Costs, CO2 emissions, and energy balances of applying nordic slash recovery methods in British Columbia

Abstract

This study evaluated the costs, CO2 emissions, and energy balances associated with three potential systems for recovering roadside slash in British Columbia, Canada, in which the biomass is transported as slash, hog fuel, or bundles. Costs, CO2 emissions, and energy balances of all three systems showed strong dependence on transportation distance and considerably weaker dependence on slash amounts at landing (cutting block size). The results indicated that the hog fuel system is the cheapest, per unit of delivered biomass, whereas the bundle system is the most expensive system when transportation distances are short (<100 km), and the slash system is the most expensive when transportation distances exceed 100 km. However, the viability of the systems is strongly dependent on payload assumptions. Copyright © 2011 by the Society of American Foresters.