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Forests and Energy in Slovenia

Case study – Municipality Vransko

Živan Veselič, M.Sc.

Slovenia Forest Service

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Positive effects of wood biomass on the economy

The production and use of forest biomass have several positive effects on the economy:

Increasing of income,Supplementary activities for farms,Supplementary employment in rural regions,Thinning contributes to the quality of stands, Decreasing of CO2 pollution.

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Slovenian forests

The share of total area under forests

58 %

Total forest area

1.174.000 ha The mean growing

stock

262m3/ha

Coniferous : broad-leaves trees

47(%) : 53(%)

Main tree species:

beech, spruce, oak, silver fir, pine

Forest density

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The contents of FAO TCP project 2003-2005 – about wood resources and wood consumption for energy

Wood energy maps,

Wood energy information system,

Socioeconomic aspects of wood energy,

Analysis of fuelwood market,

Extension on the field of wood energy

Dissemination of knowledge, strenghtening of public awareness

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Analyses within WISDOM methodology

The supply moduleForestsOther landsIndustries (residues)

The demand moduleHousehold sectorOther sectors

Integration module (balances)

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The annual allowable cut of all non-timber assortments

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The average fuelwood productivity of non-forest lands

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Quantities of wood residues in wood processed industry (SFI 2004)

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Fuelwood consumption by Slovenian households

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Potential fuelwood production/consumption balance

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The changes in forest area and growing stock (per hectar) for the last 50 years

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1947 1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006

Leto

Are

a (

in 1

00

0 h

a)

50,0

100,0

150,0

200,0

250,0

300,0

Gro

win

g s

toc

k (

m3

/ha

)

Area (in 1.000 ha) Growing stock (m3/ha)

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The location of Municipality Vransko

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The Municipality Vransko

Total area: 5.311 ha

Number of inhabitants: 2.500

Forest area: 3.522 ha

Forest ownership:

- Private forests: 94 %

- State forests: 5 %

- Municipality’s forests: 1 %

Central heating station: 3,2 MW

(for 120 (16 %) houses)

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Wood resources in Municipality Vransko

Forest area: 3.522 ha

Protection forests: 60 ha

Forest reserves: 4,9 ha

Exploited forest area: 3.457 ha

Mean growing stock: 299 m3/ha

Mean wood increment: 7,0 m3/ha

Annual incr. - forest: 24.640 m3

Allowable cut - fuelwood: 9.720 m3

Annual incr. - non-forest: 800 m3

Annual product.- non-forest: 560 m3

Household consumption: 3.750 m3

Balance: + 6.530 m3

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Private forest owners

Private forest ownership Farmers 19 % of private forest area Non-farmers 81% of private forest area

Sawmill property 80 % of farmers have their own sawmills

20 % of non-farmers have their own sawmills

Forest owners associations2 cooperatives, no other forest owners associations

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Cooperation between forest owners, entrepreneurs and municipality

Investors of central heating station (CHS)

Municipality VranskoEntrepreneursHouseholds

120 users of energy of CHS

The majority of wood for energy comes from private forests

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Growing stock and increment of forestsGrowing stock Wood increment

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Forest and non-forest wood resources

Annual allowable cutAnnual wood increment of non-forest areas

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The household consumption and the balance between potencial production and household consumption

The household consumption of fuelwood

The balance - potencial production of non-timber assortments / the household consumption of fuelwood