Ecological restrictions in forest biomass extraction for a sustainable renewable energy production
Graphical abstract
Introduction
Energy from biomass in a sustainable frame leverages many benefits. Further autonomous generation of energy enhances social and environmental assets, such as employment, lessens the risk of forest fires and decreases hazardous by-products in energy generation [1]. Generally, biomass is utilized as fuel within the same area that has been created [2]. Consequently, biomass constitutes an additional value in rural areas as it involves workforce, especially in a localized level, further technical equipment and a variety of scientific fields. In addition, energy from such sources like wood produces further localized labour in the economy nationwide rather than other energy sources [3].
There's a general aspiration for an adjustable and trustworthy energy balance, environmental benefits and new trade schemes for particular biomass types, a further autonomy away from fossil fuels [2]. The fossil fuel independence is achievable to be escalated via major upgrades in thermal and energy conversion technology that also could extend the power production in a variety of plant types, which are based on biomass resources [2].
Utilization of the remaining forest biomass from particular silvicultural operations is expanding due to renewable nature of these sources, which also provide advantages for the environment and the community [4]. Energy branch obtains a significant role in financial growth and societal prosperity of Greek region [5]. This study has been carried out in Grevena, in a mountainous regional unit of Western Macedonia region, which includes one of the largest greek forest areas and simultaneously an extensive amount of forest biomass in the whole country.
Nutrition steadiness, reuse of ashes and generally suggestions for energy production using biomass from forest are core subjects that concern specific projects for a viable management of European forests [6]. Managers integrate practical knowledge, assimilate enlightenments of science investigation and meet social anticipation. An incessant procedure of progress is called Adaptive Forest Management [7]. So, environmental and bioenergy strategies could be acccomplished by integrating silvicultural operations and biomass utilization as elements of a generic forest management plan [8]. Also, a sustainable and ecological bioenergy framework is highly depended on spatial criteria too [9].
At the present time, forest management for multiple purposes is gaining additional notice [10]. Preservation of natural environment, the aesthetical pleasure, leisure activities and generally a tendency apart from traditional production of wood is formulating in some countries [11]. Such a balanced multi-perspective approach could be derived also from a sustainable bioenergy framework.
In order to assess management inferences, the allocation of nutrients and biomass of the species is essential and also requisite to ameliorate the comprehension of several ecological attributes [12]. The effects on nutrients and biodiversity of biomass harvest in forest ecosystems preoccupy continuous conversations [13]. As regards residues' harvest from forest ecosystems, the consequences of nutrient abstraction on stand's productivity are of principal consideration [6].
The forest ecosystem has the system of energy flow and the system of nutrient substances flow, which are connected. Consequently, when the biomass is extracted, then specific amounts of nutrients are removed too, which are partially compensated by the nutrients from the rain water, which reach the ground. Also partially these are compensated by nutrients from the biological and physiochemical processes in the soil, but mainly from the soil stocks. The conservation of the ecological balance and the soil's productivity depends on the composition and the amount of biomass that is extracted from the ecosystem [14]. For a sustainable forest management two principles are essential, the principle of the conservation of the ecosystem's ecological balance and the principle of the preservation of the soil productivity [14]. The nutrient accumulation in the biomass of the plant is the outcome of some processes which are influenced by the soil productivity, by plant genomes and by the environmental situations [15].
The ecosystem contains rules and restrictions, in order a sustainable biomass production and also a viable biomass utilization as a renewable energy source to be achieved. The examination of the differentiation of the nutrients' content and distribution among the aboveground biomass compartments aims at the development of a specific framework, which includes a further comprehension and a hierarchy of significance and protection of these compartments. This comprehensive framework strengthens the ecosystem's protection and moves forward the sustainable utilization of forest biomass.
This study focuses on the restrictions of the system in light of nutrient content and distribution in aboveground biomass resulting in biomass’ sustainable utilization as a renewable energy source. Such a sustainable bioenergy framework could integrate in a level the energy production from the biomass and the conservation of the nutrient balance in the forest ecosystem.
The detailed distribution of the macronutrients and micronutrients’ mean content and their differentiations among the parts of the aboveground biomass are novel results of the present study, since there is a scarcity of similar studies in Greece as regards the sustainable forest biomass harvesting for energy purposes. Greece is a Mediterranean country with primeval forests and agroforestry landscapes and thus the ecological restrictions in biomass extraction should be extensively enhanced by similar studies. The ecological management of the accumulated forest biomass could reduce the fuel of the lethal forest fires, which are increasing in Greece during the last decade, and produce at the same time clean energy in order to mitigate the climate change impacts on the Mediterranean region.
The results of this research are very important, as the research is focused on an oak forest in Greece. According to literature [16], 44% of the forests of Greece are oak forests. Moreover, the oak forests of a study [17] which took place in north-west Spain, contained larger amounts of nutrients per kg of biomass compared to other forest species. The aim of the current research is to investigate and highlight the ecological restrictions in forest biomass extraction for a sustainable renewable energy production in the Mediterranean region.
Section snippets
Study area
The research area of this study is the Gorgiani oak forest. This forest ecosystem is located in the West Macedonia region of Greece in regional division of Grevena. The region of Grevena has significant amount of woody stock and thus the sustainable biomass exploitation could strengthen the local economy and the autonomy of this decentralized area. The oak forest of Gorgiani, in which Quercus frainetto Ten. (Quercus conferta) is the dominant specie, belongs to the xerophilous deciduous forests
Biochemical and statistical analyses of the aboveground biomass
The content (mg/g) of the macronutrients and the content (mg/g) of the micronutrients proved to be distributed differently among the parts of the aboveground biomass (Table 1). A comparable study [24], which includes an oak specie among other broadleaved species, highlights the significance of the biomass component as basic factor for the explanation of the nutrient concentrations.
More specifically as regards the macronutrients, the highest content of the total nitrogen is in the foliage with
Conclusions
From the above analyses of these representative samples of the plant tissues and forest soils in the research area significant information are emerging. Nutrients' content is distributed differently among the parts of the aboveground biomass. The foliage is the main carrier of the macronutrients (P, N, K, Mg) and of the manganese (Mn) in the trees' aboveground biomass. By preventing the extraction of foliage, which represents a small percentage of the tree's aboveground biomass, then a high
Funding declaration
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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