20.2 Southern Pines in Bioenergy Production 20 Pines

(ed. B.P. Singh) 427 pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii). Of note, the former two are also considered to be species of concern for conservation (Erickson et al., 2012) due to long-standing land management practices that have favoured loblolly pine. Similarly to loblolly pine, although on a smaller scale, slash pine has been widely planted and managed for wood and fibre production. Because of this, slash pine could be an important component of southern pine production for bioenergy purposes, sharing many similar features in this respect to loblolly pine. However, for the purpose of this chapter we will focus our discussion on loblolly pine and consider the general features and properties in bioenergy production, genetics and breeding for bioenergy traits, silvicultural practices for bioenergy production, tree harvesting and chip processing, bioenergy opportunities and challenges, and sustainability of bioenergy production systems. Socio-economic analyses and their implications are critical for the whole system but are beyond the scope of this chapter.