Biomass from nature management, opportunities and challenges
The nature management in grasslands and forests within the LIFE Green Valley project releases four types of products (also known as management residues)1:
- Grassland clippings/swath
- Coarse cuttings from wet meadows and fallow land
- Wood material from branches and thin trees
- High-quality wood
According to European waste legislation (1975 Framework Directive), material that we intend to remove automatically becomes 'waste'. Wood material can always be left in the forest if it is included in our management plan. Dead wood also contributes significantly to biodiversity (for example, increase in populations of many beetle and fungus species). In addition, wood is a material in demand on the market, both for generating energy and as a product. Wood, even that from nature management, is never considered waste. On the other hand, we should not simply leave grass clippings/swath in grasslands and wetlands, which are the subject of the LIFE Green Valley project. Many typical grassland plants cannot tolerate an accumulation of grass clippings, so we are aiming for poor soil, especially in habitats 6230 and 6410, which are key to this project. Consequently, many of the green cuttings obtained from nature management must be disposed of and are considered waste, unless they can be used as fodder in agriculture.
