Title: Criteria and indicators for sustainable production of forest biomass for energy Forest legislation, forest certification standards, and recommendations and guidelines for forest fuel extraction and wood ash recycling Inge Stupak M
1Criteria and indicators for sustainable
production of forest biomass for energy Forest
legislation, forest certification standards, and
recommendations and guidelines for forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recyclingInge Stupak
MøllerForest Landscape, DenmarkIEA BIOENERGY
EXCO58 MEETINGSTOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 3-5 OCTOBER
2006
2WOOD-EN-MAN EU-FP5
- Forest Landscape Denmark Karsten
Raulund-Rasmussen, Morten Ingerslev, Inge Stupak
Møller, Ingeborg Callesen, Hans Peter Ravn, Kjeld
Suadicani. - Finnish Forest Research Institute Antti
Asikainen, Karri Pasanen, Dominik Röser,
Heljä-Sisko Helmisaari, Anna Saarsalmi, Mikko
Kukkola, Pekka Tamminen. - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Erik
Karltun, Mats Jonsell, Martin Schrøder, Caroline
Rothpfeffer. - Skogforsk, Norway Anders Lunnan, Nicholas
Clarke, Jørn Lileng. - Lithuanian Forest Research Institute Remigijus
Ozolincius, Diana Mizaraite, Iveta Varnagiryte,
Kestutis Armolaitis, Leonardas Kairiukstis. - Estonian University of Life Sciences Malle
Mandre, Henn Pärn, Katri Ots. - Latvian Forestry Research Institute SILAVA,
Talis Gaitnieks, Lelde Vilkriste, Aigars
Indriksons. - BOKU, Austria Klaus Katzensteiner.
3- How to ensure that the production of forest
biomass for energy purposes is in line with
sustainable development? - What has been done?
4Contents
- Material
- Photos Main debated environmental problems
- Current criteria and indicators (CI)
- legislation
- forest certification
- Recommendations, guidelines, information material
- Do present CI meet the needs for a sustainable
production of forest biomass for energy?
5Material
- Forest laws and regulations in the Nordic and
Baltic countries - PEFC forest certification standards in Europe
- FSC forest certification standards in the Nordic
and Baltic countries - Recommendations and guidelines for sustainable
extraction of forest fuel and wood ash recycling
(International, Nordic and Baltic countries, UK) - RecAsh seminar in Karlstad, Sweden, 25-28 Sept.
2006
6Photo Pekka Tamminen
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8Compensation or preservationWood ash recycling
- Wood ash compensates for
- Mineral nutrient removals
- Acidification effects
- Not practically possible to compensate with wood
ash - Remote places?
- Wood ash do not compensate for
- Nitrogen
- Organic matter
- Effects of stump harvesting
- Biodiversity, insect pests etc.
9Legislative criteria
- Notification to authorities
- Sweden Forestry act (14)
- Compensation measures
- wood ash recycling and fertilisation
- Prevention of damages by insect pests in stored
residues
Separate regulation for wood ash recycling to the
forest (Denmark)
Fertilisation with direct effective mineral
fertilisers is prohibited (21, Estonia)
The forest owner or lawful possessor shall obtain
a confirmation from the State Forest Service for
use of artificial fertilisers in forestland (39,
Latvia)
Fertilisation must not contradict the Law on
Environmental Protection and the appropriate
standard acts (14, Lithuania)
Possibility for the Ministry to issue further
regulations concerning fertilisation of forest,
and furthermore, the municipality may refuse
forest owners permission to fertilise if they
find it necessary to prevent major negative
effects on the environmental values (6, Norway).
Common advice to the Forestry Act 30 on
preservation of the nutrient balance and
compensation with wood ash and nitrogen (Sweden).
10Prevention of damages by insect pests- Sweden,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, (Norway)
Stored Amounts
Dimensions of stored amounts
Distance to living stands
Storage season
Length of storage period
Treatment of the stored material
Coverage of the stored material
11Forest certification documents
- PEFC forest standards (http//www.pefc.org)
- Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Holland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK (not all endorsed). - FSC forest standards
- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
(Norway), Sweden
12PEFC criteria (MCPFE Lisbon)
- Criterion 1 Maintenance and Appropriate
Enhancement of Forest Resources and their
Contribution to Global Carbon Cycles - Criterion 2 Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem
Health and Vitality (damages caused by biotic and
abiotic agents, changes in soil nutrient balance
and acidity) - Criterion 3 Maintenance and Encouragement of
Productive Functions of Forests (wood and
non-wood) - Criterion 4 Maintenance, Conservation and
Appropriate Enhancement of Biological Diversity
in Forest Ecosystems - Criterion 5 Maintenance and appropriate
enhancement of protective functions in forest
management (notably soil and water) - Criterion 6 Maintenance of other Socio-Economic
Functions and Conditions
- Survey of soil parameters related to soil
fertility (general) - Extraction of nutrients and degradation of site
fertility - removal of crown material only with a certain
frequency (Austria, Sweden) - or when it cannot be avoided (Italy)
- the removal should be considered in relation to
soil fertility, leaching and deposition (Denmark) - actions diminishing the growth potential are
prohibited (Slovenia) - whole-tree harvesting should not be practiced
where it is likely to have negative effects
(United Kingdom). - national guidelines should be followed (Sweden
and UK)
13Criterion 2 continuedHealth and vitality
- Fertilisation
- omission if the only purpose is increasing timber
increment (general) - accepted in specific situations, e.g.
restoration, enable regeneration, increase
vitality in case of a nutritional need documented
by soil or foliar analyses (Austria, Denmark,
Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden), - accepted when all aspects of environment
protection are taken into account (Czech
Republic). - wood ash recycling is allowed when performed in
agreement with national recommendations (Sweden
and Austria) - sludge is allowed with certain restrictions
(Latvia) - Root rot
- Stump harvesting as a control measure against the
spreading the infection of fungal diseases from a
regeneration area (Finland)
14Criterion 3Productive functions
- Intensified harvesting
- the usage levels of products should take proper
account of the removal of nutrients (Belgium) - The usage level should not exceed a sustainable
level (Czech Republic) - whole-tree harvesting is completely or partly
prohibited (Germany, Italy, Luxembourg) - the removal of tops and branches and rotten wood
for energy purposes as a supplementary harvest
with considerable environmental benefit due to
replacement of fossil fuels (Sweden) - in tending operations, dead wood should be left
if there is no comprehensive danger (Austria)
15Criterion 4Biodiversity
- Preservation of dead wood
- dead wood of larger dimensions should be left in
the forest (general) - also removal of residues should be avoided -
provided that it is legally permitted to leave
them due to biotic threats as insect pests
(Austria and Luxembourg) - branches left after harvesting should not be
burned (Switzerland) - all deadwood should be left untouched - unless
there is a documented risk of a mass propagation
of insect pests - with small-size logging residue
however being excepted (Sweden)
16Criterion 5Protective functions (soil and water)
- Limiting soil preparation (relevant for stump
harvesting?) - omit or limit the use of soil preparation
(Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden) - large-scale interventions in the forest soil
should be avoided (Austria)
17Criterion 6Socio-economics
- Importance of the forest sector in economics
- Proportion of renewable resources (wood, bark,
etc.) in energy supply as an indicator (Austria) - .the use of lower-value wood for energy
purposes should be promoted at the regional
level as sub-criteria at regional level
(Slovenia)
18FSC principles
- 1. Compliance with laws and FSC Principles
- 2. Tenure and use rights and responsibilities
- 3. Indigenous peoples' rights
- 4. Community relations and worker's rights
- 5. Benefits from the forest
- 6. Environmental impact
- 7. Management plan
- 8. Monitoring and assessment
- 9. Maintenance of high conservation value forests
- 10. Plantations
19FSC criteria
- 2. Tenure and use rights and responsibilities
- Criteria 2.2 Local communities should maintain
control over forest operations - 5. Benefits from the forest
- Criteria 5.2 Optimal use and local processing
- Criteria 5.3 Minimize waste associated with
harvesting - 6. Environmental impact
- Criteria 6.3 Ecological functions (biodiversity
and natural cycles that affect the productivity) - Criteria 6.5 Written guidelines (control
erosion, minimize forest damage, and protect
water resources) - Criteria 6.6 Environmentally friendly
non-chemical methods of pest management
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21Recommendations guidelinesTopics
- Working environment, health and safety
- Landscape, culture, archaeology, leisure,
non-wood goods - Social values, regional development, employment,
gender - Production costs and economy
- Markets, sales, competitiveness
- Public participation
- Establishment of energy plants
- Wood firing, combustion, gasification, plant
operation - Energy distribution
- Plant emissions, waste production, noise, dust,
smell etc. - Wood ash recycling
- Policy, legislation, subsidies, institutional
frameworks - Nutrient balances, site fertility and wood
production - Acidification
- Organic matter and carbon
- Biodiversity and wildlife
- Pest insects
- Hydrology, water quality, water courses
- Damages by vehicles, soil erosion
- Silviculture
- Harvesting methods and technology, transport,
logistics - Processing, handling, storage
- Fuel quality, characteristics, standardisation
22Nutrients and acidification
- Site classification according to sensitivity to
forest fuel extraction - Share of nutrients left in the single harvesting
operation - Type and number of extractions during the
rotation - Use of compensation fertilisation
- Spatial distribution of the left residues
- Time for the nutrient removal and fertiliser
addition in relation to the season and stand
development stage - Documentation
23Wood ash recycling
- Purpose of the fertilisation
- Classification of sites according to suitability
for wood ash application, including demands on
soil quality - Requirements for wood ash quality
- Methods for documentation of the wood ash
quality sampling, chemical analysis, and
frequency of sampling. - Hardening methods
- Dosage and rate of application
- Work method, time of application in relation to
stand development stage and season - Need for nitrogen fertilisation
- Documentation
24Biodiversity
Spare elements important for biodiversity at
various hierarchical levels
- Nature conservation areas and valuable nature
types - Rare tree species, species especially valuable
for biodiversity - Other tree and bushes left for nature
conservation purposes, e.g. old trees - Standing or lying dead wood and decaying wood in
different stages of decomposition - Harvesting residues
- Other nature objects as bird nests, anthills, fox
earths etc.
25Pest insect
- Recognising exceptional weather conditions
- Amount and type of material left
- Location of stored material in relation to living
trees - Storage time and season in relation to swarming
periods - Separate handling of material with different risk
potentials - Coverage the of stored material
26Damage by vehicles
Avoid damages on soil, tree roots, water courses,
and paths by
- Using best possible technology
- Driving when the soil carrying capacity is
highest - Using brush mats to increase soil carrying
capacity - Restrictions on movements in landscape, terrain,
and stand - Use of specialized equipment
- Planning considering the site constraints on
harvesting at an early stage - Developing codes of practice for specific sites
and regions (soil erosion)
27Organic matter
- Preservation - minimizing disturbance
- Herbicides rather than fire and mechanical weed
control - Increasing site fertility
- Fertilisation
28Hydrology
- Removal of nitrogen
- Fertilisation to avoid acidification
- Zones around ditches and water courses
(harvesting, especially stumps, and storage) - Avoiding stump harvesting in water catchments
- Avoid blocking of drains, minimization of drain
and stream crossings
29Do CI meet the need for sustainable forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recycling?Recommendations
and guidelines
- Policy, legislation, subsidies, institutional
frameworks - Nutrient balances, site fertility and wood
production - Acidification
- Organic matter and carbon
- Biodiversity and wildlife
- Pest insects
- Hydrology, water quality, water courses
- Damages by vehicles, soil erosion
- Silviculture
- Harvesting methods and technology, transport,
logistics - Processing, handling, storage
- Fuel quality, characteristics, standardisation
- Working environment, health and safety
- Landscape, culture, archaeology, leisure,
non-wood goods - Social values, regional development, employment,
gender - Production costs and economy
- Markets, sales, competitiveness
- Public participation
- Establishment of energy plants
- Largely, all relevant generic criteria can be
found in existing recommendations, guidelines,
information materials, and certification
standards - Indicators and verifiers are needed for some
criteria - Clarification
- Reference to other legislation
- Mapping or local consultation
- Development of standards, setting threshold
values - Education and information
- Best available technology, technological
developments - More research as support for political ordering
of priorities and development of standards - Forest-energy policy
30Do CI meet the need for sustainable forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recycling?Recommendations
and guidelines
- Sweden and Finland Criteria and indicators are
up-to-date. Continuous updates will take place. - Denmark Criteria and thresholds of
recommendations and wood ash regulation could be
updated. Regulation for wood ash recycling is
currently being updated. - Lithuania Criteria and thresholds of
recommendations for wood ash recycling are
up-to-date. Criteria and thresholds of
recommendations for forest fuel extraction have
not been elaborated. - Other countries First generation recommendations
and regulations have not been elaborated.
Very variable among countries.
31Do CI meet the need for sustainable forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recycling?Forest
certification
- Criteria and indicators
- more operational
- more systematically incorporated
- Auditing
- more focus on indicators related to forest fuel
harvesting, cf. UPM Kymmene
32Do CI meet the need for sustainable forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recycling?Policy
Decisions in case of trade-off Forest energy
policy
Negative environmental effect in the forest
Positive environmental effect globally Intensity
of the utilisation
33Do CI meet the need for sustainable forest fuel
extraction and wood ash recycling?Policy
- Implementation at the appropriate level
- Recommendations as in Sweden and Finland?
- Forest certification as suggested by CLEAN-E
project? - Other certification (e.g. ISO, EMAS)?
- Legislation and regulations? (e.g.
uncontaminated wood ash should not be defined as
hazardous waste, but as a product)
34Recommendations guidelinesReferences
- Sweden
- Egnell G, Nohrstedt H-Ö, Weslien J, Westling O,
Örlander G. Description of Environmental
Consequences of forest fuel extraction, wood ash
amendment and other nutrient compensation. 1998 - Swedish Forest Agency. Forest fuel, threat or
possibility guidance to an environmentally
friendly removal of forest fuel. 2001 - Swedish Forest Agency. Recommendations for the
extraction of forest fuel and compensation
fertilizing. 2002 - Finland
- Forestry Development Centre Tapio. Extraction of
energy wood. 2005 - Nurmi J, Kokko A, editors. The effects of
intensified biomass harvesting in Forest. 2001 - Denmark
- The Forest Agency. Ecological consequences of
increased biomass utilisation in forests. 1985 - Pedersen LR, Hald S. Wood for energy, wood chips
and fire wood. 1996 - Centre for Biomass Technology. Wood for Energy
Production. Technology - Environment Economy.
2002 - Lithuania
- Ozolincius R, Armolaitis K, Mikšys V, Varnagiryte
I. Recommendations for wood ash compensation
fertilizing. 2005 - UK
- Nisbeth T, Dutch J, Moffat A. Whole-tree
Harvesting A guide to Good Practice. 1997 - British Biogen. Wood Fuel from Forestry and
Arboriculture the development of a sustainable
energy production industry. 1999 - Austria
- Splechtna B, Glatzel G. The option to supply
biomass from forests and energy plantations for
energy use. Scenarios, ecological effects, and
research need. 2005 - International