Can degraded trees serve as sustainable feedstock for forest bioenergy production?

退化的树木可以作为森林生物能源生产的可持续原料吗？

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-05755
• 负责人: Thiffault, Evelyne
• 金额: $ 2.35万
• 依托单位: Université Laval
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=666742
• 关键词: degraded; trees; serve; sustainable; feedstock

The use of whole trees for bioenergy production stirs controversy due to potential negative impacts on climate; this has brought some policymakers to consider banning them as a bioenergy feedstock. A special case of whole trees is trees of marginal fibre quality, such as defective, decaying or dying trees, together referred here as degraded trees.***The long-term focus of the program is to improve fundamental knowledge about dynamics of forest biomass feedstocks from Canadian forests for an optimized utilisation of forest bioenergy providing the greatest benefits to the atmosphere. Over the next five years, the program will focus on degraded trees that are unwanted by conventional wood product industries due to their low fibre quality. It aims to test to what extent degraded trees can be part of a sustainable mobilisation of forest resources for climate change mitigation. The program will study biomass carbon dynamics in ecological systems on one hand, and biomass carbon recovery into energy products in technological systems on the other hand, determining the fate of the content of degraded trees during forest site processes and biomass-to-bioenergy conversion. These results will then be integrated within forest bioenergy systems and larger forest management systems. The short-term objectives are to: 1- assess the carbon dynamics of degraded trees through time as found on forest sites (ecological systems); 2- assess the bioenergy conversion potential and carbon recovery into energy products of wood from degraded trees (technological systems); 3- assess the carbon balance and climate change mitigation potential of degraded trees as feedstocks for bioenergy systems, as part of larger forest management systems. ***The proposed project will focus on two species of degraded trees typical of Canadian eastern forests:, and which currently have little or no use for conventional wood products due to low fibre quality : i) balsam fir defoliated by the spruce budworm in boreal regions of Quebec; ii) American beech attacked by the beech bark disease in south and western Quebec.***My research program addresses two major and interlinked challenges of the 21st century, energy transition and climate change mitigation. The three projects of this program are designed to significantly contribute to fundamental knowledge on carbon cycling of woody material in ecological and in technological systems, and relationships between these systems and the atmosphere. It will also provide info to Canadian stakeholders who need the best data possible to appraise energy production scenarios that truly contribute to GHG emissions reduction and climate change mitigation. This program will allow the training of several HQPs in an interdisciplinary mindset, contributing to a new generation of professionals and scientists that can holistically address societal issues such as climate change and energy transition.

由于对气候的潜在负面影响，使用整棵树生产生物能源引起了争议；这使得一些政策制定者考虑禁止它们作为生物能源原料。整棵树的一个特例是纤维质量处于边际的树木，例如有缺陷、腐烂或垂死的树木，这里统称为退化树木。***该计划的长期重点是提高有关森林生物量动态的基础知识来自加拿大森林的原料，以优化利用森林生物能源，为大气带来最大的好处。在接下来的五年中，该计划将重点关注传统木制品行业不需要的退化树木，因为它们的纤维质量低。 它的目的是测试退化树木在多大程度上可以成为可持续调动森林资源以减缓气候变化的一部分。该项目将一方面研究生态系统中的生物质碳动态，另一方面研究技术系统中生物质碳回收为能源产品，确定林地过程和生物质到生物能源转化过程中退化树木内容物的命运。这些结果将被整合到森林生物能源系统和更大的森林管理系统中。短期目标是： 1- 评估森林地区（生态系统）上退化树木随时间变化的碳动态； 2- 评估生物能源转化潜力以及将退化树木的碳回收为木材能源产品（技术系统）； 3- 评估退化树木作为生物能源系统原料的碳平衡和减缓气候变化的潜力，作为大型森林管理系统的一部分。 ***拟议项目将重点关注加拿大东部森林典型的两种退化树木：由于纤维质量低，目前它们很少或根本没有用于传统木制品：i) 北方香脂冷杉被云杉芽虫落叶魁北克省地区； ii) 魁北克省南部和西部的美国山毛榉受到山毛榉树皮病的侵袭。***我的研究项目解决了 21 世纪两个相互关联的主要挑战：能源转型和减缓气候变化。该计划的三个项目旨在为生态和技术系统中木质材料的碳循环以及这些系统与大气之间的关系的基础知识做出重大贡献。它还将为加拿大利益相关者提供信息，他们需要尽可能最好的数据来评估真正有助于减少温室气体排放和减缓气候变化的能源生产情景。该计划将允许以跨学科思维方式培训多名总部人员，为新一代专业人士和科学家做出贡献，以全面解决气候变化和能源转型等社会问题。