Biomass Harvesting Sustainability Webinar Series: Small mammal, reptile and amphibian response to biomass harvesting
Webinar Details
When:
May 8, 2014 12:00 pm US/Eastern
Length: 01:00 (hh:mm)
Advance Registration NOT required.
View now on-demand.
Presenter(s):
- Sarah Fritts - Doctoral Candidate, NC State University Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program
Virtual Event Format:
Group Viewing Available:
Demand for renewable energy sources is expected to continue to increase. Woody biomass from forests will likely be the primary source of renewable energy in the southeastern United States due to its low cost and availability. Gleaning of harvest residuals, such as tops, limbs and small-diameter trees, may reduce down woody debris that small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians use to meet life history requirements. Biomass harvesting guidelines (BHGs) often recommend retention of a minimum volume and / or spatial allocation of woody debris. We field tested the effects of various levels of biomass retention on small mammal, amphibian and reptile use of clearcuts in North Carolina and Georgia. Findings and recommendations will be discussed in this webinar.
A toad takes advantage of down wood debris
Sarah Fritts recently successfully defended her Ph.D. project at North Carolina State University researching the effectiveness of biomass harvesting guidelines on sustaining small mammal, reptile,and amphibian populations. Currently, Sarah is finishing up her dissertation. She received her M.S. degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her B.S.F.R. degree in Wildlife Biology and Management from the University of Georgia. Sarah currently lives in Austin, Texas and is looking for a job while she prepares for her May 17th wedding.
This webinar is part of the Biomass Harvesting Sustainability Webinar Series offered by the NC State University Forestry and Environmental Outreach Program. The Series of six webinars will present research results, policy updates, challenges and opportunities of harvesting woody biomass for energy. NC State University has been the lead partner on a four year research project designed to create a better understanding of how biomass harvesting for emerging renewable energy markets impacts ecosystem services provided by our southeastern forest lands. Other partners on this project include scientists from the University of Georgia, NGOs, and forest industry.
Funding for this project has been provided by the USDA NRI/AFRI - Managed Ecosystems Program, the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, the NCDA Bioenergy Initiative, and the Southeast Climate Science Center, with in kind support from Weyerhaeuser Corp, Georgia Pacific, and Plum Creek.
Loading