Scientific Basis for Sustainable Management of Eucalyptus and Populus as Short-Rotation Woody Crops in the U.S.

Abstract

Short rotation woody crops (SRWC), fast growing tree species that are harvested on short, repeated intervals, can augment traditional fiber sources. These crops have economic and environmental benefits stemming from their capability of supplying fiber on a reduced land base in close proximity to users and when sensitive sites cannot be accessed. Eucalyptus and Populus appear to be genera with the greatest potential to provide supplemental fiber in the U.S. Optimal productivity can be achieved through practices that overcome site limitations and by choosing the most appropriate sites, species, and clones. Some Eucalyptus species are potentially invasive, yet field studies across multiple continents suggest they are slower to disperse than predicted by risk assessments. Some studies have found lower plant and animal diversity in SRWC systems compared to mature, native forests, but greater than some alterative land uses and strongly influenced by stand management, land use history, and landscape context. Eucalyptus established in place of grasslands, arable lands, and, in some cases, native forests can reduce streamflow and lower water tables due to higher interception and transpiration rates but results vary widely, are scale dependent, and are most evident in drier regions. OPEN ACCESS

Biomass and Volume Yield in Mature Hybrid Poplar Plantations on Temperate Abandoned Farmland

“…Each block contained 5 experimental plots (one per clone). Each experimental plot was 12 m × 12 m in size (144 m 2 ) and contained 12 trees of a single clone, for a total of 180 trees per site and 1440 trees across the whole experimental design. At each site, one guard row of poplar trees was planted around the entire perimeter of the plantation to reduce edge effects on poplar growth.…”

Exotic Invasive Shrub Glossy Buckthorn Reduces Restoration Potential for Native Forest Herbs

“…These results would be consistent with the description of glossy buckthorn as a generalist species with low edaphic requirements. Another hypothesis would be that the hybrid poplars, which are known to have high soil water and nutrient uptakes [37,38], and which represent 94% of the biomass of the plantation (all vegetation strata included) collected most of the soil resources made available by the removal of buckthorn.…”

The use of Eucalyptus in agroforestry systems of southern Rwanda : to integrate of segregate

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