Incremental Biomass Harvesting

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Who’s Involved?

Jeremy Wilson
Bob Wagner
Jeff Benjamin
Julia Briedis
Ken Laustsen – Maine Forest Service

Research Introduction

Bioenergy is emerging as an important component of the expanding alternative energy industry. Maine’s forests have the potential to be a substantial source of the woody biomass used to generate bioenergy. As the bioenergy and bioproducts sector develops, it will be essential to understand how much biomass is available from the forests to sustainably supply the industry. Logging residues generated during traditional roundwood harvesting operations are a major resource for the bioenergy sector. Not all of the available residues are recoverable due to operational and economic constraints. The objective of this study is to quantify the amount of logging residue remaining on harvested sites (where biomass was recovered) to determine the percentage of available residues that are currently not being recovered. By establishing how much residue remains on the site after a harvest that includes biomass recovery, biomass availability and potential impacts to soil nutrients, water quality, and biodiversity can be better understood.

Research Details

This research will involve tallying woody debris on sites throughout Maine that have recently been whole-tree harvested for both conventional roundwood and energy products. Line transects will be used to determine the volume and tonnage of logging residue remaining on the harvested sites. These values will be compared to the amount of residue recovered during the operation. The proportion of logging residue remaining in the forest following a whole-tree harvest operation will be determined.

What’s New on this Project?

Methodology details are being developed for the field sampling that will begin this summer.