Ecosystem-Service Tradeoffs Associated with Switching from Annual to Perennial Energy Crops in Riparian Zones of the US Midwest
Figure 4
Relationship between generalized benefit-cost ratios and opportunity costs.
Spatial (maps) and bivariate (scatterplot, r = Pearson's correlation coefficient) relationships between average normalized benefit-cost ratios and opportunity costs of the perennial-grass scenario (difference in net income between continuous-corn and perennial-grass scenarios) for 67 study watersheds in southern Wisconsin, USA. Average normalized ratios illustrate hotspots – watersheds where switching from continuous corn to perennial-grass brought relatively high environmental benefits for relatively low opportunity cost.