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Biological And Economic Considerations In Establishing A Short-Rotation Bioenergy Plantation, Jamie L. Schuler, M. Pelkki, Chris Stuhlinger

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops grown specifically for energy production. These woody feedstocks typically involve fast-growing species (e.g., Salix spp., Populus spp.) planted at high densities using short rotations and intensive cultural practices like weed control and fertilization. Under ideal conditions, this type of system can produce 20 dry Mg/ha/yr, which is substantially higher than the 2.5-4 dry Mg/ha/yr produced by pine plantations in the southern U.S. Many of these plantings are projected to be established on lower quality agricultural lands. Recent attempts at establishing these plantations have highlighted some of …