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.
Fact Sheet: The Cost of Forest Thinning Operations in the Western United States: A Literature Review
An increase in frequent, catastrophic wildfires is a challenge to forests and communities across the western United States. Forest thinning treatments can reduce the risk of catastrophic fires and improve forest health. However, the cost of treatments varies depending on factors such as slope gradients, small-diameter trees, silvicultural prescriptions, and harvesting systems and methods. Land managers often use thinning treatments as a management approach, and broader knowledge on the productivity and costs of harvesting machinery can assist in their planning efforts.
Special Report: Managed Wildfire: A Research Synthesis and Overview
All wildfires in the United States are managed, but the strategies used to manage them vary by region and season. “Managed wildfire” is a response strategy to naturally ignited wildfires; it does not prioritize full suppression and allows the fire to fulfill its natural role on the landscape, meeting objectives such as firefighter safety, resource benefit, and community protection. This wildfire management strategy can be effective for reducing tree densities, landscape homogeneity, fuel load continuity, and future fire behavior, while also working to reintroduce fire to fire-prone ecosystems. Research on managed wildfire has expanded significantly in recent years. This synthesis is designed to distill the current science on managed wildfire to foster a wide discussion of the strategy among managers, practitioners, and the knowledgeable public.
Journal Article: Climate influences on future fire severity: a synthesis of climate‑fire interactions and impacts on fire regimes, high‑severity fire, and forests in the western United States
Increases in fire activity and changes in fire regimes have been documented in recent decades across the western United States. Climate change is expected to continue to exacerbate impacts to forested eco-systems by increasing the frequency, size, and severity of wildfires across the western United States (US). Warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are altering western landscapes and making them more susceptible to high-severity fire. Increases in large patches of high-severity fire can result in significant impacts to landscape processes and ecosystem function and changes to vegetation structure and composition. In this synthesis, we examine the predicted climatic influence on fire regimes and discuss the impacts on fire severity, vegetation dynamics, and the interactions between fire, vegetation, and climate.