Fast-Growing Tree Species in Different Land-Use Systems and Their Utilization Options

Dear Colleagues,

The cultivation of fast-growing tree species has attracted increasing attention from both academia and industry worldwide in recent years for various reasons. Research and reports on new findings regarding the cultivation of fast-growing tree species have been conducted and published in temperate latitudes from North America to Europe and China.

On the one hand, focus has been on the production of fast-growing tree species in short-rotation coppice (SRC) plantations for the rapid production of dendromass for material and/or energy use. This production involves a wide variety of tree species (e.g., poplars, willows, black locusts, and also eucalyptus) on agricultural and forestry land. In agroforestry systems (AFSs), however, the focus is not solely on the rapid production of dendromass. Alongside the simultaneous production of high-quality timber (with other tree species and longer lifespans) and diverse agricultural crops, the benefits of these land-use systems are increasingly being recognized. In cleared agricultural landscapes, fast-growing trees have a significant impact on biodiversity in addition to their positive influence on the microclimate and their resulting stabilization of soil water. This impact extends to providing cover (e.g., for small game and ground-nesting birds) and serving as corridors or stepping stones, connecting the habitats of many animals (e.g., lynx or wildcat) in often fragmented areas. Furthermore, the cultivation of fast-growing tree species in agriculturally dominated regions leads to an increase in soil carbon stocks, which in turn increases the biodiversity of soil microflora, fauna, and fungi. In forests, fast-growing (pioneer) tree species are increasingly cultivated to establish new stands in their shade, but also to enhance the biodiversity of existing forests, thereby making them more resilient to various environmental influences. Furthermore, fast-growing tree species with significantly shorter harvest cycles are used to produce more timber in shorter periods and to counteract the risk of increased extreme weather events and the resulting substantial economic losses in old-growth forests.

Fast-growing tree species in all three of the aforementioned cultivation systems are able to store carbon in their wood. Their cultivation also reduces the mineralization of organic matter in the soil, resulting in a positive carbon balance.

Depending on the tree species cultivated and rotation periods applied, timber of varying qualities and with a correspondingly wide range of applications can be produced in the aforementioned land-use systems. The technological processes used for this (harvesting and processing methods) have been significantly improved in recent years and will also be presented here.

This Special Issue aims to compile and present the latest knowledge regarding all the possibilities and topics listed.

Prof. Dr. Dirk Landgraf
Guest Editor

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