Poplar wood production in Europe on account of market criticalities and agricultural, forestry and energy policy

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1 Poplar wood production in Europe on account of market criticalities and agricultural, forestry and energy policy Coaloa D.; Nervo G. CRA-PLF, Str. Frassineto, 35 Casale Monferrato AL., Introduction Poplar is well known for its large wood production, its ability to adapt to different environments and for its integration and synergy with agriculture. Awareness is rapidly raising as to its great potential for fulfilling a protective, environmental function, both in Europe and in many other countries of the world which most need to face social and environmental emergencies. The statistical data on poplar cultivation available worldwide are referred to different cultural models, adopted in the different countries on the basis of their specific needs. Leaving aside the very important role of poplar in the context of natural forests, specialized plantations and agroforestry plantations (i.e. those associated with agricultural crops and trees outside forests) have been classified, depending on their purpose, as wood production or protection. Although in this paper the focus is on poplar plantations, it is important at first to understand the role of poplar cultivation within the European forestry sector. The cultural models, the purpose and the development of poplar cultivation depend on the role of forestry and on the forestry policies adopted in the different European countries. We considered it necessary to examine the current state of forests in the countries concerned and their relationship with plantations, poplar plantations in particular, so as to highlight the productive potential and the attention that each country devotes to forest planning. Material and methods The data set out below have been taken from FAO-FRA 21, Global Forest Resources Assessment and from IPC Country progress reports, summary statistics 28 and have been used to assess the relationship between natural forests, planted forests and poplar plantations in various European countries. In the following analysis, in addition to the European countries most concerned with the cultivation of poplar (,,, Germany,, Romania,.,,, United Kingdom and Sweden) Turkey is also considered, for it being a member of IPC (International Poplar Commission) and for its important role within the European poplar market. Data are not available for Holland, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland and Russian Federation. As for, which has always been a very important country in poplar production, since no recent data are available, reference is made to information related to the year 2. Results and discussion In the 13 countries surveyed, the total forest area amounts to ha. Forest plantations cover about ha, of which 94.2 are with poplar. Differences between countries are remarkable; excluding the case of the Russian Federation whose forests cover about 5 % of the whole national territory while only 26. ha are planted with poplar, in the remaining countries plantations account for 21% of the whole forest area. In countries where the forest area is rather small (, and United Kingdom) plantations represent more than half the forest cover. In, and, with 1/3 of the national territory under forest cover, they amount to 7 % in and and to 1 % in. In Germany, where forests represent one third of the national territory, plantations account for nearly 5% of the forest area. In Europe poplar plantations are 4% of the total plantations; they reach more than 14% in, more than 18% in and 19% in. Compared to the total forest area poplar occupies on average 1%, while only in and it reaches 5%. In Europe natural forests with

2 indigenous poplar cover significant areas, notably 21,5 million ha in the Russian Federation and ha in the other European countries. In Europe poplar is especially important when grown in plantations, where it performs a function of wood production as well as having an important protective role against erosion and pollution in vulnerable contexts. In natural stands the genus Populus is generally represented by species such as Populus nigra, Populus alba, Populus tremula, Populus canescens, whereas Populus deltoides, P. xcanadensis, P. xdeltoides, P. generosa are those mainly grown in plantations. Poplar planted area and purpose In Europe poplar plantations cover a total area of 94.2 hectares. The countries having the major area planted with poplar are (236. ha), Turkey (125. ha), (118.5 ha), Germany (1. ha), (98.5 ha) (19.3 ha) and Romania (55.3 ha). In 2% of poplar plantations have a protective purpose. (graphic 1) 25 2 other protection production hax Turkey Germany Romania United Kingdom Sweden Graphic 1 - Poplar planted in Europe by purpose Indigenous poplar Poplar natural stands cover an area of ha in Europe; they are mainly concentrated in,, Romania and (graphic 2). 7% of natural poplar stands have a protective purpose.

3 hax Romania Germany Graphic 2 - Natural poplar stands Agroforestry poplar Poplar in agroforestry systems covers 15. ha and provides 45. cubic metres per year, especially for fuelwood and biomass for energy. Poplar agroforestry systems in, Germany, and Romania have a mainly productive purpose. Poplar cultivation trend in Europe: Until 1971 produced over 6% of all European poplar wood thanks also to the numerous line plantations that were common at that time. Now Italian production accounts for only 1% of European production. Since 1996 the area cultivated with poplar in the 13 countries considered has decreased by 7% (graphic 3) hax Turkey Germany Romania United Kingdom Sweden Graphic 3 - Poplar cultivation trend in Europe Wood production

4 Wood production remains the main purpose for poplar growing, accounting for 855. ha (9%). Some 8. ha (8%) of poplars are reported as being used for various protective systems. In Romania protection is the main purpose of poplar plantations (75%). The annual removals from poplar plantations are generally lower than the annual increment, although in a few cases, such as Romania and, they are substantially higher. The poplar roundwood available annually in the countries considered amounts to an average of cubic metres, destined to the production of plywood/veneers (4%) and sownwood (31%) (table1). Among the most productive countries are (1.8. m 3 ), Turkey (3.5. m 3, of which m 3 for industry), (868. m 3 ) and (77. m 3 ) (graphic 4). Table 1 Poplar wood production by product from poplar plantations m 3 x1 % plywood&veneer sawnwood Pulp-paper-card-board reconstituted-wood fuelwood-bioenergy others 67 1 total others fuelwood-bioenergy reconstituted-wood Pulp-paper-card-board sawnwood plywood&veneer m3x Turkey Romania Germany Graphic 4 - Availability of poplar wood from plantations, by product Moreover, natural stands with indigenous poplar annually yield 339. cubic meters of roundwood, 3% of which are used as fuel wood (over ), 24% as sownwood and 22% for pulp. (graphic 5).

5 14 12 others fuelwood-bioenergy reconstituted-wood Pulp-paper-card-board sawnwood plywood&veneer 1 m3x Romania Spagna I Graphic 5 - Availability of poplar wood from natural stands, by products Import/Export The most important countries exporting poplar round wood are, and ; they export, on average, respectively 217, 214 and 28 thousand cubic meters every year. The major importers are, and with respectively 457, 228 and 34 thousand cubic meters per year. only imports. On the whole poplar wood mobilization in Europe represents about 1% of the total production; the total exported and imported volumes are almost equivalent (777. m 3 and 742. m 3 respectively). (graphic 6) The present consumption of wood-based panels in Europe reaches 5 million m 3. As regards plywood, the production amounts to 3 million m 3, imports reach 6 million m 3 and exports 3,5 million m export import m3x export Graphic 6 Poplar wood exported and imported in European countries Prices of poplar wood in the most representative countries currently vary from 45 to 53 per cubic meter. The highest prices are in, the lowest in. In prices vary according to diameter (graphics 7).

6 /m Graphic 7 Trend of poplar price in, and Critical aspects in European IPC member countries Lack of consideration for the environmental role of poplar in Europe is one of the main problems. Many environment-oriented laws and regulations have banished poplar cultivation from the lands more suitable for poplar growing, such as flood plains and river beds. Particularly: ZPS - Special Protection Zone, SIC - Site of Community Importance and Parks Causes: massive imports by the wood industries, closed market controlled by few buyers, choice of the clone I-214 as a favourite raw material and consequent lack of market for wood from other poplar clones. Progressive reduction of the number of operators in the poplar sector. Prices of poplar wood are decreasing. situation in - Low price of poplar plants and poplar wood. - Scarce cultivated surface compared to the needs of the industry: reduction by 5% of new plantations from The overall demand for poplar round timber for the industry is around 3,1 million tons (3,9 million cubic metres): 53% plywood, 2% wooden pallets, 13% wooden crates for fruit and vegetables, 11% paper pulp. The demand for poplar timber can actually be met by felling 14. hectares/year of poplar plantations. - Poplar cultivation is seen as an agricultural practice rather than forestry. - No environmental or social benefits are acknowledged to poplar stands. - Restrictive laws and regulations such as Special Protection Zone (SPZ), Site of Community Importance (SIC) and parks. The area planted with poplar in has reached its historical minimum thus confirming the negative trend registered in the last two decades as highlighted in previous ad hoc surveys (Coaloa and Chiarabaglio 1996, Coaloa 27). According to the new national forest inventory (INFC, 29), poplar plantations for wood production amount to 7 thousand hectares. The poplar available in still fails to meet the demand of the timber industry that produces high-quality plywood. The deficit in domestic production is covered by massive imports of round wood from other European countries and Eastern Europe. Traditional poplar cultivation, based on ten-year cycles, for the production of plywood has undergone numerous difficulties over the years, mainly due to diseases that have struck intensively cultivated areas. Nevertheless it reacted and adapted itself to farming models that improved the

7 productivity and the quality of the wood. In the last years a tendency developed towards a farming model based on the increase of the distance between the plants, with a density around 28 plants per hectare instead of the 3-33 previously used. The greater surface available per plant allows to produce trunks of higher quality and to obtain greater flexibility in the length of the cycle. The technical guidelines for sustainable management of poplar cultivation, worked out by CRA- PLF, resulting from the activity of a large working group, allowed to start the application of two forest certification schemes for poplar cultivation in : the FSC ( scheme and the PEFC ( scheme, both of which are based on internationally-recognised requirements. These certification systems use an evaluation approach that takes place at a single company level (each forest company is inspected by a certifier on at least an annual basis), but in order to also provide the possibility of cost-effective certification to private smallholders, the instrument of group certification has also been developed (Coaloa and Vietto 28). Since 27, about 4.5 hectares of poplar plantations have been certified, through certification groups of smallholders, in Piemonte, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Lombardia, in about 14 farms. In the Lombardy Region mixed plantation of poplar with noble broadleaves and shrubby species, with comprehensive cycle of about 2 years have been established. Their purpose is to obtain high quality wood, reducing the risks of the single-crop system. The poplar, cut after 7-1 years, can give an initial income to the farmer in an intermediate phase of the cycle. The most common cultivation system for energy purposes consists of extremely dense plantations (6. to 1. plants per hectare), with 2-3 year cycles. Research studies on the poplar plantation as a carbon sink, funded by various institutions (EU, Lombardy Region, etc.), are also being carried out. Tillages, and particularly soil loosening which is done two to three times a year, have a negative impact on the ability of the poplar system to store carbon. situation in - Reduction by 25% of new plantations due to a decline of prices. - Complex laws regulating poplar cultivation (Nature 2). - No state funding except in case of natural disaster. - Excellent Research Centres but inadequate laws to coordinate the priorities of the sector. - Increase of diseases (aphid and rusts) and natural disasters such as floods and violent storms. situation in - No state funding to support poplar cultivation. - Strong decline of prices. - Great interest in poplar biomass for energy production. - Only private poplar and agroforestry are substantially increasing. - Castile and Leon accounts for 5% of poplar production in. situation in - Restrictive environmental regulations hinder poplar cultivation. - Decline of prices and of new plantations. - No state funding and no concessions of state-owned land for the next 2 years. - Increase of diseases such as rusts. situation in Germany -The market for poplar timber in the Federal Republic of Germany has not developed to any major significance. The woodworking and processing industry is not equipped for this type of wood. - Interesting markets are increasingly developing for energy use of poplar and willow timber in the form of wood chips for use in electricity generation in power plants and heat generation in municipal and private buildings. situation in Turkey - 5% of poplars planted in Turkey are established in line plantations along water canals, streams and around irrigable fields. Most of the wood obtained from black poplar is utilized particularly for rural constructions, whereas hybrid poplar wood is used to a great extent for industrial purposes. Future developments - Certification can help improve both the social perception of poplar and its environmental role.

8 - Coordinated action must be taken to foster better communication and make the environmental and social benefits of poplar much better known. - Starting a European programme for a better knowledge of poplar culture within society. - At present demand is higher than offer, and since poplar is the most interesting and versatile among fast growing species the demand for poplar wood is due to increase. - The current trends of poplar plantations in Europe declared by national reports (IPC 28) is increasing for poplar stands in Germany,, United Kingdom and Sweden. Decreasing in Turkey, Romania, and ; the trend in stable in,, and. The trend of agroforestry poplar is increasing in and. Bibliography INFC, 29 - Inventario Nazionale delle Foreste e dei Serbatoi Forestali di Carbonio. I caratteri quantitativi- Parte 1, versione 2. Le stime di superficie 25. Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Ispettorato generale. CRA-MPF- Trento. pp.178. IPC, 28 - International Poplar Commission 23 rd Session, Beijing, China. Synthesis of Country Progress Reports. [En]. COALOA D., CHIARABAGLIO P. M., Si fa attendere la ripresa della pioppicoltura - Rapporto annuale sulla pioppicoltura 1995., L'Informatore Agrario, (LII): 41, COALOA D., 27- Inventario della pioppicoltura nella pianura piemontese nel 26, Risultati progetto ARBOLEPI 2 Indagine del mercato dell arboricoltura da legno piemontese con particolare riferimento alla pioppicoltura Regione Piemonte Economia Montana e Foreste, Settore Politiche Forestali. pp Coaloa, D.; Vietto, L Pioppicoltura ecologicamente disciplinata. Costi di coltivazione del pioppeto secondo disciplinare produzione. SHERWOOD - Foreste ed Alberi Oggi n Coaloa, D.; Vietto, L Forest certification for poplar plantations: a new market opportunity.[abstract] In: IPC 23rd Sess. 'Poplars, Willows and People's Wellbeing'. Abstracts of Submitted Papers. Beijing, China, 27-3 October 28. p. 43 UNECE/FAO -