Harvesting Carbon from Eastern US Forests: Opportunities and Impacts of an Expanding Bioenergy Industry

Abstract

Eastern forests of the US are valued both as a carbon sink and a wood resource. The amount of biomass that can be harvested sustainably from this biome for bioenergy without compromising the carbon sink is uncertain. Using past literature and previously validated models, we assessed four scenarios of biomass harvest in the eastern US: partial harvests of mixed hardwood forests, pine plantation management, short-rotation woody cropping systems, and forest residue removal. We also estimated the amount and location of abandoned agricultural lands in the eastern US that could be used for biomass production. Greater carbon storage was estimated to result from partial harvests and OPEN ACCESSForests 2012, 3 371 residue removals than from plantation management and short-rotation cropping. If woody feedstocks were cultivated with a combination of intensive management on abandoned lands and partial harvests of standing forest, we estimate that roughly 176 Tg biomass y −1 (~330,000 GWh or ~16 billion gallons of ethanol) could be produced sustainably from the temperate forest biome of the eastern US. This biomass could offset up to ~63 Tg C y −1 that are emitted from fossil fuels used for heat and power generation while maintaining a terrestrial C sink of ~8 Tg C y −1.

Timber harvest as the predominant disturbance regime in northeastern U.S. forests: effects of harvest intensification

“…Our analyses indicate that in every harvest scenario, average forest biomass is expected to increase significantly over the next 150 yr (ranging from 3% to 120% above current landscape averages), even in the most intensive harvest scenario. In contrast to studies predicting that the strength of the carbon sink in eastern U.S. forests is already or will soon begin to decline (Hurtt et al 2002, Zheng et al 2011, USDA Forest Service 2012, Wear and Coulston 2015, our results suggest that at least in terms of live tree biomass, the amount of carbon stored in northeastern forests will continue to increase significantly over the next century (Rhemtulla et al 2009, Keeton et al 2011, Davis et al 2012, Dangal et al 2014, McGarvey et al 2015. One of the primary reasons for the growth in carbon storage is the legacy of past land use, where land clearing and heavy harvest prevailed during the middle of last century (Thompson et al 2011).…”

“…5). While this is consistent with several studies (Keeton et al 2011, Davis et al 2012, Dangal et al 2014, there is serious debate as to the future direction and magnitude of the carbon sink in eastern U.S. forests (Hurtt et al 2002, Zheng et al 2011, USDA Forest Service 2012, Wear and Coulston 2015. Ultimately, the potential contribution of forest bioenergy to meeting state renewable energy goals and reducing fossil fuel dependencies will vary broadly by state, renewable energy objectives, feedstock supply, fossil fuel conversation technologies, forest landowner objectives, and other social and economic factors.…”

“…, Davis et al. , Dangal et al. ), there is serious debate as to the future direction and magnitude of the carbon sink in eastern U.S. forests (Hurtt et al.…”

Predicting yields of short‐rotation hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) for the United States through model–data synthesis

“…Water availability has a large impact on the yield of poplar (Davis et al 2012). A hybrid poplar clone OP367 was reported to achieve 72.2 Mg/ha after six-year growth only with regular irrigation in western Colorado (Pearson et al 2010).…”

“…Corn ethanol is currently the major source of fuel ethanol in the United States. However, due to the competition with food supply, high resource demand, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the AEI supports the production of ethanol from cellulose and hemicellulose from perennial grasses, wood chips, and agricultural residues (Heaton et al 2008, Somerville et al 2010, Wang et al 2010, 2012.…”