How to spend our time?

2. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding How to spend our time? • Reasons for the assessment of biomass • Material and methods • Results of the questionnaire • Results of the literature review • Summary of results • Proposal for the discussion on common protocols

3. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Assessment of biomass production in forestry • Production of timber traditionally assessed by calculation or estimation of volume in m³ • Volume mainly related to timber usable for paper and wood industry • With exception of stem, other parts of trees normally not considered • Relatively sophisticated methods established

4. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Assessment of biomass production in short rotations • Assessment or estimation of total biomass produced at the same or different sites mainly in tonnes of absolutely dry weight • Compared to agriculture, biomass production can not easily be assessed by complete harvest of the growing stock since production time is several years • Assessment by harvest of parts of the plantation or by spot samples • Development of suitable, non-destructive methods

5. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Assessment of biomass production in science and breeding • Assessment of yield to compare productivity of different sites, management methods a. o. using standardized material • Assessment of response of species, provenances, progenies, clones to various environmental factors • Assessment of data for development of non-destructive estimation methods • Tool for early testing

6. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Material and methods • 1st questionnaire Arezzo, Italy • Survey on activities • 2nd questionnaire by email • Confirmation of information given in Arezzo • Addition of species • Request for literature esp. with methodological aspects • Literature review • Literature and protocols sent by participants • Literature sources already known

7. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of questionnaires • 1st questionnaire Arezzo, Italy • 27 of 28 participants could be asked • 65 % (N=17/27): No experience with assessment of biomass • 35 % (N=10/27): Experience with assessment of biomass • 2nd questionnaire by email • 23 of 28 participants (82 %) answered until 03.09.2009 • 52 % (N=12/23): Experience with assessment of biomass • 67 % (N= 8/12): Literature and protocols sent

8. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of questionnaires • 7 species of interest mentioned • Poplar: 58 % (N= 7/12) • Willow: 25 % (N= 3/12) • Beech, Chest nut, Robinia, Norway spruce, Scots pine: 8 % each (N= 1/12)

9. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Species • 22 publications and protocols included • 8 species of interest mentioned • Poplar: 32 % (N= 7/22) • Willow: 18 % (N= 4/22) • Beech: 18 % (N= 4/22) • Scots pine: 9 % (N= 2 /22) • Chest nut, Robinia, Norway spruce, Silver fir: 5 % each (N= 1/22) • other species not specified: 5 % each (N= 1/22)

10. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Material and sample size

11. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Material and sample size

12. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Material and sample size

13. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Handling and drying

14. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Handling and drying

15. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Handling and drying

16. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review: Handling and drying

17. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Results of literature review:Summary • Genetic background: Clones, full-sibs, open polls • Material used: Cuttings, seedlings, trees • Age of material: • 54d to 35a; 67 % 1 to 10a; 19 % > 10a • Handling: All parts of plants • Drying temperatures: 45°C to 105°C • Drying periods: 16h to one week (7d) or „until constant weight“

18. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Proposal for common protocol • Sample size • Genetic background (clones < full-sibs < open polls) • Age of material (under 1a > 1 to 10a > over 10a) • Sampling procedure • Covering range of e. g. d1,3 or basal area • Randomly e. g. each third plant • Should be noted anyway • Handling procedure • Fresh weight should also be assessed separately for every compartment investigated

19. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Proposal for common protocol • Drying temperatures depending on further use: • If chemical analyses are required: e. g. 45°C (leaves, needles, bark) (look also to the analyses protocol) • If parts of plants should not be pulverized e. g. fine roots: 60 to 75°C • If there is no further use: 104°C +- 1K (ISO – guidelines) • Drying periods: In every case „until constant weight“

20. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Proposal for common protocol • Documentation step by step • Genetic background • Kind of material • Age of material • Sampling size and procedure • Handling of samples • Drying temperature and reasoning • Drying period

21. Department: Forest Genetics/Tree Breeding Now it is on you!!Screaming, dancing, shouting???Asking, discussing, developing!!!Thank you very much