Wood for Bioenergy: Forests as a Resource for Biomass and Biofuels

Description

Wood (also known as woody biomass) is a traditional solid biofuel. It has been used for heating and cooking for thousands of years. Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources. Today, as much of the world seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, energy companies and nations alike are turning once again to our oldest renewable energy resource-wood. But using wood for bioenergy and biofuels is not without its issues. Of primary concern is if the wood needed for those purposes can be secured on a sustainable basis. Biomass can be used to produce renewable electricity, thermal energy, or transportation fuels (biofuels). Biomass is defined as living or recently dead organisms and any byproducts of those organisms, plant or animal. The term is generally understood to exclude coal, oil, and other fossilized remnants of organisms, as well as soils. In this strict sense, biomass encompasses all living things. In the context of biomass energy, however, the term refers to those crops, residues, and other biological materials that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in the production of energy and other products. Biomass obtained from agricultural residues or forest can be used to produce different materials and bioenergy required in a modern society. As compared to other resources available, biomass is one of the most common and widespread resources in the world. Thus, biomass has the potential to provide a renewable energy source, both locally and across large areas of the world. The book consists of three sections, presenting Non wood and forest products from forestry, arboriculture activities or from wood processing, agricultural biomass (natural fibers) from agricultural harvesting or processing and finally energy crops: high yield crops and grasses grown especially for energy production.