Determining Costs, Product Recovery Factors, and Environmental Impacts for Biomass Harvest Treatments in Northeastern Forests

The purpose of this work is to establish the initial study sites as part of a future network of similar sites on which biomass harvesting treatments are implemented and pre- and post-harvest ecological variables are measured. 1. Assess costs, outputs and environmental conditions resulting from four harvesting treatments likely to be applied in Pennsylvania forests: 1) a clearcut regeneration harvest in a mature sawtimber stand; 2) a first-cut shelterwood harvest in a mature stand; 3) a high-grade harvest in a mature stand; and 4) an improvement thinning in an immature stand. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS. Establish sample plots within each site on which pre- and post-harvest yield and ecological variables will be measured and compared both within and among the different treatments. Variables measured and analyzed will include: 1) soil compaction effects; 2) removal and retention of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg); 3) damage to residual trees and advanced regeneration; 4) overstory species composition and volumes; and, 5) understory species composition, density, and stem quality. 3. ECONOMIC MEASUREMENTS. Measure harvest and transportation costs associated with biomass removal on each site. Observations will be made on: 1) mechanized felling; 2) skidding; 3) chipping; 4) loading for off-site transportation; and, 5) transportation from the harvest site to the mill.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Advanced Research, Biobased Research

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $99825.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Johnson, Shawn

• Performing Organizations:

  Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Pennsylvania Transportation and Traffic Safety Center
  University Park, PA  United States  16802
• Principal Investigators:

  McDill, Marc

• Start Date: 20080701
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20110630
• Source Data: RiP Project 25335

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biomass fuels; Ecology; Environmental impacts; Forests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Timber harvesting
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Transportation (General); I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01572254
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Northeast Sun Grant Institute at Cornell University
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Aug 4 2015 1:01AM