Project name: Study for the introduction and cultivation of energy plants (Miscanthus x giganteus and Panicum virgatum)
Client: INA – Industrija nafte Inc.
Period: 01/2016 – 10/2017
Location: Croatia
In order to obtain the necessary permits for the introduction of energy plants as foreign species in nature, and their unimpeded planting and breeding, selection of potential breeding sites was determined on the cadastral municipalities’ level. The considered area was within a targeted radius of 75 km around Sisak, within an area of seven counties: the Sisak-Moslavina and Bjelovar-Bilogora counties, larger area of the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, half of Karlovac County and a smaller part of Brod-Posavina and Požega-Slavonia County. When selecting potential farming sites, the agricultural land classification was analyzed in accordance with the Agricultural Land Act (NN 39/13), where land with lower prudential value (P3 and PŠ) was taken into consideration areas protected under the Nature Protection Act (NN 80/13), the areas of the Natura 2000 ecological network, areas with high flood risk according to the Water Management Plan 2016-2021 and the areas included in the forestry area under the Forest Law (OG 140/05, 82/06, 129/08, 80/10, 124/10, 25/12 and 94/14) were excluded.
Risk Assessment Studies were developed for Panicum virgatum and Miscanthus x giganteus populations, which include all prescribed segments according to the Ordinance (OG 35-2008), such as:
- Description of the biological and ecological characteristics of the foreign wild taxa,
- A description of the ecological system in which the taxa is grown,
- Estimation of expected impacts and risk of taxa breeding,
- Measures to prevent adverse effects, warnings and instructions,
- Risk Assessment Conclusion,
- Summary for the public.
For the risk assessment of foreign species introduction to nature, the Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) methodology was chosen, developed for the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources of Australia (Biosecurity Australia 2016), which is considered to be one of the best analyses for assessing the potential invasion of species introduced into nature.
Services provided:
- Description of the biological and ecological characteristics of the foreign wild taxa and of ecological system in which the taxa is grown,
- Estimation of expected impacts and risk of taxa breeding,
- Measures to prevent adverse effects, warnings and instructions,
- Risk Assessment Conclusion,
- Summary for the public.
- Project management
- Reporting
