Two new articles about forest growth estimation in Finland

Our two new articles are now published online in Forest Ecology and Management.

The first one is about testing of traditional empirical growth models with large national forest inventory (NFI) data set with the SIMO simulation framework "Härkönen, S., Mäkinen, A., Tokola, T., Rasinmäki, J., Kalliovirta, J. Evaluation of forest growth simulators with NFI permanent sample plot data from Finland". The tested simulators included the same tree-level models that are currently used e.g. in MELA and MOTTI. The other tested simulators consisted of stand-level models and combination of tree- and stand-level ones.

The second one is "Härkönen, S., Pulkkinen, M., Duursma, R. and Mäkelä, A. Estimating annual GPP, NPP and stem growth in Finland using summary models", where a new process-based summary approach for forest growth estimation is tested with Finnish NFI data. As the approach proved to be a promising one, there will be further development and studies coming up related to this issue!

European biomass associations support non-binding sustainability criteria

A group of European biomass, biogas and forestry trade associations have come out in support of non-binding criteria on sustainability for solid and gaseous biomass for heat and electricity (read more).

Protests against Biomass plant in Wales - "Biomess"

Walesonline.com reports that protesters were demonstrating against a biomass power plant that opened earlier this year (which only uses local forest residues), as well as against a plant that is going through the planning processes (which will use imported chips). The protesters were apparently attempting to highlight the fallacy of importing chips from Canada and the US "“How can it be green to bring vast amounts of heavy wood by ship across the Atlantic then burn it?”

Is this a sign of things to come in the UK?

UK Government addressing supply issues?

According to an article in BusinessGreen.com the UK Government is making additional funds available for helping to guarantee wood supplies for energy production. However, am not sure if it is something that has long been planned or not. Will add more as I find it.

Bionergy could cover 20 percent of the global energy needs

One of the leading newspapers of Finland, Karjalainen refers (Nov. 19, page 12) to the studies of the Technology Research Centre of Finland according to which even 20 percent of the global energy consumption could be covered with bioenergy. The article is discussing about the new challenges of forest sector and presents bioenergy as one of the key alternatives in the future. The research indicates that biomass/dendromass could have a significant role in the future energy mix.

Energy Dendromass Corridor has presented similar predictions and has put emphasis on the fact that opportunities to utilize biomass are greatly varying in different countries and in different regions in the world. The calculations are mainly based on the resources of to-day. However, in the improved scenarios we should be able to take into account better the opportunities of technological, social and systeemic innovations for future land use. Education and training which are taking the very first steps even in many industrialized countries would lead to needed innovations and to better understanding and acceptance of dendromass energy.