Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Vermont
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Vermont Project


Effects of forest biomass energy production on northern forest wildlife and forest sustainability

March 2012 - June 2017


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • Northeastern States Research Cooperative

Timber harvesting is the leading cause of adult tree mortality in forests of the northeastern United States. While current rates of harvest are generally sustainable, there is considerable pressure to increase harvest to meet timber production, climate, and energy goals. Maximizing one of these values may compromise other forest resources, including a wide range of ecosystem services and the conservation of native species. This project investigates the effects of timber harvest on carbon sequestration and storage, bioenergy, and wildlife, and provides a decision framework for evaluating the consequences of different harvest regimes on timber services, wildlife, and carbon storage.

Research Publications Publication Date
Brown, M., C. Canham, T. Buchholz, J. Gunn, and T. Donovan. 2024. Net carbon sequestration implications of intensified timber harvest in northeastern U.S. forests. Ecosphere 15(2): e4758. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4758 | Abstract | Download | Publisher Website February 2024