Variation of White Spruce Carbon Content with Age, Height, Social Classes and Silvicultural Management

Cyriac S. Mvolo, James D. Stewart, Christopher Helmeste and Ahmed Koubaa
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Cyriac S. Mvolo: Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB T6H-3S5, Canada
James D. Stewart: Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB T6H-3S5, Canada
Christopher Helmeste: Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB T6H-3S5, Canada
Ahmed Koubaa: Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 Boulevard, de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X-5E4, Canada

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-13

Abstract: The accuracy and precision with which carbon amounts have been accounted for in forests have been questioned. As countries seek to comply with agreements to reduce global warming and industries seek to maximize bioenergy potential, this matter has increased international concern. White spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) stand density management trials in the Petawawa Research Forest, Ontario, Canada, were sampled to evaluate carbon concentration variation within trees and plots of differing stand density. Sample-drying methodologies were also tested to compare freeze-dried carbon (FDC) and oven-dried carbon (ODC) measurements. The average FDC was 51.80 ± 1.19%, and the corrected freeze-dried carbon content (FDC COR ) was 51.76 ± 1.33%. The average ODC was 49.10 ± 0.92%, and the average volatile carbon fraction (Cvol) was 2.67 ± 1.71%. FDC was higher than ODC (mean of the differences = 2.52) and generally more variable. ODC significantly decreased radially and longitudinally. FDC was significantly affected by thinning, where heavy treatments resulted in the highest FDC amounts compared to medium, light, and control treatments. In addition to reducing carbon content (CC), drying influences wood CC in many ways that are still to be elucidated. The results of this study suggest that ODC should continue to be used within the bioenergy industry, while FDC must become the preferred standard for carbon accounting protocols.

Keywords: carbon content; volatile carbon; white spruce; stand density management; social class; wood biomass; bioenergy; wood drying methodologies; lyophilization; ultimate analyses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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