Introduction
Private forest landowners represent the first step in the forest bioenergy supply chain. Their production of a cellulosic feedstock is central to the emerging bioenergy industry and is equally important to their own forest-based economic and ecological revenue streams. …
Introduction and Background
Developing a forest bioenergy industry can have a number of positive effects on the rural economies of the South. Employment, tax-base, rural infrastructure, economic diversification, and a host of other areas can be affected by …
Introduction
Woody biomass is converted into useful forms of energy (i.e. solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels) as well as useful products (e.g. polymers, bio-plastics, char, pellets, and acids) using a number of technological processes. Thermochemical processes depend on the relationship …
Introduction
Forestlands serve as watershed areas for much of the southern United States. These 214 million acres of forested areas are constantly collecting, filtering, storing and transporting billions of gallons of water a day to …
Bioenergy produced from woody biomass is considered a renewable source of energy. However, this is only true if forests are managed in a way that ensures the conservation of environmental, economic, and social values for future generations. Certification programs have …
Soils are the biophysical foundation upon which forests thrive and grow. The productivity of forests depends upon the quality and health of the soil blanketing the landscape. Forest managers have direct control over silvicultural systems and harvesting operations that directly …
America’s forests are facing ever-increasing pressure to provide all things to all people, ranging from such services as providing timber for building new homes to providing wildlife habitat for endangered species. Using forest materials for energy is yet another demand …
Introduction
Carbon markets are thought to be one of many innovative, market-based solutions to global climate change. These markets allow for the purchase of carbon “credits” by carbon emitters who need to offset their emissions based on a government set …
Biodiversity1, or biological diversity, can be defined as the number and variety of plant and animal species, genes, ecosystems, and ecosystem functions in a specific area. Habitat and habitat diversity are particularly important concepts for forest managers and owners to …
Biomass is a term for living or recently living plant or animal materials such as solid wood, bark, leaves, roots, seeds, and stalks, even microbial and animal metabolic wastes. In the context of energy, the term “biomass” refers to such …
