ERI’s Forest Operations program completed several major research efforts this season, advancing understanding of treatment costs, slash‑management strategies, and biomass utilization across the Southwest. The team also continued work on biochar applications and published new guidance to help land managers select appropriate production technologies.
Program Updates
- Transaction Evidence Appraisal study — Tucker Herbert completed a multi‑year analysis of the Forest Service’s TEA method using timber sale data from Regions 2 and 3. The study identified how operational factors influence harvesting and transportation cost estimates and bidding outcomes and highlighted opportunities to improve TEA accuracy for future thinning projects.
- Slash‑management research — The team is advancing its evaluation of cut‑to‑length systems at Marshall Lake, where field data have been collected to compare whole‑tree (WT) harvesting and cut‑to‑length (CTL) approaches. Results will inform slash‑management strategies that use in-woods chipping or mastication following CTL thinning for 4FRI treatments and broader restoration efforts.
- Biochar field studies — ERI’s biochar research team, led by Dipita Ghosh, continues to study how forest‑derived biochar influences soil recovery, nutrient dynamics, microbial activity, and carbon storage following wildfires. Several manuscripts are currently in preparation.
- Biochar technology comparison — Dipita also published a comparative analysis of current biochar production technologies, offering practical guidance to land managers on selecting systems that match project goals, mobility needs, and cost constraints. The study demonstrates how woody debris from restoration projects can be converted into a valuable resource for soil health and forest resilience.
- Logging and Forest Roads Institute (LARI) — Herbert and Han-Sup Han joined USDA Forest Service staff to help Forest Service employees, many without a forest engineering background, build practical skills in transportation planning, road design and layout, construction, and maintenance. Graduates return to their home forests with a sharper eye for road conditions and a deeper understanding of how good road design supports safe, efficient restoration work.
