The Impacts of the Energy Potential of Forest Biomass on the Local Market: An Example of South-Eastern Poland

Forest biomass is and will remain a primary source of renewable energy in many EU countries in the coming years. The aim of this study was to determine the energy potential of forest biomass on a regional scale with regard to the needs of its inhabitants in terms of electricity and heat consumption. The study was carried out in south-eastern Poland. Energy potential was calculated based on the determined wood mass and calorific value of wood. The current level of forest biomass acquisition satisfies 4.2% of the needs of the local market in terms of electricity and heat consumption. Taking into account high forest cover of the region (40%), the 60% annual increment of total harvesting, and obtaining biomass at the level of 30% of the total harvesting, waste wood from the forest can meet 58.1% of the needs of the local market in terms of electricity consumption and 14.4% of the need for thermal energy consumption. There is a certain niche in the fuel wood market that is currently unused, presenting the opportunity to develop this sector and generate additional jobs in local markets. However, the increase in obtained forest biomass must be in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

Download Full-text

CLIMATE-TREE GROWTH RELATIONSHIPS OF Mimosa tenuiflora IN SEASONALLY DRY TROPICAL FOREST, BRAZIL

CERNE ◽

10.1590/01047760201521011460 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 141-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Patrícia Póvoa Mattos ◽

Evaldo Muñoz Braz ◽

Vitor Dressano Domene ◽

Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio ◽

Peter Gasson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Dynamics ◽

Calorific Value ◽

High Growth ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Fuel Wood ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Wood Harvesting ◽

Annual Growth Rings ◽

Mimosa Tenuiflora

Mimosa tenuiflora is a native pioneer tree from the Caatinga used commercially as firewood due to its high calorific value. It is deciduous, its trunk does not reach large diameters and it has good regrowth capacity. This study intended to determine the annual increment in diameter of M. tenuiflora and its correlation with rainfall, as basis for fuel wood management. Disks from the stem base of M. tenuiflora trees were collected in 2008 in Sertânia and Serra Talhada, Pernambuco State, from regrowth of trees coppiced in 2003 and in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará State, from a plantation established in 2002. The trees have well-defined annual growth rings, highly correlated with annual precipitation and are well-suited for dendrochronological investigations. Forest managers must consider the influence of previous drier years in the wood production when predicting fuel wood harvesting. The high growth correlation with the previous year's rainfall in regions where the rains start after photoperiodic stimulation indicate the necessity of understanding the growth dynamics of the species under dry forest conditions through additional ecophysiology studies.

Download Full-text

Estimation of Future Changes in Aboveground Forest Carbon Stock in Romania. A Prediction Based on Forest-Cover Pattern Scenario

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11090914 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 914

Author(s):

Monica Dumitrașcu ◽

Gheorghe Kucsicsa ◽

Cristina Dumitrică ◽

Elena-Ana Popovici ◽

Alexandra Vrînceanu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Stock ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Forest Biomass ◽

Forest Carbon ◽

Carbon Accumulation ◽

Pattern Change ◽

Forest Carbon Stock ◽

The Future ◽

Cover Pattern

The aboveground forest biomass plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and is considered a large and constant carbon reservoir. Hence, exploring the future potential changes in forest-cover pattern can help to estimate the trend of forest biomass and therefore, carbon stock in a certain area. As a result, the present paper attempts to model the potential changes in aboveground forest carbon stock based on the forest-cover pattern scenario simulated for 2050. Specifically, the resulting aboveground forest biomass, estimated for 2015 using the allometric equation based on diameter at breast height and the estimated forest density, was used as baseline data in the present approach. These spatial data were integrated into the forest-cover pattern scenario, predicted by using a spatially explicit model, i.e., the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent (CLUE-S), in order to estimate the potential variation of aboveground forest carbon stock. Our results suggest an overall increase by approximately 4% in the aboveground forest carbon stock until 2050 in Romania. However, important differences in the forest-cover pattern change were predicted on the regional scale, thus highlighting that the rates of carbon accumulation will change significantly in large areas. This study may increase the knowledge of aboveground forest biomass and the future trend of carbon stock in the European countries. Furthermore, due to their predictive character, the results may provide a background for further studies, in order to investigate the potential ecological, socio-economic and forest management responses to the changes in the aboveground forest carbon stock. However, in view of the uncertainties associated with the data accuracy and methodology used, it is presumed that the results include several spatial errors related to the estimation of aboveground forest biomass and simulation of future forest-cover pattern change and therefore, represent an uncertainty for the practical management of applications and decisions.

Download Full-text

ESTIMATES OF MASS AND ENERGY OF DIFFERENT GENETIC MATERIAL EUCALYPTUS

Revista Árvore ◽

10.1590/1806-90882017000300002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mateus Alves de Magalhães ◽

Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro ◽

Benedito Rocha Vital ◽

Carlos Miguel Simões da Silva ◽

Marina Moura de Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Biomass ◽

Genetic Material ◽

Energy Matrix ◽

Charcoal Production ◽

Energy Potential ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Production Sector ◽

Estimated Parameters ◽

Eucalyptus Cloeziana ◽

Physical And Chemical

ABSTRACT The use of forest biomass or its derived charcoal as firewood can generate environmental and economic advantages for the Brazilian energy matrix. In this context, the main objective was to evaluate the energy potential of certain eucalyptus genetic materials, which are used by the charcoal production sector. We have evaluated six materials of Eucalyptus ssp. at the age of seven years from commercial plantations, spaced 3 x 3m, grown in the Alto Vale do Jequitinhonha, in Minas Gerais. Based on the production data, the average annual increment and the physical and chemical analyzes of the wood and the charcoal produced with it, we have estimated parameters to compare the potential of each genetic material, such as mass and energy of wood and charcoal per hectare, as well as the energy density. The results show that a material of Eucalyptus urophylla has greater energetic potential in relation to the others because it presents higher energy/ hectare estimated for its wood and consequently for charcoal produced with it. However, a material of Eucalyptus cloeziana presented a higher energetic density of the wood and its charcoal, showing advantages mainly in the transport.

Download Full-text

Regional Analyses of Rainfall-Induced Landslide Initiation in Upper Gudbrandsdalen (South-Eastern Norway) Using TRIGRS Model

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences11010035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 35

Author(s):

Luca Schilirò ◽

José Cepeda ◽

Graziella Devoli ◽

Luca Piciullo

Keyword(s):

Numerical Simulations ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Shallow Landslides ◽

South Eastern ◽

Physically Based ◽

Triggering Conditions ◽

Cover Thickness ◽

Regional Analyses ◽

Factor Maps ◽

Eastern Norway

In Norway, shallow landslides are generally triggered by intense rainfall and/or snowmelt events. However, the interaction of hydrometeorological processes (e.g., precipitation and snowmelt) acting at different time scales, and the local variations of the terrain conditions (e.g., thickness of the surficial cover) are complex and often unknown. With the aim of better defining the triggering conditions of shallow landslides at a regional scale we used the physically based model TRIGRS (Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-based Regional Slope stability) in an area located in upper Gudbrandsdalen valley in South-Eastern Norway. We performed numerical simulations to reconstruct two scenarios that triggered many landslides in the study area on 10 June 2011 and 22 May 2013. A large part of the work was dedicated to the parameterization of the numerical model. The initial soil-hydraulic conditions and the spatial variation of the surficial cover thickness have been evaluated applying different methods. To fully evaluate the accuracy of the model, ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curves have been obtained comparing the safety factor maps with the source areas in the two periods of analysis. The results of the numerical simulations show the high susceptibility of the study area to the occurrence of shallow landslides and emphasize the importance of a proper model calibration for improving the reliability.

Download Full-text

ABOVE GROUND TREES BIOMASS OF LORE LINDU NATIONAL PARK-CENTRAL SULAWESI : A STUDY COMBINING FIELD MEASUREMENT AND REMOTE SENSING

Agromet ◽

10.29244/j.agromet.24.1.33-41 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Naimatu Solicha ◽

Tania June ◽

M. Ardiansyah ◽

Antonius B. W.

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Carbon Stock ◽

Field Data ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Satellite Image ◽

Forest Biomass ◽

Allometric Equation ◽

Natural Forest ◽

Forest Cover Type ◽

Cover Type

Forests play an important role in global carbon cycling, since they hold a large pool of carbon as well as potential carbon sinks and sources to the atmosphere. Accurate estimation of forest biomass is required for greenhouse gas inventories and terrestrial carbon accounting. The information on biomass is essential to assess the total and the annual capacity of forest vigor. Estimation of aboveground biomass is necessary for studying productivity, carbon cycles, nutrient allocation, and fuel accumulation in terrestrial ecosystem. The possibility that above ground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods. Remote sensing has opened an effective way to estimate forest biomass and carbon. By the combination of data field measurement and allometric equation, the above ground trees biomass possible to be estimated over the large area. The objectives of this research are: (1) To estimate the above ground tree biomass and carbon stock of forest cover in Lore Lindu National Park by combination of field data observation, allometric equation and multispectral satellite image; (2) to find the equation model between parameter that determines the biomass estimation. The analysis showed that field data observation and satellite image classification influencing much on the accuracy of trees biomass and carbon stock estimation. The forest cover type A and B (natural forest with the minor timber extraction) has the higher biomass than C and D (natural forest with the major timber extraction and agro forestry), it is about 607 ton/ha and 603 ton/ha. Forest cover type C is 457 ton/ha. Forest cover type D has the lowest biomass is about 203 ton/ha. Natural forest has high biomass, because of the tropical vegetation trees heterogeneity. Forest cover D has the lowest trees biomass because its vegetation component as secondary forest with the homogeneity of cacao plantation. The forest biomass and carbon estimation for each cover type will be useful for the further equation analysis when using the remote sensing technology for estimating the total biomass and for the economic carbon analysis.Forests play an important role in global carbon cycling, since they hold a large pool of carbon as well as potential carbon sinks and sources to the atmosphere. Accurate estimation of forest biomass is required for greenhouse gas inventories and terrestrial carbon accounting. The information on biomass is essential to assess the total and the annual capacity of forest vigor. Estimation of aboveground biomass is necessary for studying productivity, carbon cycles, nutrient allocation, and fuel accumulation in terrestrial ecosystem. The possibility that above ground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods. Remote sensing has opened an effective way to estimate forest biomass and carbon. By the combination of data field measurement and allometric equation, the above ground trees biomass possible to be estimated over the large area. The objectives of this research are: (1) To estimate the above ground tree biomass and carbon stock of forest cover in Lore Lindu National Park by combination of field data observation, allometric equation and multispectral satellite image; (2) to find the equation model between parameter that determines the biomass estimation. The analysis showed that field data observation and satellite image classification influencing much on the accuracy of trees biomass and carbon stock estimation. The forest cover type A and B (natural forest with the minor timber extraction) has the higher biomass than C and D (natural forest with the major timber extraction and agro forestry), it is about 607 ton/ha and 603 ton/ha. Forest cover type C is 457 ton/ha. Forest cover type D has the lowest biomass is about 203 ton/ha. Natural forest has high biomass, because of the tropical vegetation trees heterogeneity. Forest cover D has the lowest trees biomass because its vegetation component as secondary forest with the homogeneity of cacao plantation. The forest biomass and carbon estimation for each cover type will be useful for the further equation analysis when using the remote sensing technology for estimating the total biomass and for the economic carbon analysis.

Download Full-text

Betula pendula Ssp. distribution and growth in the sub-Carpathian curvature

Romanian Journal of Ecology & Environmental Chemistry ◽

10.21698/rjeec.2021.202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 16-22

Author(s):

Mihai Harpa ◽

◽

Lucian Dinca

Keyword(s):

Betula Pendula ◽

Stand Structure ◽

Economic Value ◽

Wood Products ◽

Fuel Wood ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Ecological Adaptability ◽

Secondary Species ◽

Site Type ◽

Successional Species

Birch ssp. in the sub-Carpathians curvature can be found in composition with beech and other resinous species, unevenly distributed from the mountain peaks at around 1200 m down to 500-600, mainly from high hills to depressions at 600m, rarely seen on plain sites, crossing different geomorphological structures and overall accounting for 3857.1 ha. The main objective of the paper was to analyze the site and stand characteristics of Betula pendula ssp. Roth. in the subCarpathians curvature as followed: stand structure, stand types and stand site types, soils and different metrics, from growth to yields and its connectivity.The ecological adaptability to climate and soil and early fast growth, makes silver birch fulfill the overall requirements as a pioneer species, mostly naturally regenerated. Birch distribution is highly influenced by stand structure having low proportion in compositions, mean height of 15 m at age 50, and a diameter of 20m. Regarding the site, characteristics are more commonly found on fertile soils, corrugated or fragmented site type with a slope of 20-50° and it is distributed as secondary species in stands, averaging 750m in attitude, ranging from 500 to 1200m, 90% being in mixtures with other species with a mean annual increment of approximately 7 m³/year/ha regardless of stand site type. As an early successional species, it serves as a first colonizer but secondary species and quite often as an ecological instrument to improve the soil characteristics, biodiversity and prevent landslides in certain sites, lacking economic value other than fuel wood or other non-wood products.

Download Full-text

Uncertainty Analysis of Multisource Land Cover Products in China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13168857 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 8857

Author(s):

Longhao Wang ◽

Jiaxin Jin

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

Average Deviation ◽

Deviation Analysis ◽

Land Cover Data ◽

Spatial Changes ◽

Forest Coverage ◽

High Consistency

Satellite-based land cover products play a crucial role in sustainability. There are several types of land cover products, such as qualitative products with discrete classes, semiquantitative products with several classes at a predetermined ratio, and quantitative products with land cover fractions. The proportions of land cover types in the grids with coarse resolution should be considered when used at the regional scale (e.g., modeling and remote sensing inversion). However, uncertainty, which varies with spatial distribution and resolution, needs to be studied further. This study used MCD12, ESA CCI, and MEaSURES VCF land cover data as indicators of qualitative, semiquantitative, and quantitative products, respectively, to explore the uncertainty of multisource land cover data. The methods of maximum area aggregation, deviation analysis, and least squares regression were used to investigate spatiotemporal changes in forests and nontree vegetation at diverse pixel resolutions across China. The results showed that the average difference in forest coverage for the three products was 8%, and the average deviation was 11.2%. For forest cover, the VCF and ESA CCI exhibited high consistency. For nontree vegetation, the ESA CCI and MODIS exhibited the lowest differences. The overall uncertainty in the temporal and spatial changes of the three products was relatively small, but there were significant differences in local areas (e.g., southeastern hills). Notably, as the spatial resolution decreased, the three products’ uncertainty decreased, and the resolution of 0.1° was the inflection point of consistency.

Download Full-text

Mapping Regional Landscape by Using OpenstreetMap (OSM)

Environmental Information Systems ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7033-2.ch033 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 771-790 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Di Yang

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Land Use ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Google Earth ◽

Computing Power ◽

New Approach ◽

Computation Cost ◽

Regional Landscape ◽

Google Earth Engine

A forest patterns map over a large extent at high spatial resolution is a heavily computation task but is critical to most regions. There are two major difficulties in generating the classification maps at regional scale: large training points sets and expensive computation cost in classifier modelling. As one of the most well-known Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) initiatives, OpenstreetMap contributes not only on road network distributions, but the potential of justify land cover and land use. Google Earth Engine is a platform designed for cloud-based mapping with a strong computing power. In this study, we proposed a new approach to generating forest cover map and quantifying road-caused forest fragmentations by using OpenstreetMap in conjunction with remote sensing dataset stored in Google Earth Engine. Additionally, the landscape metrics produced after incorporating OpenStreetMap (OSM) with the forest spatial pattern layers from our output indicated significant levels of forest fragmentation in Yucatan peninsula.

Download Full-text