Biomass in different biotopes – an extensive resource - Biomass as Energy Source: Resources, Systems and Applications - page 101

Figure 5.17. Eucalyptus, La Paz, Bolivia (photo E. Dahlquist).

Table 5.8. Cereal production in southern
European countries 2008/2009.

Cereal

Country tonne/ha

Portugal 3.6

Spain 4.0

France 7.5

Italy 5.4

Greece 4.5

slope in La Paz Bolivia, at almost 4 000m a.s.l. This tree is now the most common tree for forest
industries in Brazil, Indonesia and other countries in the temperate (Mediterranean), sub tropical
and tropic regions, due to its fast growth rate. When trees in the north may take 80 or 100 years
before harvesting, the eucalyptus may be ready after seven years, or even faster.
In Table 5.8, we have calculated the cereal production per hectare from the total production of
cereals in tonnes/year in relation to the total land area used for cereal production. The source of
the figures is as previously the World Bank data base (2011).
Here we can see that the cereal production is similar in southern Europe to northern Europe
even though the climate principally should be better. The hot temperature during the summer is
probably causing this combined with a shortage of water for irrigation. Thus France, with best
availability of water, has the highest average production of cereals of the five.