The emerging cellulosic biofuel industry offers both challenges and opportunities for conserving soil and water resources in an agriculturally productive environment. Crop residues are North America's most important soil and water conservation resource and concurrently will be the most important feedstock for the emerging cellulosic biofuels industry. This analysis of factors affecting water-induced soil erosion, soil carbon maintenance, and water quality in the emerging cellulosic bioenergy industry identifies a variety of critical issues likely to both directly and indirectly lead to greater degradation of these resources. Pressing issues are also identified for scientific research and for policy analysis. Research should determine [...]