Title:
Mixed Short Rotation Plantations for Biomass Production
Author(s):
Sixto, H., Oliveira, N., Diaz, A.M., Gonzalez, B.D., Sánchez, M., Cañellas, I., del Rio, M.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The possibility of using mixtures of species in an attempt to increase biomass production in plantations managed in short rotation coppice is an avenue of research which has been little explored in scientific literature. These kinds of plantations have gained importance in recent times because they allow biomass to be produced over a short time span and in relatively small areas, while the biomass produced is highly suitable for different energy uses and for obtaining other bioproducts, all of which contribute to the development of the bioeconomy. Unlike monocultures, in mixed-stands the phenomena of competition, complementarity or facilitation can arise between the species comprising the stands, leading to changes in the availability of water, nutrients and light, thus modifying the carbon allocation of the component species in comparison to a pure stand. The objective of the experiment is to identify whether or not there is any facilitation and/or complementarity leading to an increase in biomass production in mixed plantations of Populus alba L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L.. A mixed plantation was set up in the center of Spain comprising Populus alba and Robinia pseudoacacia, at a density of 10,000 trees per hectare, which included pure as well as different percentage mixtures of the species (100:0; 75:25; 50:50; 25:75 and 0:100) following a random block design with 36 trees per block and mixture. Highly productive hybrids of the Populus genus have been shown to be suitable for short rotation plantations. Among the species of this genus, the suitability of P.alba for use in Mediterranean environments is currently being assessed given its high adaptive potential. Robinia pseudoacacia is a nitrogen fixing species capable of sprouting from the stump and which exhibits moderate water needs. Hence the suitability of R. pseudoacacia for use in biomass production is also being explored. The results presented correspond to the biomass production at the end of the first rotation (3 years). The most suitable monoculture plantations for biomass production were found to be P.alba versus R.pseudoacacia. Similarly, an improvement in biomass production is achieved when P.alba is grown in mixture with 25% of R.pseudoacacia. In parallel, the individual production of black locust appears to improve with increasing presence of P.alba in the plantation. The results point to the presence of both complementarity and facilitation as the mechanisms for increased biomass production under certain mixture ratios.
Keywords:
biomass, poplar, short rotation coppice (SRC), robinia, mixture of species
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Short rotation forestry and short rotation coppice
Event:
23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1CV.1.40
Pages:
210 - 213
ISBN:
978-88-89407-516
Paper DOI:
10.5071/23rdEUBCE2015-1CV.1.40
Price:
FREE
