EUBCE 2024 - Katharina WENDEL - Quantification of Element Contents in Different Wood Chip Size Fractionsas as a Scientific Base for Future Nutrient Recycling in Forest Ecosystems

Quantification of Element Contents in Different Wood Chip Size Fractionsas as a Scientific Base for Future Nutrient Recycling in Forest Ecosystems

Short Introductive summary

In recent years, large quantities of low-quality wood chips had to be supplied from forests in Bavaria due to bark beetle events. Harvesting whole tree crowns is always a trade-off decision between maximising the amount of fuel and minimising nutrient removal from forest sites. To provide a solid scientific foundation for that discussion, the Bavarian State Institute of Forestry carries out the Rest-Use research-project. In this work package, we focused on the question of which sieve sizes are optimal from a nutrient conservation point of view. Therefore, the established method of particle size distribution screening according to EN ISO 17827-2 was modified with two additional more sieve sizes. The aim of this study is to give guiadence to forestry practitioners and biomass suppliers for an optimal screen size from an ecologically and an economically point of view.

M. Riebler, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Freising, GERMANY
K. Wendel, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Freising, GERMANY
E. Dietz, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, Freising, GERMANY