Paper details

Title:

Energy-wood Thinning as an Alternative to Pulpwood in Young Birch Stands

Author(s):

Di Fulvio, F., Bergström, D., Nordfjell, T.

Document(s):

Abstract:

In early thinnings, harvesting whole trees for energy-wood is an alternative to harvesting pulpwood. The availability of merchantable volumes and values of pulpwood and energy-wood has been studied in young birch stands at varying intensities of biomass removal, and the harvesting costs and profitability of the two systems were estimated. The volume of energy-wood was 1.5–1.7 times greater than that of pulpwood for a stand with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 13.9 cm and 2.0–3.5 times greater for a stand with a DBH of 10.4 cm. Almost only energy­wood could be harvested from stands with a DBH of 9.3 cm. Under current market prices, the energy wood system gives in average 1.5 times higher gross income than pulpwood in the studied stands. The net income was positive for the energy-wood system but negative for the pulpwood system in a stand with a DBH of 10.4 cm. When the stem volume removed is less than 40 dm3, the net income from pulpwood harvesting is negative because of its associated costs, but the removal of whole trees for energy can be profitable.

Keywords:

bioenergy, economics, forestry, harvesting, wood chips

Topic:

Biomass Resources

Subtopic:

Biomass from wood

Event:

19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

OC10.3

Pages:

224 - 227

ISBN-13:

978-88-89407-55-4

ISBN-10:

88-89407-55-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/19thEUBCE2011-OC10.3

Price:

FREE