Science for productive forests: Furthering forest product innovations
Charboss® making biochar on the Umpqua National Forest.
Biochar, a carbon-rich soil amendment, is created by burning slash with special equipment at low temperatures. Applying biochar to forest floors has been shown to reduce wildfire risk, increase forest productivity, improve soil health, enhance carbon storage, and restore abandoned mine lands. The CharBoss®, a-first-of-its-kind mobile biochar production unit developed by agency researchers and a private company, can convert low-value woody biomass into high-value biochar deep within forests where crews are working. Factsheets like Biochar at a Glance and Soil Restoration with Biochar give managers information about this emerging forest product, as do agency-organized field demonstrations on farms and forests throughout the U.S. In western North Carolina, agency crews are using the CharBoss® to process storm debris from Hurricane Helene. Our researchers continue to explore how biochar can help to restore and remediate forests while providing profit to forest landowners.
Full-scale shake table tests on a 10-story mass timber building.
Engineered wood products—products like mass timber that compile many wood types bonded together—are increasingly seen as a green alternative to steel and concrete. Our scientists are partnering with the Wood Products Council to innovate ways that mass timber buildings―strong, durable, and quickly assembled―can soar as high as their concrete and steel counterparts. Researchers are also testing mass timber structures for failure to see how long they can stand while burning or experiencing seismic forces. Results indicate mass timber buildings meet standard fire and seismic codes. Additionally, our research shows that the growing mass timber market could lead to increased wood use in nonresidential construction projects worldwide.
Our researchers are finding ways wood products can replace plastic in food packaging. Tiny particles processed from biomass can block UV rays, prevent food rot, and resist water—meaning low-value waste could become part of high-value products. Extracting these particles is currently difficult and expensive, so Forest Service scientists are working to improve the process.
Agency tools and resources help give private forest owners additional income opportunities on their holdings. Research outlines silvopasture methods for using trees and shrubs in pastures to benefit livestock. The non-timber forest products calculator and forest farming calculator estimate potential earnings from forest-grown understory species, which may offset silviculture costs and provide non-timber income.
