Tag: Biomass

The Transformation of Wood

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Wood can be hewn, sawed, bored, and planed. It can also be fractionated – which means splitting it into its chemical components of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. These compounds are tightly locked together. Together, they give trees the strength to stand tall. Separately, some of them are used to make: Paper, rayon, and cellophane; Food…  More 

Women in Science: Karen Abt

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
The Women in Science series features women scientists from across the Southern Research Station – their education, career paths, challenges, achievements, and inspirations. Meet SRS scientist Karen Abt, a research economist with the Forest Economics and Policy unit in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Her team studies the economics of forest disturbances, forest polices and…  More 

Future Increases in Biomass Demand Could Affect Wood Economy

by Megan Bequette, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
Wood is used for an abundance of everyday items — furniture, buildings, paper — so much so that it would be difficult to find a space completely without wood-based products. However, a competing use is emerging: many studies predict that more wood will be used for bioenergy in the future, which could affect that industry…  More 

Call for Abstracts: the 2019 FIA Stakeholders Science Meeting

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
The USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA) and NCASI are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2019 FIA Stakeholders Science Meeting to be held November 19-21, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The meeting will bring together international forest scientists, managers, and stakeholders to share insights on contemporary issues, science…  More 

Where to Grow Woody Bioenergy Crops?

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Demand for bioenergy is expected to grow – as much as 10 times larger than present. Woody crops such as poplar or loblolly pine have the potential to fuel this growth. But where should such crops be planted? How to minimize transportation costs? Where are the opportunity zones? Where are the risks? USDA Forest Service…  More 

Innovations in Forest Operations Technology

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
Cut and haul costs. Elemental time study. Machine production hour. Ask USDA Forest Service scientist Dana Mitchell about any of these forest engineering terms, and you’re in for a treat. As a research forest engineer, Mitchell’s work focuses on improving the technology and business of forest operations – with a broader goal of improving forest…  More 

Protecting Hardwood Resources

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Trees provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and beauty. Trees are also vital to local economies. “In 2015, Kentucky had 193 hardwood sawmills,” says USDA Forest Service research forester Tom Brandeis. “That same year, Tennessee had 226 hardwood sawmills.” Each state produced more than 700 million board feet of hardwood lumber in 2015. Higher…  More 

Sabbaticals Bring Exciting Innovations to Forest Research

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
Three U.S. Forest Service scientists will be expanding on current research — or focusing on new or emerging research — as recipients of the SRS sabbatical program. The sabbaticals will give these researchers the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from around the world. “The sabbatical will afford each of the scientists an opportunity to be…  More 

Selecting Trees to Grow in Cities

by Paul Meznarich, Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station  • 
Sometimes in the cramped environs of U.S. cities every inch counts, especially if attempting to make space for nature. City planners and urban foresters now have a resource to more precisely select tree species whose growth will be a landscaping dream instead of a maintenance nightmare. The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station recently…  More 

Increasing Our Knowledge of Small Woody Biomass Harvesting

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Delivery  • 
U.S. Forest Service research helped the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests move forward in implementing a new forest plan by setting up studies to address stakeholder concerns about the effects of harvesting for biomass feedstocks. The Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Management Project proposed for the Warm Springs Ranger District and the George Washington and…  More