ANALYSIS OF BIOMASS UTILISATION OF ABOVEGROUND PART OF BEECH (FAGUS SYLVATICA L.) IN COMPARTMENT 92, MU ,,ŽUĆA – RIBNICA“

630*8:620.95(497.6 Kakanj) 620.9:582.632.2(497.6 Kakanj) Biomass has a huge renewable energy source potential, forest biomass in particular. Forest biomass effectively includes aboveground parts of tree trunk including: stem, treetop with leaves/needles, bark, seeds, and cones. Although it is biomass, stump is not used in natural forests. Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a dominant tree in the forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it is important raw material used in wood assortment production. Once beech assortment is cut down, processing and hauled there is a significant quantity of unused wood biomass which can be effectively used as source of renewable energy. This is way the objective of this paper was to determine overall quantity of beech tree biomass in Compartment 92, Subcompartment „a”, MU „Žuća-Ribnica“, assess quantity of forest biomass (usable timber left after felling and branches - biomass above 7 cm), determine quantity of forest biomass (wood biomass from 3 to 7 cm), and also quantity of bark. The research included 60 beech trees. Volume of tree trunk and trunk bark was determined by sectioning method and branch mass was determined by weighting. Adjusted values of tree trunk and bark volumes were converted in dry matter mass using information provided by. The research findings showed that 73% (1,605.24 tons) of beech wood biomass is used in Compartment 92, Subcompartment „a”, MU „Žuća-Ribnica“, while 27% (582.59 tons) remain unused in the forest. This altogether indicates that a large portion of beech biomass is not used as energy source.