Prior: Biomass and Fuel Treatments in Oregon and California
Title: Modeling Forest Resilience, Biomass, and Carbon Management Potential
Abstract: This study will utilize the BioSum framework—developed by researchers at the United States Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region—to assess potential future forest trajectories, forest product and bioenergy supplies, and management intervention opportunities, in Oregon’s public and private forests. The database that results from this analysis will be comprehensive and can help
to improve our understanding of the production capacity of Oregon’s forests, the effectiveness of different treatment approaches, and the economic and ecological implications of projected forest management techniques.
The BioSum methodology combines forest inventory data (representing a larger analysis region), the cost and effectiveness of specific fuel treatments, the cost of hauling raw material, and forest resilience in the context of wildfire, to explore alternative landscape-scale treatment scenarios that achieve management objectives. This database of forest projections will be based on the most current Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data (2002-2011), a travel-times calculation derived from the most current road network information (used to assess the cost of hauling raw material from treatment sites to mills and bioenergy facilities), and a series of forest management treatments over time.
Collaborators: Tina Mozelewski, Robert Scheller, Jeremy Fried (USFS)
Status: Ongoing
Funding: Oregon Department of Forestry
