In order to decide whether or not to develop biomass energy facilities and where to best locate them, developers and investors need accurate assessments of fuel supply. This includes information about the distribution and concentration of fuel throughout the assessment area, the quality of fuel (form, moisture content, contaminant content,...
Thinning to reduce hazardous fuels often generates large amounts of woody residues, such as small-diameter logs, tree
tops, and branches. This publication discusses
several options for economically and effectively
using and disposing of woody material.
The scientific literature on logging after wildfire is reviewed, with a focus on environmental effects of logging and removal of large woody structure. Rehabilitation, the practice of planting or seeding after logging, is not reviewed here. Several publications are cited that can be described as 'commentaries', intended to help frame...
The objective of this study was to quantitatively describe the intrusion of logging debris into artificial gravel streambeds during conditions of low stream flow with a stable streambed, and begin an
analysis of the effect of high flow and unstable streambeds. This study was initiated because prior studies indicated that...
This study investigated the long-term consequences of timber stand removal on the recruitment, physical characteristics, and
spatial distribution of coarse woody debris in small (second- and third-order) streams of the Oregon Coast Range. A chronosequence of stream-stand systems, ranging from 21- to 140-years since disturbance (YSD), were sampled to determine...
Moisture content management is a key requirement to improve forest harvest residue economics for bioenergy production. This dissertation aims to contribute towards better management through these three general objectives (1) Determine average moisture content of fresh forest harvest residues and its changes over the different seasons of the year, focusing...
An economic analysis and optimization of forest biomass processing and transportation at the operational level is presented. Renewable sources of energy have captured the interest of public and private institutions to develop cost-effective supply chains to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The production of energy from forest harvest residues constitutes...
Previous research has indicated that considerable amounts of finely divided slash accumulate in small mountain streams following timber harvesting. The subsequent biological decomposition of this organic matter can result i.n the reduction of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration to levels as low as 0.6 ppm. These DO levels are lethal
to...
Growing societal demand for forest products is pressuring managers to increase productivity from a finite land area, and it is expected that increased supply will come mostly from expansion of intensively managed stands. The USDA Forest Service and numerous collaborators created the Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network of research sites...