Sustainability Considerations in Biomass Harvesting.

Transcription

1 Sustainability Considerations in Biomass Harvesting

2 Concerns regarding both climate change and energy supplies have dramatically increased interest in the use of renewable and alternative energies. Increases in the use of wood-based biomass for energy have the potential to significantly alter forest management practices.

3 Harvests in managed forests may be intensified through increased residue removal (of tree tops, limbs, small diameter trees, unmerchantable wood, dead wood, or brush) or decreased time between harvests and rotations. Conventional Harvest: Remove relatively straight portion of stem 4 in diameter and greater Biomass Harvest: Remove stem and branches, and possibly leaves, stumps, and dead wood

4 Short-rotation energy crops may be grown for use as bioenergy feedstock, resulting in management that has many similarities to agricultural crops. Photos: National Renewable Energy Lab

5 Questions: How does biomass harvesting affect soil nutrients and organic matter, water quality, and biodiversity? How can biomass be harvested while providing for ecological sustainability? Photos: National Renewable Energy Lab

6 Some Concerns: Biomass harvesting of small limbs, leaves, and other relatively nutrient-rich plant parts may deplete soil nutrients and reduce organic matter in the soil Removing additional biomass will require greater use of machinery which may compact soil or increase soil erosion Biomass, especially woody debris on ground and standing or fallen dead trees, provides crucial habitat for biodiversity Removing additional vegetation may allow for greater erosion and runoff into water; use of fertilizers could increase risks to water quality

7 Some Recommendations: Utilize forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize site impacts; develop additional guidelines specifically for biomass harvesting Avoid harvesting in forest with special importance, such as old-growth or key habitat for biodiversity Retain a portion of biomass (often 30%) to reduce site impacts on water quality, biodiversity, and site productivity Use fertilizers appropriately to maintain water quality (especially important for short-rotation woody crops)

8 General Bioenergy Websites US Forest Service Woody Biomass Utilization: IEA Bioenergy Educational Website on Biomass and Bioenergy: Forest Bioenergy: Smallwood Utilization Network: Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network: Biomass Energy Resource Center: Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science:

9 Recommended Websites Minnesota Draft Biomass Harvest Guidelines: Forest Encyclopedia Biomass: Sustainable Forestry for Biomass and Bio-based Products: Pinchot Institute Wood-based Bioenergy: A National Dialogue: IEA Bioenergy Biomass Production for Energy from Sustainable Forestry: United Nations Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1094e/a1094e00.pdf Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science:

10 Selected Publications Cook, J., Beyea, J., Bioenergy in the United States: Progress and possibilities. Biomass and Bioenergy 18, Dyck WJ, Cole DW, Comerford NB Impacts of forest harvesting on long-term site productivity. London: Chapman and Hall. 371 p. Fox, T.R., Sustained productivity in intensively managed forest plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 138, Grigal, D.F., Effects of extensive forest management on soil productivity. Forest Ecology and Management 138, Johnson, D.W., Curtis, P.S., Effects of forest management on soil C and N storage: meta analysis. Forest Ecology and Management 140, Mann, L., Tolbert, V., Soil sustainability in renewable biomass plantings. Ambio 29, Perlack, R.D., Wright, L.L., Turhollow, A., Graham, R., Stokes, B., Erbach, D., Biomass as feedstock for a bioenergy and bioproducts industry: The technical feasibility of a billion-ton annual supply. In. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. Pitman, R.M., Wood ash use in forestry - A review of the environmental impacts. Forestry 79, Reijnders, L., Conditions for the sustainability of biomass based fuel use. Energy Policy 34, Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science:

11 Selected Publications Richardson, J., Björheden, R., Hakkila, P., Lowe, A.T., Smith, C.T. (Eds.), Bioenergy from Sustainable Forestry: Guiding Principles and Practice. Klewer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp Shepard, J.P., Water quality protection in bioenergy production: The US system of forestry Best Management Practices. Biomass and Bioenergy 30, Stupak, I., Asikainen, A., Jonsell, M., Karltun, E., Lunnan, A., Mizaraite, D., Pasanen, K., Parn, H., Raulund-Rasmussen, K., Roser, D., Schroeder, M., Varnagiryte, I., Vilkriste, L., Callesen, I., Clarke, N., Gaitnieks, T., Ingerslev, M., Mandre, M., Ozolincius, R., Saarsalmi, A., Armolaitis, K., Helmisaari, H.-S., Indriksons, A., Kairiukstis, L., Katzensteiner, K., Kukkola, M., Ots, K., Ravn, H.P., Tamminen, P., Sustainable utilisation of forest biomass for energy--possibilities and problems: Policy, legislation, certification, and recommendations and guidelines in the Nordic, Baltic, and other European countries. Biomass and Bioenergy Sustainable use of Forest Biomass for Energy, Proceedings of the WOOD-EN-MAN session at the conference Nordic Bioenergy 2005 Trondheim, Norway, 27 Octboer , Vance, E.D., Agricultural site productivity: principles derived from long-term experiments and their implications for intensively managed forests. Forest Ecology and Management 138, Volk, T.A., Verwijst, T., Tharakan, P.J., Abrahamson, L.P., White, E.H., Growing fuel: a sustainability assessment of willow biomass crops. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2, Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science:

12 Questions regarding this work or requests for additional citations can be sent to Coming Soon from the Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science: Ensuring Ecological Sustainability of Woody Biomass Harvesting Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science: