Environmental effects of harvesting forests for energy
Present interest in decreasing US dependence on foreign oil by increasing the use of wood for energy may bring about a change in our forest utilization policies. In the past, forests have been removed in areas believed to be suited for agriculture, or sawtimber and pulp have been the only woody material removed in any quantity from land not generally considered tillable. The new demands on wood for energy are effecting a trend toward (1) removing all woody biomass from harvested areas, (2) increasing the frequency of harvesting second growth forests, and (3) increasing production with biomass plantations. Considering the marginal quality of much of the remaining forested land, the impacts of these modes of production could be significant. For example, it is anticipated that increased losses of nutrients and carbon will occur by direct forest removal and through erosion losses accelerated by forest clearing. There are, however, control measures that can be utilized in minimizing both direct and indirect effects of forest harvesting while maximizing woody biomass production.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Solar Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5355154
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-800482-2
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Bio-energy world congress and exposition, Atlanta, GA, USA, 21 Apr 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EROSION
FORESTS
HARVESTING
TREES
NUTRIENTS
PINES
REMOVAL
WOOD
WOOD WASTES
CONIFERS
PLANTS
SOLID WASTES
WASTES
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