Cellulose-based plant biomass (such as switch grass and other perennial grasses) is considered a “second generation” biofuel crop, and is thought of as “the way to go” for the production of ethanol for biofuel applications. In contrast to “first generation” bioenergy crops (such as corn), the use of cellulosic feedstocks for ethanol production are said to require lesser agricultural inputs, have better net energy yields and have better “carbon balances”. Many farmers in the United States are considering a shift from corn/soya to perennial grasses as biofuel feedstocks. This shift in bioenergy crop, however, can have effects on the “seasonal cycle of water and energy exchanges between the land and the lower portion of the atmosphere”. A joint research collaboration between South Dakota University’s Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence and the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) (United States) will attempt to assess the impacts of this bioenergy crop shift on weather and climate. The three year study will use field and modeling approaches to evaluate potential impacts of the biofuel crop shift in a study area covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, western Minnesota and northern Iowa. According to Senior Scientist Michael Wimberly, the goal is not make exact predictions, but rather “to make broad but reasonable assumptions, so potential consequences can become part of the discussion”..