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{{Short description|Forestry for production of biomass or biofuel}}
'''Energy forestry''' is a form of forestry in which a fast-growing species of tree or woody shrub is grown specifically to provide [[biomass]] or [[biofuel]] for heating or power generation.
'''Energy forestry''' is a form of forestry in which a fast-growing species of tree or woody shrub is grown specifically to provide [[biomass]] or [[biofuel]] for heating or power generation.


The two forms of energy forestry are [[short rotation coppice]] and [[short rotation forestry]]:
The two forms of energy forestry are [[short rotation coppice]] and [[short rotation forestry]]:
*Short rotation [[Coppicing|coppice]] may include tree crops of [[Populus|poplar]], [[willow]] or eucalyptus, grown for two to five years before harvest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/srcsite/INFD-5JPHSM |title=Establishing an SRC plantation}}</ref>
*Short rotation [[Coppicing|coppice]] may include tree crops of [[Populus|poplar]], [[willow]] or eucalyptus, grown for two to five years before harvest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/srcsite/INFD-5JPHSM |title=Establishing an SRC plantation |access-date=2006-12-08 |archive-date=2006-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061220075800/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/srcsite/infd-5jphsm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Short rotation forestry are crops of [[alder]], [[Ash tree|ash]], [[birch]], eucalyptus, poplar, and [[sycamore]], grown for eight to 20 years before harvest.
*Short rotation forestry are crops of [[alder]], [[Ash tree|ash]], [[birch]], eucalyptus, poplar, and [[sycamore]], grown for eight to twenty years before harvest.


==Benefits==
==Benefits==


The main advantage of using "grown fuels", as opposed to [[fossil fuel]]s such as [[coal]], [[natural gas]] and [[oil]], is that while they are growing they absorb the near-equivalent in [[carbon dioxide]] (an important [[greenhouse gas]]) to that which is later released in their burning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPRByCountryLang/E09728F06ED2D7CE8025710000537C7D |title=Potential seen to develop short-rotation forestry for wood fuel}}</ref> In comparison, burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric carbon unsustainably, by using carbon that was added to the Earth's [[carbon sink]] millions of years ago. This is a prime contributor to [[climate change]].
The main advantage of using "grown fuels", as opposed to [[fossil fuel]]s such as [[coal]], [[natural gas]] and [[oil]], is that while they are growing they absorb the near-equivalent of [[carbon dioxide]] (an important [[greenhouse gas]]) to that which is later released in their burning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPRByCountryLang/E09728F06ED2D7CE8025710000537C7D |title=Potential seen to develop short-rotation forestry for wood fuel |access-date=2006-12-08 |archive-date=2006-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630105657/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPRByCountryLang/E09728F06ED2D7CE8025710000537C7D |url-status=dead }}</ref> In comparison, burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric carbon unsustainably, by using carbon that was added to the Earth's [[carbon sink]] millions of years ago. This is a prime contributor to [[climate change]].


According to the [[FAO]], compared to other energy crops, wood is among the most efficient sources of [[bioenergy]] in terms of quantity of energy released by unit of carbon emitted. Other advantages of generating energy from trees, as opposed to agricultural crops, are that trees do not have to be harvested each year, the harvest can be delayed when market prices are down, and the products can fulfil a variety of end-uses.<ref>{{cite web | title=Scientific Facts on Forests & Energy| publisher=GreenFacts Website | date=2009-03-13 | accessdate=2009-03-25 | url= http://www.greenfacts.org/en/forests-energy/l-2/4-forests-energy-potential.htm#2}}</ref>
According to the [[FAO]], compared to other energy crops, wood is among the most efficient sources of [[bioenergy]] in terms of the quantity of energy released by unit of carbon emitted. Other advantages of generating energy from trees, as opposed to agricultural crops, are that trees do not have to be harvested each year, the harvest can be delayed when market prices are down, and the products can fulfil a variety of end-uses.<ref>{{cite web | title=Scientific Facts on Forests & Energy| publisher=GreenFacts Website | date=2009-03-13 | access-date=2009-03-25 | url= http://www.greenfacts.org/en/forests-energy/l-2/4-forests-energy-potential.htm#2}}</ref>


Yields of some varieties can be as high as 12 oven dry tonnes every year.<ref>{{cite journal
Yields of some varieties can be as high as 11 oven dry tonnes per hectare every year.<ref>{{cite journal
| title =Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short-rotation coppice in the UK
| title =Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short-rotation coppice in the UK
| journal =New Phytologist
| journal =New Phytologist
Line 19: Line 20:
| year =2008
| year =2008
| url =http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118760125/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
| url =http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118760125/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
| archive-url =https://archive.today/20130105064221/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118760125/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
| url-status =dead
| archive-date =2013-01-05
| format = PDF
| format = PDF
| accessdate = 2008-10-22
| access-date = 2008-10-22
| doi =10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02396.x
| doi =10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02396.x
| pmid =18331429
| pmid =18331429
Line 34: Line 38:
| first5 =P
| first5 =P
| last6 =Taylor
| last6 =Taylor
| first6 =G| s2cid =35494995
⚫
| first6 =G}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, commercial experience on plantations in Scandinavia have shown lower yield rates.<ref>{{cite journal
| doi-access =free
⚫
}}</ref> However, commercial experience on plantations in Scandinavia have shown lower yield rates.<ref>{{cite journal
| title =Yield models for commercial willow biomass plantations in Sweden
| title =Yield models for commercial willow biomass plantations in Sweden
| journal =Biomass and Bioenergy
| journal =Biomass and Bioenergy
Line 47: Line 53:
| first2 =Pär}}</ref>
| first2 =Pär}}</ref>


These crops can also be used in bank stabilisation and [[phytoremediation]]. In fact, experiments in Sweden with willow plantations have proved to have many beneficial effects on the soil<ref>{{cite journal
These crops can also be used in bank stabilisation and [[phytoremediation]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zalesny |first1=Ronald |last2=Berndes |first2=Göran |last3=Dimitriou |first3=Ioannis |last4=Fritsche |first4=Uwe |last5=Miller |first5=Constance |last6=Eisenbies |first6=Mark |last7=Ghezehei |first7=Solomon |last8=Hazel |first8=Dennis |last9=Headlee |first9=William |last10=Mola-Yudego |first10=Blas |last11=Negri |first11=Cristina |last12=Nichols |first12=Elizabeth |last13=Quinn |first13=John |last14=Shifflett |first14=Shawn |last15=Therasme |first15=Obste |last16=Volk |first16=Timothy |last17=Zumpf |first17=Colleen |title=Positive water linkages of producing short rotation poplars and willows for bioenergy and phytotechnologies |journal=Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment |date=2019 |volume=8 |issue=5 |doi=10.1002/wene.345|s2cid=146694940 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In fact, experiments in Sweden with willow plantations have proved to have many beneficial effects on the soil<ref>{{cite journal
| title =Changes in organic carbon and trace elements in the soil of willow short-rotation coppice plantations
| title =Changes in organic carbon and trace elements in the soil of willow short-rotation coppice plantations
| journal =Bioenergy Research
| journal =Bioenergy Research
Line 62: Line 68:
| first3 =Pär
| first3 =Pär
| last4 =Eriksson
| last4 =Eriksson
| first4 =Jan}}</ref>
| first4 =Jan| s2cid =7370777
and water quality<ref>{{cite journal
}}</ref> and water quality<ref>{{cite journal
| title =Impact of willow Short Rotation Coppice on water quality
| title =Impact of willow Short Rotation Coppice on water quality
| journal =Bioenergy Research
| journal =Bioenergy Research
Line 76: Line 82:
| first2 =Blas
| first2 =Blas
| last3 =Aronsson
| last3 =Aronsson
| first3 =Pär}}</ref>
| first3 =Pär| s2cid =16209524
}}</ref> when compared to conventional agricultural crops (such as cereal). This beneficial effects have been the basis for the designed of multifunctional production systems to meet emerging bioenergy demands and at the same time, increase the local biodiversity, reduce soil erosion and nutrient emissions to water, increase [[soil carbon]], enhance pollination, and avoid or mitigate flooding events.<ref>{{cite journal
when compared to conventional agricultural crops (such as cereal).
| title =Multifunctional perennial production systems for bioenergy: performance and progress | journal =Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment | volume =9 | issue =5 | year =2020 | doi = 10.1002/wene.375 | last1 =Englund | first1 =Oscar | last2 =Dimitriou | first2 =Ioannis | last3 =Dale | first3 =Virginia | last4 =Klein | first4 =Keith | last5 =Mola-Yudego | first5 =Blas | last6 =Murphy | first6 =Fionnuala | last7 =English| first7 =Burton| last8 =McGrath | first8 =John | last9 =Busch | first9 =Gerald | last10 =Negri | first10 =Cristina| s2cid =219420124 | doi-access =free}}</ref>


==Problems==
==Problems==


Although in many areas of the world government funding is still required to support large scale development of energy forestry as an industry, it is seen as a valuable component of the renewable energy network and will be increasingly important in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm |title=Stern Review on the economics of climate change |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209022829/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm |archivedate=2006-12-09 }}</ref>
Although in many areas of the world government funding is still required to support large scale development of energy forestry as an industry, it is seen as a valuable component of the renewable energy network and will be increasingly important in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm |title=Stern Review on the economics of climate change |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209022829/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm |archive-date=2006-12-09 }}</ref>


Growing trees is relatively water intensive.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}
Growing trees is relatively water intensive.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}


The system of energy forestry has faced criticism over food vs. fuel, whereby it has become financially profitable to replace food crops with energy crops. It has to be noted, however, that such energy forests do not necessarily compete with food crops for highly productive land as they can be grown on slopes, marginal, or degraded land as well - sometimes even with long-term restoration purposes in mind.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}}
The system of energy forestry has faced criticism over food vs. fuel, whereby it has become financially profitable to replace food crops with energy crops. It has to be noted, however, that such energy forests do not necessarily compete with food crops for highly productive land as they can be grown on slopes, marginal, or degraded land as well – sometimes even with long-term restoration purposes in mind.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Englund |first1=Oskar |last2=Börjesson |first2=Pål |last3=Berndes |first3=Göran |last4=Scarlat |first4=Nicolae |last5=Dallemand |first5=Jean-Francois |last6=Grizzetti |first6=Bruna |last7=Dimitriou |first7=Ioannis |last8=Mola-Yudego |first8=Blas |last9=Fahl |first9=Fernando |title=Beneficial land use change: Strategic expansion of new biomass plantations can reduce environmental impacts from EU agriculture |journal=Global Environmental Change |date=2020 |volume=60 |page=101990 |doi=10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.101990|s2cid=213828505 |doi-access=free }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 93: Line 100:
*[[Biomass]]
*[[Biomass]]
*[[Energy crop]]
*[[Energy crop]]
*[[Food vs fuel]]
*[[Food vs. fuel]]
*[[Issues relating to biofuels]]
*[[Issues relating to biofuels]]
*[[Non food crops]]
*[[Short rotation coppice]]
*[[Short rotation coppice]]
*[[Short rotation forestry]]
*[[Short rotation forestry]]

Revision as of 06:29, 9 March 2024

Energy forestry is a form of forestry in which a fast-growing species of tree or woody shrub is grown specifically to provide biomass or biofuel for heating or power generation.

The two forms of energy forestry are short rotation coppice and short rotation forestry:

  • Short rotation coppice may include tree crops of poplar, willow or eucalyptus, grown for two to five years before harvest.[1]
  • Short rotation forestry are crops of alder, ash, birch, eucalyptus, poplar, and sycamore, grown for eight to twenty years before harvest.

Benefits

The main advantage of using "grown fuels", as opposed to fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil, is that while they are growing they absorb the near-equivalent of carbon dioxide (an important greenhouse gas) to that which is later released in their burning.[2] In comparison, burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric carbon unsustainably, by using carbon that was added to the Earth's carbon sink millions of years ago. This is a prime contributor to climate change.

According to the FAO, compared to other energy crops, wood is among the most efficient sources of bioenergy in terms of the quantity of energy released by unit of carbon emitted. Other advantages of generating energy from trees, as opposed to agricultural crops, are that trees do not have to be harvested each year, the harvest can be delayed when market prices are down, and the products can fulfil a variety of end-uses.[3]

Yields of some varieties can be as high as 11 oven dry tonnes per hectare every year.[4] However, commercial experience on plantations in Scandinavia have shown lower yield rates.[5]

These crops can also be used in bank stabilisation and phytoremediation.[6] In fact, experiments in Sweden with willow plantations have proved to have many beneficial effects on the soil[7] and water quality[8] when compared to conventional agricultural crops (such as cereal). This beneficial effects have been the basis for the designed of multifunctional production systems to meet emerging bioenergy demands and at the same time, increase the local biodiversity, reduce soil erosion and nutrient emissions to water, increase soil carbon, enhance pollination, and avoid or mitigate flooding events.[9]

Problems

Although in many areas of the world government funding is still required to support large scale development of energy forestry as an industry, it is seen as a valuable component of the renewable energy network and will be increasingly important in the future.[10]

Growing trees is relatively water intensive.[citation needed]

The system of energy forestry has faced criticism over food vs. fuel, whereby it has become financially profitable to replace food crops with energy crops. It has to be noted, however, that such energy forests do not necessarily compete with food crops for highly productive land as they can be grown on slopes, marginal, or degraded land as well – sometimes even with long-term restoration purposes in mind.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Establishing an SRC plantation". Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
  2. ^ "Potential seen to develop short-rotation forestry for wood fuel". Archived from the original on 2006-06-30. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
  3. ^ "Scientific Facts on Forests & Energy". GreenFacts Website. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  4. ^ Aylott, MJ; Casella, E; Tubby, I; Street, NR; Smith, P; Taylor, G (2008). "Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short-rotation coppice in the UK". New Phytologist. 178 (2): 358–370. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02396.x. PMID 18331429. S2CID 35494995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  5. ^ Mola-Yudego, Blas; Aronsson, Pär (2008). "Yield models for commercial willow biomass plantations in Sweden". Biomass and Bioenergy. 32 (9): 829–837. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2008.01.002.
  6. ^ Zalesny, Ronald; Berndes, Göran; Dimitriou, Ioannis; Fritsche, Uwe; Miller, Constance; Eisenbies, Mark; Ghezehei, Solomon; Hazel, Dennis; Headlee, William; Mola-Yudego, Blas; Negri, Cristina; Nichols, Elizabeth; Quinn, John; Shifflett, Shawn; Therasme, Obste; Volk, Timothy; Zumpf, Colleen (2019). "Positive water linkages of producing short rotation poplars and willows for bioenergy and phytotechnologies". Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 8 (5). doi:10.1002/wene.345. S2CID 146694940.
  7. ^ Dimitriou, Ioannis; Mola-Yudego, Blas; Aronsson, Pär; Eriksson, Jan (2012). "Changes in organic carbon and trace elements in the soil of willow short-rotation coppice plantations". Bioenergy Research. 5 (3): 563–572. doi:10.1007/s12155-012-9215-1. S2CID 7370777.
  8. ^ Dimitriou, Ioannis; Mola-Yudego, Blas; Aronsson, Pär (2012). "Impact of willow Short Rotation Coppice on water quality". Bioenergy Research. 5 (3): 537–545. doi:10.1007/s12155-012-9211-5. S2CID 16209524.
  9. ^ Englund, Oscar; Dimitriou, Ioannis; Dale, Virginia; Klein, Keith; Mola-Yudego, Blas; Murphy, Fionnuala; English, Burton; McGrath, John; Busch, Gerald; Negri, Cristina (2020). "Multifunctional perennial production systems for bioenergy: performance and progress". Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 9 (5). doi:10.1002/wene.375. S2CID 219420124.
  10. ^ "Stern Review on the economics of climate change". Archived from the original on 2006-12-09.
  11. ^ Englund, Oskar; Börjesson, Pål; Berndes, Göran; Scarlat, Nicolae; Dallemand, Jean-Francois; Grizzetti, Bruna; Dimitriou, Ioannis; Mola-Yudego, Blas; Fahl, Fernando (2020). "Beneficial land use change: Strategic expansion of new biomass plantations can reduce environmental impacts from EU agriculture". Global Environmental Change. 60: 101990. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.101990. S2CID 213828505.
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