Search results for "forest"
showing 10 items of 3780 documents
Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and methane from food waste and cow slurry: Comparison of biogas and VFA fermentation processes
2018
Relative evaluation of regression tools for urban area electrical energy demand forecasting
2019
Abstract Load forecasting is the most fundamental application in Smart-Grid, which provides essential input to Demand Response, Topology Optimization and Abnormally Detection, facilitating the integration of intermittent clean energy sources. In this work, several regression tools are analyzed using larger datasets for urban area electrical load forecasting. The regression tools which are used are Random Forest Regressor, k-Nearest Neighbour Regressor and Linear Regressor. This work explores the use of regression tool for regional electric load forecasting by correlating lower distinctive categorical level (season, day of the week) and weather parameters. The regression analysis has been do…
The effect of forest fuel harvesting on the fungal diversity of clear-cuts
2012
Abstract The removal of logging residues and stumps from clear-cuts has become a common forestry practice. Forest fuel harvesting decreases the initially low volume of dead wood in managed forests, but the biodiversity effects are poorly known. We studied the effects of forest fuel harvesting on decomposer fungi on clear-cut Norway spruce stands in central Finland. The number of occurrences and taxa of polypores, saprotrophic agarics and pleurotoid agarics were determined on 10 forest fuel harvested and 10 control clear-cuts 4–5 years after logging. In total, we recorded 148 fungal taxa. The total number of taxa, the number of polypore occurrences, and the number of polypore species within …
Methane production from maize in Finland – Screening for different maize varieties and plant parts
2012
Abstract The objective of the study was to determine how the harvest time and maize variety (12 varieties) affects the methane yield and dry matter yield per hectare in southern Finland (Piikkio) and in Central Finland (Laukaa). The specific methane yields and methane yields per hectare were also determined for different plant parts (stem, leaves and cobs). The methane yield per hectare varied from 2130 to 9170 m 3 ha −1 . The methane yields per hectare were ∼50% lower in Laukaa than in Piikkio due to a shorter growing season and lower total solid (TS) yields. TS yields were on average 16.7 and 15.5 Mg ha −1 in Piikkio and 8.7 and 6.8 Mg ha −1 in Laukaa in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The …
Torrefaction technology for solid fuel production
2011
One-stage H2 and CH4 and two-stage H2+ CH4 production from grass silage and from solid and liquid fractions of NaOH pre-treated grass silage
2009
Abstract In the present study, mesophilic CH4 production from grass silage in a one-stage process was compared with the combined thermophilic H2 and mesophilic CH4 production in a two-stage process. In addition, solid and liquid fractions separated from NaOH pre-treated grass silage were also used as substrates. Results showed that higher CH4 yield was obtained from grass silage in a two-stage process (467 ml g−1 volatile solids (VS)original) compared with a one-stage process (431 ml g−1 VSoriginal). Similarly, CH4 yield from solid fraction increased from 252 to 413 ml g−1 VSoriginal whereas CH4 yield from liquid fraction decreased from 82 to 60 ml g−1 VSoriginal in a two-stage compared to …
Economic evaluation of introduction of poplar as biomass crop in Italy
2014
Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass production deriving from agro forest species, as well as poplar ( Populus spp.), has denoted an increase in last years in UE also thanks to a series of policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and promoting renewable sources. In Italy poplar represents the main agro forest species and it is cultivated according to two different methods: very Short Rotation Coppice (vSRC) and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). The aim of this paper has been to evaluate the economic feasibility of poplar as energy crop in the southern Italy and specifically to consider its competitiveness with respect to conventional crops. In particular, an economic analysis in a r…
Bio-coal, torrefied lignocellulosic resources – Key properties for its use in co-firing with fossil coal – Their status
2012
Abstract Bio-coal has received generous amounts of media attention because it potentially allows greater biomass co-firing rates and net CO2 emission reductions in pulverised-coal power plants. However, little scientific research has been published on the feasibility of full-scale commercial production of bio-coal. Despite this, several companies and research organisations worldwide have been developing patented bio-coal technologies. Are the expectations of bio-coal realistic and are they based on accepted scientific data? This paper examines strictly peer-reviewed scientific publications in order to find an answer. The findings to date on three key properties of torrefied biomass are pres…
Los principales retrocesos promovidos por la Ley Forestal brasileña de 2012
2019
El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los principales retrocesos introdu-cidos por la Ley Forestal de Brasil de 2012 y el contexto político de su formulación. El aná-lisis se basa en la comparación de las reglas que disciplinan los Institutos del Área de Pre-servación Permanente (APP) y del Área de Reserva Legal (ARL) en propiedades agrarias privadas por las Leyes Forestales de 1965 y 2012. Así como en las posiciones y los intere-ses de los actores más relevantes en relación con la protección de los bosques naturales, poniendo de relieve la gran influencia del sector agrario. El estudio demuestra que la Ley Forestal de 2012 fue formulada para anular casi completamente los dos principales …
Environmental performance of wood pellets' production through life cycle analysis
2016
Abstract Forests play a key role as the source of an essential renewable material and/or fuel: wood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts related to high-quality pellet production for domestic heating following the LCA (life cycle assessment) methodology and considering a cradle-to-gate perspective in the Tuscany region. This is representative and interesting for Italian pellet factories and for similar factories located in Central Europe, considering the Italian contribution to the production capacity of that area. All of the activities involved, from wood extraction in no-industrial forests to packed pellet production, ready for delivery to final users, were tak…