Intensive forest cultivation technologies for energy are being mastered at the Dvinsk Experimental Forest Base

September 8, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Intensive forest cultivation technologies for energy are being mastered at the Dvina Experimental Forest Base of the Institute of Forest of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the chief forester of the base, Viktor Piskunovich, told a BELTA correspondent. About a dozen plantations, differing in tree species and planting density, are under the supervision of foresters. This way, experience in plantation forestry for energy purposes is being accumulated, which will subsequently be disseminated throughout the republic. Dvina foresters intend to learn to grow forests using intensive technologies and obtain 200-250 cubic meters of wood biomass per hectare in 20-25 years. As Viktor Piskunovich noted, the need to create energy plantations is due to a possible deficit of wood raw materials, which may arise with an increase in biomass consumption for energy needs. In the fuel and energy balance of Belarus, the share of wood raw materials is 1.6%, or 6-6.5 million cubic meters of firewood per year. An increase in the use of local types of fuel as a source of heat and electricity to 5% will require about 20 million cubic meters of firewood or wood waste per year. It is potentially possible to produce 12 million cubic meters, which will create a consumption deficit of 40-50%. We should not forget about industrial consumers, whose needs will also increase. According to scientists, the deficit of wood raw materials can be compensated by using forest areas currently occupied by soft-leaved stands, which should be reoriented to energy-targeted farms. Plantation forestry is the most well-known method of forest resource reproduction; it began to be used at the beginning of the last century in New Zealand. In 2000, forest plantations provided 35% of the world's timber volume, and by 2020, this figure will reach 44%. North and Central America will lead in this indicator. In the USA, there is even a separate industry – energy forestry. In Belarus, over 300 hectares of energy plantations of fast-growing tree species have already been established. -0-