permaculture

["Andrew Fischer" <afischer@jeffnet.org>]

Hi Everyone-
 
I was wondering if anyone has extensive experience with using hybrid poplars
in permaculture designs. I live in Southern Oregon and have been working as
a consultant on a farm where they have been used and revered as a miracle
tree since they grow 10-15 feet a year. From my perspective they seem to be
good for fast growth and biomass but my instinct says there is a down side
to them. They are mainly being used as nurse trees and windbreaks with the
possibility of use as biomass for compost. My thinking is that there are
other fast growing trees that are more useful than poplars in the long run
perhaps mulberries or even paulonias. 
 
Are hybrid poplars suckering and can they be coppiced?
 
A. Fischer