At the Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus the cultivation of fast growing woody crops for bioenergy production in innovative land use systems in the post lignite-mining landscape of Lusatia is investigated since the mid-90s.

The investigated systems comprise short-rotation coppices as well as the combined cultivation of fast-growing trees with conventional agricultural crops in agroforestry systems (alley cropping).

The focus of the research activities is put on the assessment of the ecological and economical performance of different species / clones in a variety of different land-use systems.