Kurzumtriebsplantagen als Landnutzungsoption auf vernässtem Grünland und Niedermoorrandgebieten?

Summary

Short rotation coppice (SRC) of willow variety ‘Tordis’ and poplar variety ‘Max 1’ were established on two grassland trial sites featuring elevated and changing groundwater tables in order to investigate if they offer land users a valid alternative to annual cultivation which often requires continually soil draining on such sites. Using a low-impact planting technique in order to preserve soil carbon storage, ploughing and heavy machinery were avoided, and neither herbicides nor fertilizers were applied. Initial growth was slow in both varieties due to competition for light in dense grass cover. In later growth, the differences between the growth performance of willow and poplar increased. At the two sites (A and B), willow achieved 5.3 m (A) and 3.2 m (B) in mean height as well as 80% (A) and 92% (B) in tree survival, while poplar showed difficulties to cope with water excess in the wetter part of the plantations reaching mean heights of 3.1 m (A) and 1.6 m (B) as well as 62% (A) and 66% (B) tree survival in the third year.