ABSTRACT
Biomass resources (fuelwood, dung, crop residues, ethanol) constitute a major fuel source in the world (Hall et al., 1985; Pimentel et al., 1986a; Hall and de Groot, 1987). Biomass is a prime energy source in developing nations, where it meets about 90% of the energy needs of the poor (Chatterji, 1981). Each year 2.5 billion tons of forest resources are harvested for a variety of uses, including fuel, lumber, and pulp (FAO, 1983a). About 60% of these resources are harvested in developing nations; of this amount, about 85% is burned as fuel (Montalembert and Clement, 1983). Fuelwood makes up about half (1.3 billion tons) of the 2.8 billion tons of biomass consumed annually worldwide; the remaining half consists of crop residues (33%) and dung (17%) (Pimentel et al., 1986b).
