ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to analyze the sustainable management plan of an area of Caatinga biome in order to suggest the best treatment strategies of biomass for energy generation. The study was conducted in a private enterprise, with an area of 114,755 ha in southern Piauí state. The management plan analysis, prepared by Toniolo, Leal Junior e Campello (2005), was made by the authors of this study in three steps. The first consisted of a floristic survey and forest inventory. The second study was the quantification and qualification of forest biomass to be allocated for energy generation, including the collection of branches in total biomass potential. The third study consisted of performing storage test of biomass in the field and in the forest and in an industrial yard, to estimate the improvement of the quality of biomass for energy generation. The results indicated that analyzed vegetation features: high floristic diversity, many individuals per unit area; small to medium trees; most individuals with small diameter and high biomass productivity per unit area. As for the energy quality of Caatinga biomass: the moisture content and ash content of newly felled trees were low and the net calorific value was high. As for storage: the cutting of trees during the rainy season and its field maintenance for the leave fall, for 10 days, it resulted in a significant increase in the moisture content of the biomass. Fifteen days of storage in piles in the yard were sufficient to trunks and branches of trees of Caatinga achieve high quality wood energy. The best biomass treatment strategies consisted of: performing harvesting and collecting logs and branches manually with the use of chain saws. The harvest should be done differently in the dry and rainy seasons. In the dry season, as much material from the branches should be removed from the area at the time of harvesting the logs. During the rainy season, the branches should not be removed from the field before the fall of leaves, with subsequent use of storage in piles, in the yard, to reduce the moisture content. The density; anatomical structure of wood; morphology of the trees and the presence of termites should be taken into account during treatment planning of biomass for the use in power generation, especially in the design of forest and industrial chippers. The storage of logs and branches should be performed separately due to the different behavior of drying the biomass depending on dimensions and shape thereof. The storage of logs and scrub of tree branches can be used as a tool for management of biomass for power generation in order to improve the energy of wood.
Keywords:
biomass quantity; biomass quality; biomass treatment; harvesting
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