Assessing the short rotation woody biomass production on marginal post-mining areas

Harvesting Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations for Biomass Production

Nacrtak In Italy, short rotation forest has become very popular in recent years, with over 4,000 hectares already planted – almost exclusively with clone poplar. The study models the performance of modified forage harvesters on a range of short-rotation poplar plantations, identifies technical obstacles to the deployment of these machines and suggests solutions that may expand the capability of...

Short Rotation Woody Crops for Industrial Applications

Purpose-grown trees have the potential to be a significant portion of the bioenergy solution in the Southeastern United States. Trees are a biomass source with existing end-use markets and associated infrastructure and provide a “living inventory” with a variety of benefits over annually harvested energy crops. The economic feasibility of utilizing tree woody biomass is improved by increasing p...

Woody Biomass Production on Post-smcra Mined Lands over Three Years and Comparisons with Other Studies

Abstract. Lands mined for coal and reclaimed under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) can be used to produce woody biomass. This study evaluates woody biomass production on SMCRA-reclaimed lands after ripping to reduce soil compaction. Four species treatments were established at two planting densities on three Wise County, Virginia, mine sites. Here, we review experimental t...

Sustainable Production of Woody Biomass for Energy

Compilation of State-of-the-Art Mechanization Technologies for Short-Rotation Woody Crop Production

SUMMARY This report reviews the current state of mechanization of operations, from establishment through harvesting and transportation, for short-rotation hardwood plantations. Given that essentially all of the high production plantations in the U.S. are intended for pulp production, with residues for energy as a secondary product, the report focuses mainly on approaches for producing trees gre...