Biomass Production by Fast-Growing Trees

Even though most of the biomass of the planet is in forests, we live in a world where wood as a raw material and its products are increasingly scarce. This is particularly so in important areas such as the European Community, which is far from self-sufficient in terms of wood. In recent years the need to intensify forest production and, in some cases, to uti- lize abandoned agricultural land for forestry has focussed world-wide attention on the economic importance of fast-growing tree plantations. These are usually managed as short "e;rotations"e; (growing cycles) of less than 15 years, often for the production of industrial raw materials or biomass for energy. Under the designation of fast-growing tree plantations, or short- rotation silviculture, one may find ecosystems managed for different economic objectives, with different intensities of technical intervention and different levels of productivity. They may include any of a wide range of species grown under various environmental conditions. A common factor, however, is the greater possibility that exists, relative to conventional forestry, for manipulation of both the environment and the genetics of the trees.