst Environ 81 (2000) 93-102
38. Sands G.R., and Podmore T.H. A generalized environmental sustainability index for agricultural systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 79 (2000) 29-41
39. Arshad M.A., and Martin S. Identifying critical limits for soil quality indicators in agro-ecosystems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88 (2002) 153-160
40. Nortcliff S. Standardisation of soil quality attributes. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88 (2002) 161-168
41. Brady N.C., and Weil R.R. The nature and properties of soils. 12th ed. (1999), Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA
42. Lal R. Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Geoderma 123 1-2 (2004) 1-22
43. Schenck R.C. Land use and biodiversity indicators for life cycle impact assessment. Int J LCA 6 2 (2001) 114-117
44. Díaz-Zorita M., and Grosso G.A. Effect of soil texture, organic carbon and water retention on the compactibility of soils from the Argentinean pampas. Soil Tillage Res 54 (2000) 121-126
45. Mosaddeghi M.R., Hajabbasi M.A., Hemmat A., and Afyuni M. Soil compactibility as affected by soil moisture content and farmyard manure in central Iran. Soil Tillage Res 55 (2000) 87-97
46. Sharma P.K., and Bhushan L. Physical characterization of a soil amended with organic residues in a rice-wheat cropping system using a single value soil physical index. Soil Tillage Res 60 (2001) 143-152
47. Soane B.D. The role of organic matter in soil compactibility: a review of some practical aspects. Soil Tillage Res 16 (1990) 179-201
48. Smith C.W., Johnston M.A., and Lorentz S. Assessing the compaction susceptibility of South African forestry soils. II. Soil properties affecting compactibility and compressibility. Soil Tillage Res 43 (1997) 335-354
49. Paul E.A., and Collins H.P. The characteristics of soil organic matter relative to nutrient cycling. In: Lal R., Blum W.H., Valentine C., and Stewart B.A. (Eds). Methods for assessment of soil degradation (1997), CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA 181-197
50. Domènech X. Química del suelo. El impacto de los contaminantes. 2nd ed. (1997), Miraguano, Madrid, Spain [in Spanish]
51. Haynes R.J., and Mokolobate M.S. Amelioration of Al toxicity and P deficiency in acid soils by additions of organic residues: a critical review of the phenomenon and the mechanisms involved. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 59 (2001) 47-63
52. Benckiser G. Organic inputs and soil metabolism. In: Benckiser (Ed). Fauna in soil ecosystems. Recycling processes, nutrient fluxes and agricultural production (1997), Dekker, New York, USA 7-62
53. Cerdà A. Aggregate stability against water forces under different climates on agriculture and scrubland in southern Bolivia. Soil Tillage Res 57 (2000) 159-166
54. Oades J.M. The role of biology in the formation, stabilisation and degradation of soil structure. Geoderma 56 (1993) 377-400
55. Falloon P.D., Smith P., Smith J.U., Szabó J., Coleman K., and Marshall S. Regional estimates of carbon sequestration potential: linking the Rothamsted carbon model to GIS databases. Biol Fertil Soils 27 (1998) 236-241
56. Lal R. Soil conservation and restoration to sequester carbon and mitigate the greenhouse effect. In: Third international congress of the European society for soil conservation [Abstracts Book]. Valencia, Spain; 2000. p. 31.
57. Lal R. Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304 (2004) 1623-1626
58. Bruce R.R., Langdale G.W., West L.T., and Miller W.P. Soil surface modification by biomass inputs affecting rainfall infiltration. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56 (1992) 1614-1620
59. Quiroga A.R., Buschiazzo D.E., and Peinemann N. Soil compaction is related to management practices in the semi-arid Argentine pampas. Soil Tillage Res 52 (1999) 21-28
60. Quimby P.C., King L.R., and Grey W.E. Biological control as a means of enhancing the sustainability of crop/land management systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88 (2002) 147-152
61. Persson J., and Kirchman H. Carbon & nitrogen in arable soils as affected by supply of nitrogen fertiliser and organic manures. Agric Ecosyst Environ 51 (1994) 249-255
62. COM. Towards a thematic strategy for soil protection. COM 179 (2002), Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Belgium
63. Smith P. Carbon sequestration in croplands: the potential in Europe and the global context. Eur J Agronomy 20 (2004) 229-236
64. Romanyà J., Cortina J., Falloon P., Coleman K., and Smith P. Modelling changes in soil organic matter after planting fast-growing Pinus radiata on Mediterranean agricultural soils. Eur J Soil Sci 51 (2000) 1-15
65. Kim S., and Dale B.E. Life cycle assessment study of biopolymers [polyhydroxyalkanoates] derived from no-tilled corn. Int J LCA 10 3 (2005) 200-210
66. Batjes N.H. ISRIC-WISE global data set of derived soil properties on a 0.5 by 0.5 degree grid [Version 2.0] (2002), International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands. [Report 2002/03]. Available from
67. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). IPCC special report on land-use, land-use change and forestry (2000), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
68. Contribution à la lutte contre l'effet de serre. Stocker du carbone dans les sols agricoles de France?. In: Arrouays D., Balesdent J., Germon J.C., Jayet P.A., Soussana J.F., and Stengel P. (Eds). Expertise Scientifique Collective. Rapport d'expertise réalisé par INRA à la demande du Ministère de l'Ecologie et du Développement Durable (2002), INRA, Paris, France
69. Freibauer A., Rounsevell M.D.A., Smith P., and Verhagen J. Carbon sequestration in the agricultural soils of Europe. Geoderma 122 1 (2004) 1-23
70. Coleman K., and Jenkinson D.S. RothC-26.3 - a model for the turnover of carbon in soil. In: Powlson D.S., Smith P., and Smith J.U. (Eds). Evaluation of soil organic matter models using existing, long-term datasets (1996), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany 237-246
71. Nebel B, Cowell SJ. Global warming reduction potential of biomass based products: an example of wood products. In: XXth SETAC-Europe Annual meeting [Abstracts]; 2003. p. 49.
72. Smith W.N., Desjardins R.L., and Patty E. The net flux of carbon from agricultural soils in Canada 1970-2010. Glob Chang Biol 6 (2000) 557-568 [Cited in [69]]
73. Smith P., Powlson D.S., Smith J.U., Falloon P., and Coleman K. Meeting Europe's climate change commitments: quantitative estimates of the potential for carbon mitigation by agriculture. Glob Chang Biol 6 (2000) 525-539 Cited in [69]
74. Paustian K., Andren O., Janzen H.H., Lal R., Smith P., Tian G., et al. Agricultural soils as a sink to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Soil Use Manage 13 4 (1997) 230-244 [Cited in [67], Table 4-5]
75. Woomer P.L., Plalm C.A., Qureshia J.N., and Kotto-Same J. Carbon sequestration and organic resources management in African smallholder agriculture. In: Lal R., Kimble J.M., Follett R.F., and Stewart B.A. (Eds). Management of carbon sequestration in soil (1997), CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA 153-173 [Cited in [69]]
76. Lal R., and Bruce J.P. The potential of world cropland soils to sequester C and mitigate the greenhouse effect. Environ Sci Policy 2 (1999) 177-185 [Cited in [67], Table 4-5]
77. Lal R, Kimble JM, Follett RF. Agricultural practices and policies for carbon sequestration in soil. Recommendation and conclusions of the international symposium. Columbus, OH, USA; 19-23 July 1999 [Cited in [67], Table 4-5].
78. In: Watson R.T., Noble I.R., Bolin B., Ravindranath N.H., Verardo D.J., and Dokken D.J. (Eds). Land use, land use change, and forestry (2000), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK [Cited in [69]]
79. Boiffin J., Keli-Zagbahi J., and Sebillotte M. Systèmes de culture et statut organique des sols dans le Noyonnais: application du modèle de Hénin-Dupuis. Agronomie 6 (1986) 437-446 [Cited in [68], p. 131]
80. Wylleman R. Caractérisation et modélisation de l'évolution des stocks de matière organique des sols de grande culture en Picardie (1999), INRA, Laon, France [Cited in [68], p. 131]
81. Vleeshouwers L.M., and Verhagen A. Carbon emission and sequestration by agricultural land use: a model study for Europe. Glob Chang Biol 8 (2002) 519-530