Raul Fernandez-Lacruz, Fulvio Di Fulvio, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Dan Bergström, Tomas Nordfjell. (2015). Distribution, characteristics and potential of biomass-dense thinning forests in Sweden. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 5 article id 1377. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1377

Keywords: bioenergy; GIS; wood fuel; early thinning; small-tree harvesting; biomass potential; biomaterial

Highlights: Biomass-dense thinning forests (BDTF) cover 2.1–9.8 M ha in Sweden, which represents 9–44% of the country’s productive forest land area, depending on the constraints applied; 65% of BDTF area is found in northern Sweden; Analyses revealed a yearly harvesting potential of at least 4.3 M OD t of undelimbed whole trees (3.0 M OD t of delimbed stemwood including tops).

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Understanding the characteristics of unutilized biomass resources, such as small-diameter trees from biomass-dense thinning forests (BDTF) (non-commercially-thinned forests), can provide important information for developing a bio-based economy. The aim of this study was to describe the areal distribution, characteristics (biomass of growing stock, tree height, etc.) and harvesting potential of BDTF in Sweden. A national forest inventory plot dataset was imported into a geographical information system and plots containing BDTF were selected by applying increasingly stringent constraints. Results show that, depending on the constraints applied, BDTF covers 9–44% (2.1–9.8 M ha) of the productive forest land area, and contains 7–34% of the total growing stock (119–564 M OD t), with an average biomass density of 57 OD t ha^–1. Of the total BDTF area, 65% is located in northern Sweden and 2% corresponds to set-aside farmlands. Comparisons with a study from 2008 indicate that BDTF area has increased by at least 4% (about 102 000 ha), in line with general trends for Sweden and Europe. Analyses revealed that the technical harvesting potential of delimbed stemwood (over bark, including tops) from BDTF ranges from 3.0 to 6.1 M OD t yr^–1 (7.5 to 15.1 M m³yr^–1), while the potential of whole-tree harvesting ranges from 4.3 to 8.7 M OD t yr^–1 (10.2 to 20.6 M m³yr^–1) depending on the scenario considered. However, further technological developments of the harvest and supply systems are needed to utilize the full potential of BDTF.

Fernandez-Lacruz, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9284-8911 E-mail: raul.fernandez@slu.se
Di Fulvio, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Ecosystems Services and Management Program (ESM), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria E-mail: Fulvio.di.Fulvio@slu.se
Athanassiadis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Dimitris.Athanassiadis@slu.se
Bergström, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Dan.Bergstrom@slu.se
Nordfjell, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology (SBT), Skogsmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: Tomas.Nordfjell@slu.se

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