Analysis of commercial short rotation coppices in Bavaria, southern Germany

The total area of short rotation coppice (SRC) in Germany has increased to about 6000 ha in the last decade, without the benefit of subsidies. About 15% of Germany's total SRC area is in Bavaria. Up to now, the main focus of studies of SRC has been on experimental sites. Hence, as yet there have been no studies analyzing the sites used to cultivate SRC commercially, the management practices used, or the characteristics of the farmers who cultivate SRC. To fill this knowledge gap, we used a standardized questionnaire to gather information about SRC operators in Bavaria and their SRCs. SRC farmers differed from farmers who did not grow SRC: They had larger farms, often farmed organically, and the proportion of land they leased from other owners was lower. Furthermore, the relative forest area of SRC farmers was greater, whereas the relative area of permanent grassland was lower. The sites used for SRC cultivation showed below-average land rents, but generally were well supplied with water. The tree species cultivated in 98% of the cases was poplar. Biomass was predominantly harvested motor-manually after five to ten years for use in private wood chip heating systems. The use of marginal lands with sufficient water supply for biomass production with SRC in relatively long rotation cycles seems to be a favorable method of biomass production in southern Germany. This management practice on marginal land might be interesting for other countries because the competition with food production is low. However, economic analyses are needed.