Biomass yield and bioenergy potential of stem and forest by-products in three Eucalyptus species
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22320/s0718221x/2026.22Keywords:
Bioenergy, Forest biomass, forest by-products, energy stock, biomass allocation, EucalyptusAbstract
Forest biomass is widely used as a biofuel for energy generation due to its renewable nature and favorable technological properties. However, information regarding the contribution of different tree components to biomass production and energy stock remains limited, particularly for fast-growing Eucalyptus species used in bioenergy systems. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the performance and energy stock of the stem and forest by-products in three Eucalyptus species. The data were collected from Eucalyptus benthamii (camden white gum), Eucalyptus dunnii (white gum), and Eucalyptus saligna (blue gum) trees at six-years-old, cultivated in the south of Brazil. The wood basic density, the wood calorific value and the dry biomass of the tree stems were determined, the dry biomass and the calorific value of the co-products (bark, leaves, and branches) were also determined. Finally, the biomass stock and energy yield of wood and by-products of the species used were determined. The stem contributed 66 % to 81 % in total biomass while the by-products 19 % to 34 %. The energy stock was over 360 GJ ha-1 and 81 GJ ha-1 for the stem and by-products, respectively. The stem showed the highest biomass stock and energy yield; however, forest by-products, particularly bark and branches, also presented substantial energy potential. These findings improve the understanding of biomass allocation and energy stock distribution among Eucalyptus tree components and demonstrate the importance of considering forest by-products as complementary feedstocks for bioenergy systems. Among the species evaluated, Eucalyptus benthamii showed the best overall performance, combining high biomass yield, favorable energy properties, and superior energy stock.
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