969 USE OF TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNER IN SHORT ROTATION CROPS FOR ABOVE-GROUND WOODY BIOMASS ESTIMATION I. C. Dănilă Faculty of Forestry, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava Universității, 13, 720229 – Romania Phone: 0040749963403 Email: iuliandanila@usm.ro ABSTRACT Short-rotation crops (SRC) have become an important source of woody biomass around the world [1, 2]. The expansion of the SRC is supported by environmental policies and economic considerations: wood for cellulose or biomass for energy [3]. A precise estimate of biomass production is necessary for the sustainable planning of forest resources and for the exchange of energy in ecosystems. The use of the terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) in estimating the production of above ground wood biomass (AGWB) of short rotation crops brings an important technological leap among indirect (non-destructive) methods. TLS technology is justified when destructive methods become difficult to carry out and allometric equations do not give accurate information [4]. The main purpose is to estimate the biomass productivity on tree parts in short rotation forestry with TLS technology, comparing the results with the gravimetric method. Measuring the hybrid poplars crops by TLS may have the following consequences: (i) higher accuracy of the estimate of biomass production in the SRC; (ii) cost and time effective measurements over the biomass of tree parts; (iii) new and validated allometric equations for SRC in NE Romania. Through the research protocol, the use of TLS for comparison with the gravimetric method will contribute to the development of knowledge in the field of hybrid crops. Keywords: above-ground woody biomass (AGWB); short rotation crops (SRC); terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). INTRODUCTION The importance of assessment of biomass productivity in short rotation crops (SRC) with terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) The poplar crops area is growing in Europe, exceeding 800 thousand ha, of which 21% represents systems of short rotation crop production [5, 6]. The system of SRC, is an efficient alternative of bioenergy production under a temperate climate [7, 8]. In Romania, the interest for SRC has increased due to modern cultivation technologies [9, 10]. At the same time, Romania offers a high potential for marginal land suitable for planting of these crops [11, 12], an aspect that has attracted the attention of many investors. Thus, starting with 2009, a private investor has installed significant surfaces of SRC in NE Romania [13, 14]. Currently, in this area are installed more than 800 hectares of SRC. These prospects are particularly of interests to private sector, which finds in short rotation opportunities of developing and investing on short and medium terms. The right estimation of tree above-ground wood biomass (AGWB) and stem volume is needed both for sustainable planning of forest resources and for optimizing of energy and nutrients flows within terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, the EU Framework convention on climate change and for the Kyoto Protocol recognize the importance of forest carbon stock in relation to the atmospheric CO2 concentration [3]. On the other hand, the Romanian policy regarding the "System of tracking wood material" (SUMAL 2.0), is an issue for private investors because for many new hybrid clones there are not any coefficients for a real volume estimation and the Ministerial Order 1323/2015 (technical rules) does not offer proper volume equation.