ORNL/M-5943

Increasing the Productivity of Short-Rotation Populus Plantations

Dean S. DeBell
Constance A. Harrington
Gary W. Clendenen
M. A. Radwan
John C. Zasada

Final Report

USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station Olympia, Washington

Prepared 1997

Research supported by
Biofuels System Division
Office of Transportation Technologies
Activity No. EB 52 03 00 0

for
Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program
Oak Ridge national Laborator
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6422
managed by
Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.
for the U.S. Department of Energy
under contract DE-AC05-96)R22464

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Growing Populus Biomass: Comparison of Woodgrass Versus Wider-Spaced Short-Rotation Systems

Chapter 3: Tree Growth and Stand Development in Short-Rotation Populus Plantings: 7-Year Results for Two Clones at Three Spacings

Chapter 4: Tree Growth and Stand Development of Four Populus Clones in Large Monoclonal Plots

Chapter 5: Productivity of Populus in Monoclonal and Polyclonal Blocks at Three Spacings

Chapter 6: Above- and Below-Ground Characteristics Associated with Wind Toppling in a Young Populus Plantation

Chapter 7: Leaf Characteristics Reflect Growth Rates in 2-Year-Old Populus

Chapter 8: Use of Harmonized Equations to Estimate Above-Ground Woody Biomass for Two Hybrid Poplar Clones in the Pacific Northwest

Chapter 9: Summary and Conclusions

References