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U.S. Department of Energy
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Whole-tree harvesting: first year progress report. Impacts on productivity and nutrient change

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5192255

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are coordinating investigations on the environmental effects of residue removal and whole-tree utilization for several forest types in the United States. Sites were selected to include northern hardwood, northern coniferous, southern appalachian oak-hickory, northwestern coniferous, and southern pine forests. All sites were established at locations with a long history of biomass and nutrient cycling research to provide a foundation of data to assess whole-tree harvesting effects. The overall program plan is to assess the effects of whole-tree harvest on erosion, nutrients, water quality, and productivity. This report (the first in a series) describes the sites and sampling procedures and reports some preliminary data. Researchers at all sites plan to estimate or measure biomass, vegetation nutrient concentrations, litter nutrient pools, soil nutrients (available and total), system losses and inputs (including gaseous, particulate, and water transported), and fluxes among these components over the duration of stand harvest rotation.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5192255
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-7873; ON: DE82007473
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English