Browsing by Subject "wood energy"

Increasing fossil fuel prices, concerns about domestic energy security and demand for environmentally friendly, low carbon energy sources are renewing interest in using wood for energy. State and federal government have responded to increased interest with legislation that promotes renewable energy. Logging residues important role as an energy feedstock and environmental component has been a central topic of discussion for the growing forest energy sector in the United States. Over the last five years, I have studied forest harvest residues in the southern United States and abroad. My principle research focus has been the rapid inventory of residues, determination of their stocking and the identification of factors influencing that stocking. This composite report provides a detailed account of three studies based on five years of data in North Carolina, Georgia and southern Sweden. Provided in the report is an adapted method to inventory scattered and piled forest harvest residues, the relationship of harvest residues and harvest systems and a wood energy recovery rate for low end biomass within intensively managed loblolly pine forests. The goal of providing these studies is to contribute useful observations to the ongoing discussion about forest harvest residues and to provide a sampling framework others can employ to do similar studies.