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U.S. Department of Energy
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Increasing the biomass production of short rotation coppice forests. Progress report. [Sycamore, sweet gum, alder, and locust]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6162518· OSTI ID:6162518
Two biomass plantations, one in the Coastal Plain, the other in the Piedmont province of Georgia, have been established. Platanus occidentalis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Flnus glutinosa and Robinia pseudoacacia were planted in pure and mixed plots. Differences in the growth at the end of the first growing season were attributed mostly to weed competition in the Coastal Plain. Robinia grew remarkably well in the Piedmont, averaging more than 2.2 m tall in irrigated plots. A fungus tentatively identified as belonging to the genus Botryosphaeria is causing heavy Alnus mortality in the Coastal Plain. Progress in the genetic improvement phase of the project included a collection of Platanus seedlots from throughout Georgia to identify promising provenances and the production of Liquidambar and Robinia plantlets in tissue culture. Differences in the calorific content of young sprout material from nine hardwood species (unit oven dry weight basis) were found to be small. Other studies dealt with the effects of different harvesting cycles on the size and carbohydrate contents of sycamore rootstocks.
Research Organization:
Georgia Univ., Athens (USA). School of Forest Resources
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
6162518
Report Number(s):
DOE/CS/01015-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English