The potential for Eucalyptus as a wood fuel in the UK

Abstract

Considerable potential exists in the UK for utilising woody biomass, grown under short rotation forestry management systems, to produce electricity or heat. There are benefits to using biomass in generating heat and power the main environmental benefit being from substituting for fossil fuel combustion and consequent carbon emissions. Woody biomass production in short rotation forestry involves growing single stemmed trees rather than coppice over rotations of between 10 and 15 years. Eucalypts are particularly suited to such biomass production as they exhibit relatively high wood density, have suitable chemical characteristics, exhibit low moisture content and can be easily harvested all year around using conventional machinery if single-stemmed growth form is maintained.The UK has a climate that is not well suited to the majority of eucalypts. However, there is a small number of eucalypt species that can withstand the stresses caused by frozen ground and desiccating winds or sub-zero temperatures that can occur. These species are from more southern latitudes and high altitude areas of Australia. However, even the most cold resistant species can be damaged by UK winter climate extremes and therefore careful matching of species to site environmental constraints is critical. Informed decision making is made problematic by the small area and limited distribution of current planting, although it is clear that particularly cold areas and for most species, sites with poor drainage should be generally avoided. This article provides a discussion of the potential of, and constraints to, using eucalypts for biomass in the UK and provides a tentative list of recommended species, their potential growth rates and their advantages and disadvantages.

Planted forests and invasive alien trees in Europe: A Code for managing existing and future plantings to mitigate the risk of negative impacts from invasions

“…Many other alien species, including clones, hybrids and genetically modified trees, are used or are being tested for SRF/SRC, e.g., Robinia pseudoacacia in Albania, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Spain (Grünewald et al 2009, González-García et al 2011, Rédei et al 2011a, Kellezi et al 2012, Ciccarese et al 2014, Acacia saligna in Israel (Eggleton et al 2007), and Eucalyptus spp. in Portugal (Knapic et al 2014) and in the UK (Evans 1980, Leslie et al 2012, Keith et al 2015.…”

The Relevance of Local Participatory Scenario Planning for Ecosystem Management Policies in the Basque Country, Northern Spain

“…Currently 57% of the land is covered by forest systems of which 79% are exotic forest plantations, mainly coniferous (Basque Government 2005), and the management techniques used are quite aggressive (Olarieta et al 1999, Merino et al 2004). These monoculture plantations of fast-growing exotic species, together with their typical forms of management, are associated with a series of environmental problems, such as soil erosion, soil compaction, http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol18/iss3/art7/ nutrient loss, turbidity and supply of surface water, and biodiversity loss (Amezaga and Onaindia 1997, Olarieta et al 1999, Merino et al 2004, Santos et al 2006, Leslie et al 2012.…”

A new species of <i>Paropsisterna</i> Motschulsky, 1860, a significant pest of plantation eucalypts in Tasmania and Ireland (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae)

“…to DWdL). The eucalypt industry in the United Kingdom is resurgent, with particular interest in E. nitens (Leslie et al 2012).…”