Logging Residue in Southeast Alaska


Book Description

Quantitative study of timber waste traditionally ignored after logging, in southeast Alaska, initiated due to increasing commercial and environmental interests. Provides statistical data and mathematical formulas for estimating potential economic value of logging residue.




Logging Residue in Southeast Alaska (Classic Reprint)


Book Description

Excerpt from Logging Residue in Southeast Alaska Detailed information on logging residues in southeast Alaska is provided as input to economic and technical assessments of its use for products or site amenities. Two types of information are presented. Ratios are presented that can be used to gener ate an estimate, based on volume or acres harvested, of the cubic-foot volume of residue for any particular area of southeast Alaska. Separate ratios are given for live and dead or cull material, and for net and gross volume. Tables display per-acre residue volume by various characteristics that might affect either use or disposition. These tables show net or gross volume, or both, by diameter and length classes, by origin, by percentage of soundness, by degree of slopes and distance to roads, and by number of pieces of residue per acre. Keywords: Southeast Alaska, logging residue, slash, residue estimation, fuel wood, residue management. A large volume of woody biomass has traditionally remained on site after logging in southeast Alaska. Interest is growing in this material for energy and conventional products, as well as for its environmental attributes. A great deal of information is needed on the volume and characteristics of residue to adequately address these options. Existing sources were out of date and did not provide the information needed to make site-specific assessments for southeast Alaska. This study provides the capability to estimate the volume and characteristics of logging residue throughout southeast Alaska. This study had two objectives. The first was to develop ratios for use in estimating the volume of logging residue for any area in southeast Alaska. These ratios relate the quantity of residue to timber harvest volume or harvested acres. Study results show, for example. An average net volume of logging residue (wood only) of 79 to 109 cubic feet per thousand board feet of harvest and an average gross volume ranging from 125 to 158 cubic feet per thousand board feet of harvest. The second objective was to provide data characterizing logging residue in ways that might affect its utilization for various products or its management for environmental considerations. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.










Wood Energy in Alaska


Book Description

Biomass resources in Alaska are extensive and diverse, comprising millions of acres of standing small-diameter trees, diseased or dead trees, and trees having lowgrade timber. Limited amounts of logging and mill residues, urban wood residues, and waste products are also available. Recent wildfires in interior Alaska have left substantial volumes of burned timber, potentially usable for biomass energy. Motivated, in part, by rising fuel prices, organizations across the state -- including businesses, schools, and government agencies -- have all expressed an interest in wood energy applications. Numerous sites have pursued feasibility studies or engineering design analysis, and others have moved forward with project construction. Recent advances in biomass utilization in Alaska have been enabled by numerous factors, and involve various fuel sources, scales of operation, and end products. Already, thermal wood energy systems are using sawmill residues to heat lumber dry kilns, and a public school heating system is in operation. Management policies on national forests and state forests in Alaska could determine the type and amounts of available biomass from managed forests, from wildland-urban interface regions, and from salvage timber operations. Biomass products in Alaska having potential for development are as diverse as wood pellets, cordwood (firewood), compost, wood-plastic composite products, and liquid fuels. In addition, new technologies are allowing for more efficient use of biomass resources for heating and electrical generation at scales appropriate for community power. This case study review considers successes and lessons learned from current wood energy systems in Alaska, and also considers opportunities for future bioenergy development.













Logging Utilization in Alaska, 2016–2019


Book Description

Commercial timber harvest sites in Alaska were studied between 2016 and 2019 to estimate growing-stock removals, characterize current tree utilization, characterize logging operations, and assist with estimating the amount of woody biomass left onsite after harvesting. Sample logging sites were selected within major geographic regions in proportion to 5-year timber harvest volumes. A two-stage sampling method (felled trees clustered within logging sites) was used to compute state-level utilization factors. Results indicated that for every 1,000 ft3 delivered to the mill, harvesting removed 1,091 ft3 of timber volume from growing stock; created 92 ft3 of growing-stock logging residue; and yielded 2 ft3 of non-growing-stock material that was delivered to the mill. The ratio of Alaska growing-stock residue to mill-delivered volume was three times larger than in other Northwest states. Study results can inform land managers of residues available for biomass/bioenergy uses, provide data for life-cycle analyses, and estimate removals from growing stock associated with commercial timber harvesting.