Biomass and Small-Diameter Wood Utilization
Many forests in the western United States, including the Sierra Nevada, contain a significant amount of small-diameter tree and understory plant material, also known as biomass. The reasons for these forest conditions -- that are not natural -- are complex, but are essentially due to the loss of old forest during the last century and a half of intensive logging, coupled with fire suppression.
The majority of the Sierra's ancient trees, with their huge, fire resistant boles, were logged out over the last century. Along with intensive fire suppression forces, the result has been a profuse buildup of understory trees that are unnaturally crowded in many areas.
Under the conditions of natural forest succession, the regular presence of fire would act to thin out these dense stands of woods.
Overstocked stands can increase the risk of insect, disease, fire, and drought damage, and they are costly to manage. Finding economical and marketable uses for this material would alleviate these problems, and could provide opportunities for local communities to benefit while helping to offset forest management costs.
Sierra Forest Legacy is committed to finding the right balance between sustainable uses for forest wood, and long term protection of the rich natural resources and biological treasures that comprise the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Read more about appropriate scaled biomass projects on this website by following the links to your left.