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Best management practices for forest bioenergy programs
Author(s) -
Neary Daniel G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: energy and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.158
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 2041-840X
pISSN - 2041-8396
DOI - 10.1002/wene.77
Subject(s) - bioenergy , best practice , forest management , business , renewable energy , environmental science , environmental resource management , forest ecology , logging , environmental impact assessment , biomass (ecology) , environmental planning , environmental economics , agroforestry , ecosystem , engineering , ecology , forestry , geography , management , electrical engineering , economics , biology
Forest ecosystems produce the best quality and most consistent supplies of water for human use. The increase in the use of woody biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy production has raised questions about potential impacts on water quality. Best management practices ( BMP s) have been developed and implemented since the early 1970s to ensure that forest harvesting can be conducted with minimum impact on water quality. Although BMP s were originally designed to minimize water quality impacts, they can be used for a variety of environmental concerns. The use of BMP s is widespread in developed countries and it varies from mandatory to voluntary. In many countries BMP s are incorporated in ‘Codes of Forest Practice’ that guide forest managers through the complete bioenergy life cycle. The development and application of BMPs is not a static process, but one that relies on a continual cycle of application, assessment and monitoring, and refinement. Although some countries have “national standards,“ the complex matrix of forest ecosystems, climates, soils and topography, and harvesting systems requires ongoing assessment, monitoring, and refinement to craft BMP s to best suit local conditions. Research and development studies play a key part in the refinement and communication of improved BMP s. They are also crucial in validating the effectiveness of BMP s. This is especially important where local environmental conditions or operational standards are unique. BMP s ensure that forest bioenergy programs can be a sustainable part of forest management and renewable energy production. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Science and Materials Bioenergy > Climate and Environment