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ENERGY WOOD RESOURCES EVALUATION IN LATVIAN FORESTS

Aigars Indriksons

Abstract

Considerable efforts have been devoted to the exploration of Latvian forest resources as the most significant national natural wealth. The State Forestry Research Institute is conducting the statistical forest inventory, is fixing the data of felling and recovery of forest stands. Detailed statistical information for the assessment of different aspects is available. In recent years, the consumption of certain woody biomass products, such as chips and pellets, has a tendency to grow, due to a number of factors: the opportunity to use its own resources, export them, the increase in international financing for renewable energy projects etc. The fossil fuel price increases and the development of strategic and regulatory decisions contribute to this. The forest undergrowth and understorey which according of the Rules for cutting trees in forest lands are suggested partially to be preserved, contain a considerable amount of potential energy wood. In the forthcoming study on the assessment of energy wood resources, a sufficient number of plots to be established in drained forests are foreseen, in order to ascertain the exact potential of their energy extraction in the drained forest site types in the country, as they reach or are close to the cutting age. The results obtained in Myrtillosa mel. forest site type suggest that the biomass of naturally humid wood of shrubs of understorey comprises of 22 665 kg per hectare but calculated the dry mass - 12 590 kg per hectare. The results suggest that this biomass is considerable and it is reasonable to use it for energy wood extraction simultaneously with final felling.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018v/1.5/s03.076

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