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- Title
Bioenergy production and soil conservation from Norway spruce ( Picea abies L. Karst) plantations in Denmark.
- Authors
Yousefpour, Rasoul
- Abstract
This study analyses the trade-off between bioenergy production and soil conservation through thinning operations in Norway spruce ( Picea abies L. Karst) plantations in Denmark. Thinning operations were evaluated under different regimes and intensities for a complete rotation period of sixty years and for different site qualities (site-classes I-VI). Applying a dynamic forest growth modeling tool, evolution of forest structure was predicted to observe the potentials for biomass production and inevitable soil degradation. Results showed thinning from below, with a higher utilization (maintenance of a minimum basal area of 25 mha) could produce more bioenergy. However, these operations require simultaneous severe forest soil degradation. Therefore, the optimum thinning for bioenergy production under preservation constraints was thinning from above with a lower intensity (maintenance of a minimum basal area of 45 m ha). The ratio of bioenergy win (kWh) to soil-loss (mha) was calculated for this regime varying between 74,894 kWh m in a high quality site (site-class I) and 6,516 kWh m in a low quality site (site-class VI) with an average of 44,282 kWh m. However, this could not always preserve the highest amount of growing stock essential for natural dynamics of forest ecosystem with an exception of the low quality sites (site-class VI). Thus, when aiming at bioenergy production through thinning operations, trade-offs with soil conservation and growing stock preservation should be regarded to prevent environmental degradation.
- Subjects
DENMARK; BIOMASS energy; SOIL conservation; NORWAY spruce; PLANTATIONS; FOREST thinning; BIOMASS production
- Publication
Agroforestry Systems, 2013, Vol 87, Issue 2, p287
- ISSN
0167-4366
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10457-012-9547-z