by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The time-honoured tradition of coppicing could give offer best of both worlds, providing biofuel to cut carbon emissions and a helpful haven for wildlife, say researchers.
Are they really trying to tell us that the ancient ones were right after all. This cannot be so, can it. <sarcasm off>
An inter-disciplinary team set out to tackle the oft-cited objections that present a hurdle to expansion of biofuel production.
While energy crops used to produce bioethanol still spark hot debate with some questioning their environmental benefits when weighed against the demands they put on land resources, perennial biomass crops have additional benefits.
This is the conclusion of research team from the universities of East Anglia and Exeter, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, in a study to identify the effects of increasing the amount of land used to grow these new crops.
Their calculations suggest that planting biomass crops to generate electricity does lead to net savings in greenhouse gases, compared with current emissions.
Concerns have previously been raised about the likely effects on farmland biodiversity, water resources and familiar landscapes, as well as the pressures on land used for growing food crops.
But the researchers say that short coppice rotation (SRC) of willow in particular actually had positive effects for butterflies, some invertebrates and most bird species.
Looking at water usage, they found that SRC willow is similar to cereal crops, while miscanthus is more comparable to woodlands.
Dr Angela Karp, who lead the research team, said: "Our results suggest that there is definite potential for growing more of them, without negative effects, although we do find that sensitive plantation design would be beneficial, both for wildlife and for aesthetic impact.
"One of the outcomes from our project is detailed mapping across England, which identifies areas which could be suitable for growing energy crops.
"This shows that we could meet government objectives of growing 350,000 hectares of these for electricity without impacting on food production. However, to meet an additional 750,000 for transport fuels would increase pressure on available land."
But when we are talking and when we from the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW and also the FORESTRY REVIEW talk about coppicing we are not – primarily – looking at coppicing as a means of creating biofuels for vehicles but instead of wood for heating homes and running (small) CHP plants.
SRC is not the answer and also, general, hardwood coppice has wood ready to burn as firewood within a couple of years and this is much better than the SRC of willow.
Willow also, and those researchers should have worked that one out already is not the greatest burning wood especially as far as BTU are concerned.
So, instead of willow we should be looking at trees that – one – coppice and – two – that grow fast enough (and most do) and create a enough heat.
Folks, let's get back to the drawing board and consider this properly and willow coppicing like growing any mono-crop on a farming basis does not benefit the environment.
Coppicing, however, is a great way of growing trees, for small woodworking and especially firewood which can be used to heat homes and to run, as said, CHP plants.
As a forester my recommendation would be to use a wood that has a better burning quality than willow and grow that in coppice. It can be done.
© 2009
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