Wood composition and energy content in a poplar short rotation plantation on fertilized agricultural land in a future CO2atmosphere

Forests are important regulators of carbon dioxide fluxes, whereas overall greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets, in particular, nitrous oxide (N2O), are still largely unknown. No studies on ecosystem-level N2O budgets (soil and tree stem fluxes with eddy covariance (EC) measurements above the canopy) are found. Only a few examples are available on N2O emissions from tree stems. Nevertheless, estimation of the N2O and the full GHG balance in different forest ecosystems under various environmental conditions is essential to understand their impact on climate.During the period of August 2017 to December 2019, we measured the N2O budget of a 40-yr old hemiboreal grey alder (Alnus incana) forest stand on former agricultural land in Estonia considering fluxes from the soil, tree stems and whole ecosystem. Grey alder (Alnus incana) is a fast-growing tree species typically found in riparian zones, with great potential for short-rotation forestry. Their symbiotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation ability makes alders important for the regulation of nitrogen (N) cycle in forested areas.We measured the N2O budget considering fluxes from the soil surface (12 automated chambers; Picarro 2508), tree stems (60 manual sampling campaigns from 12 model trees with chambers at 0.1, 0.8 and 1.7 m; gas chromatographic analysis in lab) and whole ecosystem (EC technique: Aerodyne TILDAS). Simultaneously, soil water level, temperature and moisture were measured automatically, and composite soil samples were taken for physico-chemical analysis. Potential N2 flux in intact soil cores was measured in the lab using the He-O incubation method.Average N2O fluxes from the soil and tree stems varied from 1.2 to 3.0 and 0.01 to 0.03 kg N2O-N ha&#8211;1 yr&#8211;1, respectively, being the highest during the wet periods, peaking during the freezing-thawing, and being the lowest in dry periods. The average annual potential N2 flux in the soil was 140 kg N2 ha&#8211;1 yr&#8211;1 which made the average N2:N2O-N ratio in the soil about 60. According to the EC measurements, the forest was a net annual source of N2O (3.4 kg N2O ha&#8211;1). Thus, the main gaseous nitrogen flux in this forest was N2 emission. Our carbon (C) budget showed that the forest was a significant net annual C sink.Results of our long-term study underline the high N and C buffering capacity of riparian alder forests. For better understanding of C and nutrient budgets of riparian forests, we need long-term, high-frequency measurements of N2O fluxes from the soil and tree stems in combination with ecosystem-level EC measurements. The identification of microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with N2O production and consumption is another future challenge.

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Energy and climate benefits of bioelectricity from low-input short rotation woody crops on agricultural land over a two-year rotation

Applied Energy ◽

10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.05.017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 111 ◽

pp. 862-870 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

S. Njakou Djomo ◽

O. El Kasmioui ◽

T. De Groote ◽

L.S. Broeckx ◽

M.S. Verlinden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Woody Crops ◽

Low Input ◽

Short Rotation Woody Crops ◽

Short Rotation

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Socio-Economic Importance Of Associated Plant Species In Short Rotation Coppice Plantations

Acta Regionalia et Environmentalica ◽

10.1515/aree-2015-0006 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 25-29

Author(s):

Michal Beniak ◽

Michal Žabka

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Economic Value ◽

Economic Importance ◽

Agricultural Field ◽

Human Needs ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Root Crops ◽

Spontaneous Vegetation ◽

Pass Through ◽

Toxic Potential

Abstract Many ecosystem services do not pass through markets. Therefore, the benefits which ecosystems provide to society are largely unrecorded. Fast-growing woody crops represent a quite new and still insufficiently explored ecosystem of agricultural land which has a potential to provide several utility functions. It may contribute to satisfaction of human needs and may enhance regional health. The goal of this paper was to detect the socio-economic importance of associated spontaneous vegetation in plantations of the energy crops (hybrids of the genera Salix) and to compare it with the socio-economic importance of adjacent permanently cultivated agricultural field. There was examined the therapeutic, melliferous, feed, allergenic and toxic potential of undergrowth for each experimental plot inside the SRC plantations. The research was carried out on the agricultural land formerly used for growing cereals and root crops – the research base Kolíňany. Our results showed that energy plantation understoreys can be assumed to be the better option for contribution to the total socio-economic value of a region than agricultural fields.

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Decomposition of fine roots and α-cellulose in a short rotation willow (Salix spp.) plantation on abandoned agricultural land

Silva Fennica ◽

10.14214/sf.294 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ülle Püttsepp ◽

Krista Lõhmus ◽

Andres Koppel

Keyword(s):

Fine Roots ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Salix Spp

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Biomass production of grey alder, hybrid alder and silver birch stands on abandoned agricultural land

Forestry Studies / Metsanduslikud Uurimused ◽

10.2478/v10132-011-0055-0 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 53-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jürgen Aosaar ◽

Veiko Uri

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Tree Species ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Rotation Period ◽

Production Capacity ◽

Silver Birch ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Short Rotation ◽

The Mean

Halli lepa, hübriidlepa ja arukase biomassi produktsioon endistel põllumaadel The present study is based on four experimental sites, located in Southern-Estonia: hybrid alder and grey alder plantations located in Põlva county, and two sample plots of silver birch, located in Tartu county. The stand characteristics, above-ground biomass and current annual production (CAP) were estimated in order to evaluate production capacity of different tree species growing on abandoned agricultural lands. Due to fast growth and high biomass production capacity the most promising tree species for short-rotation forestry in Estonia is grey alder. The stem mass in the 13-years-old grey alder and hybrid alder stand was 63.4 t ha-1 and 40.0 t ha-1, respectively. However, the different biomass production is mainly affected by stand densities, 6170 trees per ha and 4080 trees per ha, respectively. During ageing, the differences between the alder stands diminish. At the age of 14, mean height and diameter at breast height were practically equal. Also the mean stem mass in the older, 13-year old stand, is almost equal: 10.3 kg in grey alder stand and 9.8 kg in hybrid alder stand. At a younger age, the mean stem mass was higher in grey alder stand, but later, at the age of 13, the mean stem mass has become almost the same (10.3 kg in grey alder stand and 9.8 kg in hybrid alder stand). The rotation period for hybrid alder is longer than for grey alder and bulk maturity will occur later. Silver birch is also a highly productive tree species and has a prospect for short-rotation forestry. The mean stem mass and annual current increment of 8-year-old silver birch stand was in same the magnitude as in the grey alder stand. Although the average stand diameter and height were lower in the silver birch stand than in the grey alder stand, it is compensated by the higher wood density of birch wood. The number of trees has affected silver birch stand production, the above-ground biomass in the very high density birch stand (35 600 trees per ha) was significantly lower than in the sparse stand (11 600 trees per ha), 22.8 t ha-1 and 31.2 t ha-1, respectively.

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Land availability analysis and social attitude aspects in relation to implementation and development of short' rotation forestry systems in Poland

Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW Land Reclamation ◽

10.2478/v10060-008-0058-6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 153-166

Author(s):

Anna Wróbel ◽

Józef Mosiej ◽

Martin Weih

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Social Attitude ◽

Policy Makers ◽

New Crops ◽

Availability Analysis ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Land Availability ◽

Two Factors ◽

European Development ◽

Energy Plantations

Land availability analysis and social attitude aspects in relation to implementation and development of short' rotation forestry systems in Poland After observations of European development of renewable sources, and according to protocols and directives, set by both European and Polish policy makers, there is a need to find methods to support the future development of Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) using fast-growing trees on agricultural land, and to overcome potential problems. In this paper society attitudes towards future developing options for SRF energy plantations in Poland were investigated. In the investigation, two kinds of questionnaires were presented to various representatives of branches that have a potential interest in the subject. Individual representatives for the groups of industrial and municipal representatives, farmers, researchers and academic teachers, etc. were pooled. The results showed that main difficulties may arise from farmer attitudes towards nontraditional crops. This group of people showed great suspiciousness towards new crops, an attitude, which might be explained in part by the fact that the average level of knowledge concerning SRF energy plantations was low. Another factor that may strongly influence the introduction of SRF plantation is the land availability and suitability. Concerning the relatively large arable lands in Poland in comparison to other European countries the land availability potential has been investigated. On the base of two factors projecting the mentioned aspects of land, the analysis has been performed to figure out regions in Poland with the highest short rotation forestry potential.

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