Von der Pappelwelle zum Energiewald

1989

5 Abb.

Unselbständiges Werk

4223

200020990

The wood and timber shortage following World War II led to the establishment of numerous poplar plantations in the fifties. Thousands of cubic meters of poplar wood have been profitably marketed from those plantations. Untended poplar stands from that time age rapidly, present a negative image and discredit the entire species. Such negative interpretations can lead to landscape planting regulations prohibiting the planting of poplars, even on suitable river bottom sites. The establishment of biomass or energy plantations with rapidly growing tree species on agricultural sites to reduce the agricultural surplus in the European Community seems promising. The harvesting, drying and transport of biomass from such plantations needs to be rationalized further. The experience gained from numerous species and clone field-trials can be utilized to show us in which direction to go; forestry is prepared to enter the era of utilizing such a alternative more environmentally favorable energy source. The replenishable resource wood from such biomass production sites should not compete with the longterm weak market for pulp wood but rather should be used as an environmentally favorable energy source. Energy plantations are more favorable to the soil than agricultural monocultures. If the wood from such plantations is used as an energy source, the CO2 (from fossil fuels) is added to the atmosphere.