Forest Operations & Biomass Utilization
Forest operations apply a variety of forest harvesting systems and processes to achieve sustainable forest management. Traditionally, wood production has been the main objective of forest harvesting and transportation operations, supplying raw materials (i.e., logs and wood chips) to the forest products manufacturing sector. While this is still an important objective today, forest operations are being used more as a tool to accomplish the goals of forest restoration.
Some forest restoration goals are:
- restoration of ecosystem function and stand condition improvement
- controlling the spread of insects and pests
- enhancement of wildlife/fish habitats and biodiversity
- increased watery quality, yield, and supply
- removal and utilization of non-native species
- wildland fire hazard reduction
Small-diameter trees and forest residues, referred to as “biomass,” generated as a result of fire hazard reduction thinning and restoration treatments currently have little economic use. Converting this biomass into high-value products and efficiently marketing them for revenue is key to solving the fire hazard problem not only in Arizona, but throughout much of the western US. One of the main priorities for the Forest Operations and Biomass Utilization unit at ERI is to assist in the development of forest products manufacturing facilities that increase the value of manufactured products from small-diameter trees and biomass. To see existing forest products manufacturing facilities in Arizona and New Mexico, visit our Forest Industry Locator Map.
Working Paper: Opportunities for Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Restoration of Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau
Despite being substantially altered by climate change and human activities, the culturally and ecologically vital pinyon-juniper ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau can be successfully restored through management actions that both recover ecological function and actively engage local Indigenous and traditional communities.
FireBox and CharBoss: An Alternative to Open Burning of Woody Biomass
The traditional practice of openly burning woody biomass (a common byproduct of southwestern US forest restoration) degrades soil and compromises air quality, driving researchers to evaluate alternative air curtain burners like the FireBox and CharBoss® for their efficiency in cleanly disposing of biomass and producing soil-restoring biochar.
Positive drought feedbacks increase tree mortality risk in dry woodlands of the US Southwest
Recurrent droughts in the US Southwest have severely compromised the natural resilience of pinyon–juniper woodlands, triggering widespread mortality and crown dieback between 1998 and 2023 that ultimately heightened the future mortality risk of surviving trees by 28.2%.