Harvesting bioenergy fuel in thinning causes substantial increment losses

If nutrients are removed from a stand, poorer growth results. If the nutrients are replaced, the stand grows better again. This is the simple conclusion to be drawn from the findings of a joint Scandinavian trial involving whole-tree thinning followed by compensatory fertilization. During the ten-year period after thinning, increment in the trial plots in average fell by 12% in the Norway spruce stands and by 7% in the Scots pine stands. Subsequent fertilization compensated for these increment losses during the first 10-year observation period. With no compensatory fertilization in the plots, the increment losses would probably have endured for at least 15 years. It is therefore imperative that the forest owner take account of the increment losses when assessing the commercial viability of extracting bioenergy fuel in conjunction with thinning