Kurt Hollenstein*, visiting scientist
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA

Abstract

Strategies using thinnings as a means of fuel treatment and the resulting long-term flow of biomass have been examined for stands in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountain Front Range. An uneven-aged management regime based on a relation between diameter and corresponding number of trees (DBQ model) has been applied, with a canopy closure of 40% for the dominant trees as a target and a return interval of 20 years. Typically, interventions in currently overstocked stands result in an initial peak of removal for the first and second thinning. After that, the stand development shows a more stable pattern, although the treatment of large trees has a crucial influence for the long-term structure and fire-resilience of the stand.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Goals
2. Methodology and Tools
3. Data Requirements
4. Simulation Results
5. Discussion
6. Critical Issues for Future Work