BIOMASS MODELS FOR SHORT ROTATION WILLOW PLANTATIONS IN LITHUANIA

Abstract

Despite of increasing areas of short rotation willow plantations in Lithuania, only few studies have been done so far regarding the biomass production in these plantations. To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop biomass equations for fresh and for oven drywillow biomass and to estimate the yield of short rotation plantations as expressed in fresh and oven dry biomass.

The data required by this study was gathered in the western part of Lithuania, in the Šilutė and Tauragė regions. For this purpose, sample plots were established in 21 short rotation willow plantations managed by “Klasmann-Deilmann Bioenergy“. All of them were first rotation plantations grown for 3 to 4 years.
It was found that mean annual oven dry biomass increment varied in these plantations from 0.2 to 7.6 tons per hectare per year. Surprisingly, the productivity was not related to soil fertility. Additionally, the relations between stand level values were evaluated and a stand biomass yield model based on the mean height was developed. Relations on the shoot level were analysed as well. As a result we developed biomass models based on the individual shoot diameter for shoot height as well as for fresh and for oven dry biomass.

Keywords: Short rotation willow plantations, fresh and oven dry biomass, mean annual increment, biomass models

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.028