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Wood composition and energy content in a poplar short rotation plantation on fertilized agricultural land in a future CO 2 atmosphere
Author(s) -
LUO ZHIBIN,
POLLE ANDREA
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01768.x
Subject(s) - human fertilization , biomass (ecology) , wood production , heat of combustion , bioenergy , short rotation forestry , nitrogen , coppicing , short rotation coppice , environmental science , salicaceae , growing season , agronomy , agricultural land , woody plant , chemistry , agriculture , botany , combustion , biofuel , agroforestry , biology , forest management , ecology , organic chemistry
Abstract To study the influence of elevated CO 2 and nitrogen (N) fertilization on wood properties and energy, Populus × euramericana trees were exposed to ambient CO 2 (about 370 μmol mol −1 CO 2 ) or elevated CO 2 (about 550 μmol mol −1 CO 2 ) using Free Air CO 2 Enrichment (FACE) technology in combination with two N levels. Elevated CO 2 was maintained for 5 years. After three growing seasons, the plantation was coppiced, one half of each experimental plot was fertilized and secondary sprouts were harvested after two growing seasons. Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra of wood revealed significant effects of both elevated CO 2 and N fertilization on wood chemistry, in particular, significant increases in lignin and decreases in N content. These results were corroborated by chemical analysis. Neither elevated CO 2 nor N fertilization affected the calorific value of wood, which was 19.3 MJ kg −1 . N fertilization enhanced the energy production per land area by 16–69% because of higher aboveground woody biomass production than on nonfertilized land. Estimates indicate that high yielding poplar short rotation cultivation may significantly contribute as an alternative feedstock for energy production.