Introduction to Forest Bioenergy

This chapter introduces and outlines the book “Forest Bioenergy: From Wood Production to Energy Use”, dedicated to biomass, currently the most commonly used renewable energy source, which contributes to 10% of the worldwide energy supply. The majority of bioenergy comes from woody biomass, which is mainly converted into heat (mostly in households, followed by industries). Its conversion to power is also relevant, while the production of transport biofuels is a promising pathway. Modern bioenergy presents numerous advantages: it has a renewable, versatile, local and distributed nature; it helps increase energy security and meet the rising global energy demands; it easily substitutes for fossil fuels; and it presents potential environmental and economic benefits. Carbon sequestration and storage are among the several environmental services provided by forests. The amount of biomass they produce, and consequently, their bioenergy potential, is highly variable. Forest plantations provide the highest bioenergy yields per unit area, while in forest systems managed for other purposes, factors such as stand structure affect residual biomass generation. Assessing and monitoring biomass, along with determining bioenergy potentials, are essential tasks, often based on mathematical models that vary in complexity and span different spatial and temporal scales, frequently with associated cartography.