Estimation of wood removals and fellings in Germany: a calculation approach based on the amount of used roundwood

Abstract

This paper presents an ex-post calculation approach for the use-side estimation of wood fellings in Germany. Based on an existing approach for calculating wood removals, all roundwood using sectors and available data sources are to be identified. An intensive analysis and evaluation of the data scope and quality, as well as the subsequent identification of data gaps on the use side are essential parts of the approach. A complementary part of the study is the development of individual sectoral models to close the identified data gaps on the use side. The calculated data on wood removals are then used for the estimation of wood fellings, taking into account variables such as logging residues. The comparison of the use-side calculated data for fellings in this paper, with supply-based data from official statistics, shows that there was a difference of about 16.1 million m 3 in 2013. This tendency toward constant underestimation of fellings in the official statistics is known from various studies and can now be quantified for the complete period of investigation (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013). The results also allow for a more realistic view on a possible sustainable increase in wood harvests and on decision making in forest-based industries. Moreover, they allow for more accurate calculations of carbon sequestration in forests and harvested wood products.

The climate change mitigation effect of bioenergy from sustainably managed forests in Central Europe

“…For reporting purposes, the climate change mitigation effect of generating bioenergy is accounted for in the energy sector, and not in the forest sector (IPCC Guidelines, 2006). Also, it is the industrial sector and not forestry that receives the credits for possible increases in the product pool and mitigation from substitution of fossil fuel-intensive products.…”

“…We were not able to quantify the energy substitution of products (product substitution) due to a lack of data (IPCC-SRCCL, 2019). Since the product pool of wood of industrialized nations increases by about 1.5% annually (IPCC Guidelines, 2006), it is likely that there will be an ongoing substitution of fuel-intensive materials with wood besides an increasing consumption of existing wood products. However, information is lacking on the degree to which product substitution takes place (Hafner & Schäfer, 2017;Sathre & Gustavsson, 2009).…”

“…Following the definitions of the IPCC Guidelines for carbon sinks and products, the accounting of bioenergy remained a separate issue. The production of renewable energy should be accounted for in the energy sector (IPCC Guidelines, 2006;Schulze, Stupak, & Hessenmöller, 2019). Thus, the forestry sector remained at the level of the Kyoto Protocol after the Durban conference.…”

“…This accounting scheme has no consequences for computing national emissions as long as the forest biomass is combusted in the same country as it has been produced. However, since harvesting is accounted for as an emission (IPCC Guidelines, 2006), landowners are rather punished than getting credited for sustainably managing their forest, and they may have to pay a CO 2 -emission tax in the future (e.g., https :// susta inable-econo my.org/forest-carbon-tax-reward-creat ingjobs-carbon-woods/ ).…”

Assessing Impacts of Wood Utilisation Scenarios for a Lithuanian Bioeconomy: Impacts on Carbon in Forests and Harvested Wood Products and on the Socio-Economic Performance of the Forest-Based Sector

“…In Germany, approximately 18% of wood flows is not reflected by the statistics, mainly due to the use of wood residues for the production of HWP [45]. Another study by Jochem et al reported that 20% of wood removals in Germany are not reported by the statistics due to the amount of unregistered fellings [46]. A material flow analysis on the primary use of roundwood in Slovakia indicated that the real consumption of wood was 16% higher than the domestic wood consumption reported in statistics [47].…”