Modeling the amount of cutting residues and timber volumes suitable for fuel

1
Modeling the amount of cutting residues and
timber volumes suitable for fuel
Martas Lynikas, Michailas Palicinas, Albinas
Tebera, Gintautas Mozgeris, Aida
Radzeviciute, Stanislovas Vrubliauskas,
Eugenija Farida Dzenajaviciene Lithuanian
Forest Inventory and Management Institute,
Kaunas forestry and environmental engineering
college, Lithuanian University of Agriculture,
Lithuanian Energy Institute
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The key question to be answered

• Use of already available methods for modeling the
  amount of cutting residues and timber volumes
  suitable for fuel
• New model for estimation the amount of cutting
  residues and the volumes of timber suitable for
  fuel on a forest compartment level

3
Methods

• Available methods
• total above- and below-ground biomass and biomass
  of dead wood, according to the FAO Global forest
  resource assessment
• potentially available for fuel forest biomass as
  small diameter trees from thinning cuttings,
  felling residuals and stumps from final felling,
  derived using conventional cutting budget
  calculation methods

4
Methods

• Limitations of Available methods
• General data, which can be used just for
  strategic planning only, is obtained
• Tactical and operational forest management
  planning requires facts on the amount of cutting
  residues and the volumes of timber suitable for
  fuel on a forest compartment level

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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (1)
• Bases on the models, developed by team led by Dr.
  A. Tebera at Kaunas Forest and Environmental
  Engineering College
• Intensive field studies, which were carried out
  in 2006-2007

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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (2)
• Resources of biomass suitable for fuel for each
  forest compartment based on standard stand-wise
  inventory data as the input

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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (3)
• Models to evaluate the volume of alive/dead
  branches are based on the polynomial functions
  and take into account main parameters of a single
  tree diameter at breast height, height class
  and age.

For Pine, 7 tree species in total
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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (4)
• To define the amounts of branches potentially
  suitable for biofuel, another model is used

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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (5)
• To perform the calculations suitable for forest
  management planning a software package, running
  inside the forest resource information system,
  was developed
• It takes the compartment descriptions from
  conventional stand-wise inventory data banks
• Models the number of trees by species and by
  diameter classes
• Models the volume of dead/alive branches for a
  single tree and sums up the volumes for whole
  stand
• Divides the total volume of branches into
  suitable for fuel and required for
  technological/biodiversity needs

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Methods

• New method, developed within the frames of BBN
  project (6)
• Output contains volume of branches total (alive
  dead), suitable for fuel, required for
  technological needs/biodiversity

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Results

• Available methods
• Total amount of forest biomass in Lithuanian
  counties

12
Results

• Available methods
• Amount of forest biomass and energy potential in
  forests of Lithuanian counties

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Results

• Available methods
• Distribution of forest biomass, potentially
  usable as fuel for energetic needs, in Kaunas
  county

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Results

• New method
• Volume of branches was calculated for each forest
  compartment of Kaunas county
• This parameter is integrated into conventional
  forest management planning techniques
• A lot of different other applications mapping,
  scenarios for the profitability of selling
  branches for bio-fuel producers, etc.

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Volume (m3/ha) of branches in the forests of
Kaunas county
All forests
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Volume (m3/ha) of branches in the forests of
Kaunas county
Only mature and over mature stands
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Estimation of the amount of branches available
from final felling in Kaunas forest enterprise,
a) all compartments, b) total volume of branches
per ha, c) total volume of branches available for
fuel per ha, d) compartments assigned for final
felling, e) total volume of branches available
for fuel per ha within compartments assigned for
final felling
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The profit in LTL per 1 25x25 m pixel, a) 1st
scenario - costs are function of extraction
distance and total amount of branches per are
unit, price - 22 LTL/m3 2nd scenario - costs 22
LTL/m3 and the price 25 LTL/m3
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Conclusions

• The total forest biomass in Lithuania amounts 275
  Mt, it exceeds 200 Mt, if taking into account
  just above-ground biomass.
• Around 1.5 Mil. tones of biomass fits the
  category of forest resources, potentially
  suitable as fuel for energetic needs, annually
  resulting in more than 4 TWh.
• Small diameter trees from thinning cuts amount in
  Kaunas County over 15 kt, logging residues from
  all types of felling 100 kt and stumps from
  final felling near 88 kt.
• Model for the estimation of biomass for fuel from
  forest cutting residues is developed and shows to
  be operational within the frames of INTERREG IIIB
  Project Baltic Biomass Network.