Effect of planting density and tree species selection on forest bioenergy systems: tree growth, nutrient storage and wood chemical properties

Abstract

This study based on woody biomass was conducted under an experimental design of randomized complete blocks with two species, Eucalyptus saligna and Eucalyptus tereticornis, in three planting densities, 5000 trees ha −1 , 10 000 trees ha −1 , and 20 000 trees ha −1. Data were collected at 3, 12, and 24 months and growing relationships were analyzed. Adobe ground biomass, soil carbon reserve, plant issue nutrients, and woody biomass were determined. Results showed statistically significant differences between species in biomass production, obtaining values from 36.80 to 117.42 Mg ha −1 in E. tereticornis and 36.10 to 107.67 Mg ha −1 in E. saligna. Optimum planting density for both species proved to be 10 000 trees ha −1 , which showed better biomass accumulation and growth performance in addition to lower mortality, and less impact on productivity. Regarding soil nutrition, it was determined that as crop density increased, the loss of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca) increased, with a loss of up to 33% in 24 months in the density of 20 000 trees ha −1. For both species, the treatment of 10 000 trees ha −1 provided the highest concentration of organic matter in the top 20 cm of soil. Finally, wood chemical aspects did not show differences in the properties with any treatment.

Efecto del espaciamiento en la estimación indirecta del índice de área foliar en plantaciones dendroenergéticas de Eucalipto

“…Breda (2003), Liu et al (2012) y Tustin et al (2022) mencionan que es común en cultivos de alta densidad que el IAF aumente con distanciamientos menores como estrategia de sobrevivencia para aumentar la captura de luz en el sitio. Las copas pequeñas tienden a generar una menor capacidad fotosintética, lo cual afecta directamente la generación de los azúcares necesarios para el crecimiento primario y secundario, aspecto que afecta directamente la capacidad de crecimiento (Arias-Aguilar et al, 2020). Otro aspecto pertinente es la arquitectura de la copa, la cual se compactó conforme el espaciamiento disminuía.…”

Determination of the Optimal Size and Location of an Electricity Generation Plant That Uses Lignocellulosic Residues From Costa Rican Northern

“…The ease of generation of biomass from agro-industrial and forestry crops, the low CO 2 emission, the simplicity of storage and use and management together with the energy potential of productive residues [3]; make the biomass an optimal energy source for developing countries that have large agro-industrial and productive forestry areas [4]. It is estimated that biomass supplies about 10.4% of world energy demand, and for the next decade, an increase of 16% is expected [5]. Valverde et al [6] mentioned that biomass could be transformed into electrical energy through thermochemical processes such as combustion, pyrolysis, liquefaction, or gasi cation, focused on selfsu ciency or energy sale for commercial purposes.…”