Land use change from woody biomass to herbaceous species for bioenergy in marginal lands has an impact on soil organic carbon, which challenges the positive effect of fossil-C substitution. Scientists Nocentini and Monti showed that land use change from poplar to ten years of switchgrass and giant reed increased substantially and differently soil organic carbon stocks. These increases contributed significantly to life-cycle carbon savings of both perennial grass crops when biomass was used to produce advanced ethanol to supplant fossil fuels.
