MethaRPG - Studying land cover changes associated with anaerobic digestion

Through the development of energy crops or through other general changes on farm, the development of on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) can lead to land cover changes that can limit environmental benefits from AD, as it has been shown in Germany (not well documented in France). The aim of the project is to describe land cover changes associated with AD in France thanks to the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). These data will ben combined with the one of the "Recensement Agricole" (RA) in order to study variables that could explain observed land cover changes. LPIS data will be merged with French anaerobic digester location to determine which farm owns a digester. Different scale statistics (French department or region for example) will be tested and will help characterize these land cover changes on farms with AD. These changes will be compared to control zone. Finally, temporal evolution of these changes will be studied on famrs that have the longest experience of AD.