Southampton researcher contributes to international report that sheds positive light on the prospects for renewable energy using wood pellets

The report, coordinated by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), asks: “How is the production of wood pellets in the SE US affecting forest systems and the ecosystem services they provide?” To address this question, the authors reviewed current forest conditions and the status of the wood products industry; how pellet production affects ecosystem services and biodiversity; and what methods are in place to monitor changes and protect vulnerable systems.

The report highlights scientific studies that provide evidence that wood pellets in the SE US are a fraction of total forestry operations and can be produced while maintaining or improving forest ecosystem services. 

Ecosystem services are protected by the requirement that loggers are trained to apply scientifically-based best management practices in planning and implementing harvest. Bioenergy markets also supplement incomes to private rural landholders and provide an incentive for forest management practices that can simultaneously benefit water quality and wildlife and reduce risk of fire and insect outbreaks. Bioenergy markets can also increase the value of forest land to landowners, thereby decreasing likelihood of conversion to non-forest uses.  As with all land-use activities, effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services of producing pellets for bioenergy are highly variable and context specific and can have differential effects across the landscape and over time. Negative impacts can be avoided or reduced by identifying priority areas for conservation and adopting management plans tailored to best achieve multiple goals in production forests. 

Monitoring and evaluation are essential to verify that regulations and good practices are achieving goals and to enable timely responses if problems arise. Conducting rigorous research to understand how conditions change in response to management choices requires baseline data, monitoring, and appropriate reference scenarios. Long-term monitoring data on forest conditions should be publicly accessible and utilized to inform adaptive management.

 

 

 

The ongoing debate about the costs and benefits of wood-pellet based bioenergy production in the south-eastern United States requires an understanding of the science and context influencing market decisions associated with its sustainability. The production of wood pellets has garnered much attention as US exports have grown from negligible amounts in the early 2000s to 4.6 million metric tonnes in 2015. Currently, 98% of these pellet exports are shipped to Europe, chiefly the UK, to displace coal in power plants.

The report demonstrates that wood pellet use accounts for only 2% of forest harvest removals. This goes a long way towards refuting the argument that harvesting for biofuel is causing widespread deforestation. The economic argument is also compelling. Wood for energy is not driving harvesting because most of the wood used for pellets is from wood which has already been harvested for use in the building industry. A proportion of that wood does not make the grade and is hence used for making wood pellets.