Species Use Database

Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia

Used for Energy in Italy (mainland)

A. Species

Scientific name: Robinia pseudoacacia

Common name(s): Black locust

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Italy (mainland)

Country/Region: Italy


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: Individual Site

Name/Details of location: Casale Monferrato, North-West Italy


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2006

End Year: 2012


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Logging and/or Wood Harvesting

Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Energy

Motivation of use: Largescale commercial exploitation for trade and Climate Change Nature Based Solution / Adaptation Measure

Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local government and National / local private sector


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: This study examines a sustainable management option.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Needs special and atypical production conditions to achieve sustainability. Authors state: "Consequently, woodchip production by black locust SRC is only possible with economic support for production and with optimisation of agricultural labour and biomass production."

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Doesn't look at social sustainability, just management practice for sustainability. Ideally, it would be good, socially, if sustainability could be achieved.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: It's a tree


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

If six year-old trees with a diameter at chest height of 150-200 mm are grown, the base of the trunk, up to two to four metres in width, can be used to produce firewood with a value for energy use higher than for woodchips (up to 200 Mg-1DM). In this case, the economic balance becomes positive although the harvesting methods for firewood are more expensive (in this case, only a chainsaw can be used). Furthermore, since the tree has a large diameter (> 100 mm), these plantations produce woodchips of high quality with a high fibre content (85–90%) and favourable particle-size distribution


Record source

Information about the record source: scientific_pub

Date of publication/issue/production: 2015-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Manzone, M., Bergante, S., & Facciotto, G. (2015). Energy and economic sustainability of woodchip production by black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) plantations in Italy. Fuel, 140, 555-560.

Date of record entry: 2022-12-07