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The lack of management and economic value of forest ecosystems in Mediterranean areas, mainly dominated by pines (Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pinus pinaster Ait.), together with a continuous growing of forests on marginal agricultural land have leaded to an increased forest fire risk and devaluation of natural resources in less favoured rural regions. The use of residual forest-based biomass as value added biofuels like pellets can reverse this situation. Nevertheless, there is an industrial need of knowledge of the influence of raw material composition on pellet manufacturing quality for the main Mediterranean softwood species. In this research influencing pellet quality variables such as contents of moisture, ash, fine particles, chlorine and sulphate, but also mechanical durability, bulk density and net calorific value have been analysed following EN standards. The obtained results demonstrate that it is possible to obtain high quality pellets from barked and debarked logs as well as from branches from Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster. This implies that the abundant forest biomass residues in the western Mediterranean region of Europe can be transformed into high added value solid biofuels, opening new opportunities for local industries.

In Catalonia, Spain, the wood properties and the quality of Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrie Âre round timber was investigated on 120 sample trees from four stands with different spacings. The age of the sample trees lay between 25 and 36 y. The more wider-spaced trees show no relevant decline in quality as to anatomical and technological wood properties, but signi®cantly more timber volume and improved round timber quality. By means of wider spacing in the silvicultural treatment of Cedrus atlantica forests and regular selective thinning and pruning, the forest owners should be able to produce Atlas cedar of high sawn-timber quality.

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