Scholarly record

ENERGY WOOD RESOURCES IN UNDERGROWTH AND UNDERSTOREY OF MYRTILLOSA MEL. FOREST SITE TYPE IN LATVIA

Aigars Indriksons

Abstract

Forest resources are the most significant natural resources of the state of Latvia. According to the second stage data of Forest Resource Monitoring, in 2014, Latvia has 3575 thousand hectares of forest land, which accounts for approximately 55.3 percent of the total territory of Latvia, while the total wood stock is estimated at 668 million cubic meters. A considerable part of it can be used for energy production, thus practically providing most of the necessary heat energy, a large part of the amount of electricity, as well as the amount of energy needed to provide transport movement. 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: in any case, the opportunity to use its own resources, export them; the increase in international financing for renewable energy projects. 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 woody plants of understorey and undergrowth comprises of 22 665 kg per hectare but calculated to 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.

Publication Impact Profile

• Captures
• Mendeley - Readers: 5

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/3.2/s14.102

Publication details

Back to publication list