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THEME ENERGY POLICIES

Forests and use of wood biomass

in Slovenia Nike Krajnc - Slovenian Forestry Institute

Slovenia is a small country with a lot of forest and with traditional use of wood for heating and cooking. Share of wooden biomass in primary energy in Slovenia is only 4% but more than 30 % of all households in Slovenia are still using wood for heating or cooking. According to the estimations there are still unused wood biomass potentials: how to mobilize them effectively? SLOVENIAN FORESTS More than 56 % of land in Slovenia is covered with forest. There is more than 0.57 ha of forest land per capita. In Europe only Finland (4.03 ha of forest/capita) and Sweden (2.85 ha of forest/capita)

have more forest land per capita than Slovenia. There is a long tradition sustainable forest management which re s u l t s i n m o s t l y m i xe d f o re s t w h i c h a re b u i l d m a i n l y f r o m Spruce (Picea abies), Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Fir (Abies alba).

Growing stock and forest area in Slovenia in last 47 years

Sustainable forests management in Slovenia is defined by Forestry law ( 1 9 9 3 ) a n d t h e P ro g r a m m e o f forest development. A nnu a l cu t i n y e a r 2000 wa s 2 609 000 m3. According to official data annual cut represents less then 40 % of increment. The growing s t o c k o f S l o v e n i a n f o re s t h a s increased of 45 % in the last 47 years.

Slovenia

Fo re s t a re a h a s c o n s i d e r a b l y increased in last 47 years (for 16 %). The main reason for this process is the abandon of agricultural land. According to official data the area of forests has increased of 3 940 ha per year. There were 67 000 ha of abandoned agricultural land in year 1996. Taking in account also demographic trends, we can predict that the process of abandoning agricultural land will continue.

THE ROLE OF FORESTS REGARDING KYOTO REQUIREMENTS Slovenian forests remain an important, strategic, multipurpose and renewable source that should be acknowledged within international process and programmes as an important sink of carbon. According to adapted methodology for estimation of greenhouse gas emissions (COP 6, Bonn) the situation for Slovenia has changed. The most important achievement of above

TABLE 1: STRUCTURE OF FORESTS, GROWING STOCK, ANNUAL INCREMENT AND FELLING IN SLOVENIA (IN 2000)

Deciduous trees Coniferous trees Total

Structure of forest

Growing stock

Annual increment

Felling

% 52 48 100

m3 m3/ha 135 817 000 120 126 978 000 112 262 795 000 232

m3 m3/ha 3 777 000 3.33 3 095 000 2.73 6 872 000 6.06

m3 1 186 000 1 423 000 2 609 000

Felling in relation to annual increment

% 31 46 38

WOOD ENERGY N째2 / 2003

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