Biomass Production in Saline Soil

Abstract

At present, land use is relatively varied because of different climates and soil types. On nonarable land, the focus should be conserving and improving pastures from the perspective of soil improvement and sustainability, particularly for indigenous vegetations. On arable land, emphasis should be placed on establishing windbreaker forests. In selecting species, both economic and ecological benefits should be considered. China is home to more than 4 million ha of oil plants; 154 kinds of energy trees can produce seeds containing more than 40 % of oil, with a total production of seeds reaching 5 million tons. Another 57 million ha of wasteland is available and suitable for planting trees for the production of forest-based bioenergy. The potential for forest-based bioenergy in the country is thus equivalent to 200 million tons of coal, the use of which will reduce consumption of fossil energy by 10 %. Ultimately, biomass can be used in carbon-negative energy systems, thus further reducing carbon dioxide emissions. According to the State Forestry Administration, China aims to establish 13.33 million ha of forests by 2020 to produce liquid and solid biofuels for power generation and transport. The target hectarage will rise from a planned 833,333 ha in 2010 and will provide enough biomass to produce more than 6 million tons of biodiesel each year and power generators with a capacity of 15 GW. These energy forests will contribute significantly to the already successful attempts by China to reduce desertification. Undoubtedly, saline land exploitation will play a significant role in this context.