Grasses 'better for birds' in biofuel composition

Biofuel composition which makes greater use of grass and less use of corn could prove beneficial to maintaining bird populations.

Researchers at Michigan State University are looking into the habitat impact of changing land use in order to grow the feedstocks used in biofuel composition of different types.

Corn is a popular source material in the US thanks to the relative ease with which it can be turned into ethanol.

Meanwhile, work continues on next-generation lignocellulosic biofuels.

These aim to overcome the obstacle of breaking down cell walls to release the energy within, without needing large input energies or toxic chemical deconstruction.

Should such research prove successful, it could have positive effects on bird populations.

The university researchers explain that grasses grown for biofuels could provide new habitats for grassland birds, which have suffered significant population loss in the US in recent years but cannot occupy fields of corn as easily.