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Short-Rotation Forestry—Its Role in Biomass Production, C Sequestration and Preservation...
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Short-Rotation Forestry—Its Role in Biomass Production, C Sequestration and Preservation of Natural Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 4584

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Manuel Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agroforestry Sciences, School of Engineering, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
Interests: plant physiology and ecophysiology; woody energy crops; biomass; plant water relations; early selection; cold tolerance; forest sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Short rotation forestry (SRF) is the practice of cultivating fast-growing tree species for the production of woody biomass as a renewable resource. Trees are usually felled when they are 10–20 cm wide at breast height, which takes between 5 and 20 years depending on the tree species. It is therefore intermediate in timescale between short-rotation coppice (SRC) and conventional forestry. Sometimes it is difficult to establish the separation line between SRC and SRF, but a better-quality biomass is obtained from SRF since it is more feasible to eliminate the bark and fine branches of the harvested biomass. After harvesting, new trees are replanted or, much more usually, they are allowed to regenerate from the stumps as coppice. Species used are selected on this basis and include the genera Eucalyptus, Populus, Salix, Paulownia, Tectona, Robinia, Acacia, Leucaena, Alnus, Fraxinus, Fagus, Betula, etc. The dual property of fast growth and good coppicing ability mean, on the one hand, that several harvests can be obtained in a few years without the need to carry out repeated actions on the soil, which would increase the erosion, and on the other hand, that the natural stands can be preserved by reducing the pressure on them. During growth, trees sequester C, but in addition, risks and opportunities appear that must be managed carefully, due to their interaction with the surrounding ecosystems. Articles focused on biomass production by SRF, plant–soil interaction, impact on biodiversity, nutrient extraction, C sequestration, breeding and selection of the most suitable plant materials, crop management and logistics are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Manuel Fernández
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fast-growing tree species
  • woody biomass
  • woody energy crops
  • ecosystem interactions
  • sustainability
  • SRF cultivation techniques
  • tree harvest
  • tree–soil interaction
  • C sequestration

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2165 KiB  
Article
Biomass Production and Quality of Twelve Fast-Growing Tree Taxa in Short Rotation under Mediterranean Climate
by Joaquín Alaejos, Raúl Tapias, Francisco López, David Romero, Federico Ruiz and Manuel Fernández
Forests 2023, 14(6), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061156 - 4 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2129
Abstract
Sustainable production of lignocellulosic biomass for energy use can contribute to climate change mitigation. This work aims to compare the biomass production of twelve fast-growing woody taxa belonging to the Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Populus and Paulownia genera, the quality of their biomass [...] Read more.
Sustainable production of lignocellulosic biomass for energy use can contribute to climate change mitigation. This work aims to compare the biomass production of twelve fast-growing woody taxa belonging to the Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Populus and Paulownia genera, the quality of their biomass for energy use and its valorizing through transformation into pellets, as well as the effect of the crop on the soil. Over the course of two rotations, plant growth and biomass production were assessed. The yield of aboveground dry biomass ranged from 9 to 61 Mg ha−1 year−1 (equivalent to 137–867 GJ ha−1 year−1). The highest yields were obtained for Eucalyptus clones (51–61 Mg ha−1 year−1). The N-fixing species Casuarina equisetifolia and two Populus × euramericana clones (‘Adige’ and ‘AF2’) also achieved high yields (28–33 Mg ha−1 year−1), though significantly smaller than those of the eucalypts. Due to its low wood density, Paulownia fortunei was not very productive in terms of biomass (18 Mg ha−1 year−1), despite its good growth in diameter and height. However, some management practices, such as not removing nutrient-rich and poor-quality biomass fractions for energy use (leaves and thin branches) from the harvested crop, as well as the use of N-fixing species and by taking into account all nutrient inputs and outputs, can ensure the sustainability of the cultivation systems and improve degraded soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Short-Rotation Forestry—Its Role in Biomass Production, C Sequestration and Preservation of Natural Forests)
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11 pages, 1985 KiB  
Article
Testing New Provenances of Eucalyptus polybractea: A Eucalypt Oil Mallee Adapted to Semi-Arid Environments
by David Bush, David Spencer, John Doran and Richard Davis
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071109 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
Novel genetic accessions of Eucalyptus polybractea from a previously untested, hotter and drier part of the species’ natural range were tested in a common garden trial at a semi-arid site in NSW, Australia. Eucalyptus polybractea is a mallee eucalypt cultivated for essential oils [...] Read more.
Novel genetic accessions of Eucalyptus polybractea from a previously untested, hotter and drier part of the species’ natural range were tested in a common garden trial at a semi-arid site in NSW, Australia. Eucalyptus polybractea is a mallee eucalypt cultivated for essential oils (1,8-cineole), bioenergy and carbon sequestration on dryland sites in southern Australia (sites receiving about 450 mm mean annual rainfall, MAR). A trial of six previously untested provenances from the relatively hot, dry part of the species’ natural range in South Australia (SA) (250–450 mm MAR) was established alongside seven provenances from New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria within a commercial plantation in NSW. The trial was assessed at age 3.7 years for growth and oil characteristics. While survival was excellent, most of the SA sources were slower growing and of sub-standard oil concentration and quality relative to those from Victoria and NSW. However, a single SA provenance, with the highest oil concentration and 1,8-cineole percentage of all provenances tested, may have potential as a source of selected germplasm. Infusion of SA material into the breeding populations of E. polybractea, which are currently based on NSW and Victorian selections only, may provide more resilience in the face of hotter and drier temperatures expected under projected climate change scenarios, and/or allow the introduction of the species to hotter and drier climates in Australia or other parts of the world with semi-arid climates. However, high-intensity selection of infusions will be required to maintain the growth and oil characteristics in the existing breeding population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Short-Rotation Forestry—Its Role in Biomass Production, C Sequestration and Preservation of Natural Forests)
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