Biomass Resources, Worldwide

The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part, which include diversity within species, among species, and of ecosystems.

Energy derived from biomass.

Any liquid, gaseous, or solid fuel produced from plant or animal organic matter (e.g., soybean oil, alcohol froms fermented sugar, black liquor from the paper manufacturing process, wood as fuel, etc.).

The total mass of living organisms in a given area or of a given species usually expressed as dry weight. Such organic matter consists of, or recently derived from, living organisms (especially regarded as fuel) excluding peat. Biomass includes products, by-products, and waste derived from such material.

The natural or anthropogenic process that converts forest land to non-forest.

The amount of bioenergy output projected when all social costs and benefits related to that output are included, there is full transparency of information, and assuming exchanges in the economy install a general equilibrium characterized by spatial and temporal efficiency. Negative externalities and co-benefits of all energy uses and of other economic activities are priced. Social discount rates balance the interests of consecutive human generations.

A system of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. The boundaries of what could be called an ecosystem are somewhat arbitrary, depending on the focus of interest or study. Thus, the extent of an ecosystem may range from very small spatial scales to the entire planet.

Defined under the Kyoto Protocol as a minimum area of land of 0.05–1.0 ha with tree-crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10–30% with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2–5 m at maturity in situ. A forest may consist either of closed forest formations where trees of various story and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground or of open forest. Young natural stands and all plantations that have yet to reach a crown density of 10–30% or tree height of 2–5 m are included under forest, as are areas normally forming part of the forest area that are temporarily unstocked as a result of human intervention such as harvesting or natural causes but which are expected to revert to forest.

The way government is understood has changed in response to social, economic, and technological changes over recent decades. There is a corresponding shift from government defined strictly by the nation-state to a more inclusive concept of governance, recognizing the contributions of various levels of government (global, international, regional, local) and the roles of the private sector, of nongovernmental actors, and of civil society.

A method of analysis that combines results and models from the physical, biological, economic, and social sciences and the interactions between these components in a consistent framework to evaluate the status and the consequences of environmental change and the policy responses to it.

The total of arrangements, activities, and inputs undertaken in a certain land cover type (a set of human actions). The social and economic purposes for which land is managed (e.g., grazing, timber extraction, and conservation). Land-use change occurs when, for example, forest is converted to agricultural land or to urban areas.

The amount of bioenergy output expected to occur under forecast market conditions, shaped by private economic agents and regulated by public authorities. Private economic agents realize private objectives within given, perceived, and expected conditions. Market potentials are based on expected private revenues and expenditures, calculated at private prices (incorporating subsidies, levies, and rents) and with private discount rates. The private context is partly shaped by public authority policies.

Models are structured imitations of a system’s attributes and mechanisms to mimic appearance or functioning of systems, for example, the climate, the economy of a country, and a crop. Mathematical models assemble (many) variables and relations in computer code to simulate system functioning and performance for variations in parameters and inputs. Bottom-up models aggregate technological, engineering, and cost details of specific activities and processes. Top-down models apply macroeconomic theory and econometric and optimization techniques to aggregate economic variables, like total consumption, prices, incomes, and factor costs. Hybrid models include bottom-up approaches or results in top-down models.

The biomass potential described the biomass available under certain frame conditions. Thus several levels of biomass potentials can be identified, although every level may span a broad range.

The ratio of the percentage change in the quantity of demand for a good or service to 1% change in the price of that good or service. When the absolute value of the elasticity is between 0 and 1, demand is called inelastic; when it is greater than 1, demand is called elastic.

Direct human-induced conversion of non-forested land to forested land through planting, seeding, and/or the human-induced promotion of natural seed sources, on land that was previously forested but converted to non-forested land. For the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, reforestation activities will be limited to reforestation occurring on those lands that did not contain forest on December 31, 1989.

A plausible description of how the future may develop based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about key relationships and driving forces (e.g., rate of technological change, prices) on social, economic, energy, etc. Note that scenarios are neither predictions nor forecasts but are useful to provide a view of the implications of developments and actions.

The amount of bioenergy output that would be obtained in an ideal setting of perfect economic markets, optimal social (institutional and governance) systems, and achievement of the sustainable flow of environmental goods and services. This potential is distinct from economic potential by explicitly addressing inter- and intragenerational equity (distribution) and governance issues.

The amount of bioenergy output obtainable by full implementation of demonstrated and likely to develop technologies or practices. No explicit reference to costs, barriers, or policies is made. In literature, analysts often adopt practical constraints in that context they implicitly take into account, for instance, socio-geographical and sociopolitical considerations (also called resource potential).

This potential is derived from natural and climatic (physical) parameters. The theoretical potential can be quantified with a reasonable accuracy, but the information is of limited practical relevance. It represents the upper limit of what can be produced from biomass from a theoretical point of view based on current scientific knowledge. It does not take into account energy losses during the conversion process necessary to make use of the resource nor any kind of barriers.