Properties Of Fire-Salvaged Woody Biomass In Northern Ontario And Potential Utilization

Abstract

Due to the suppression of forest fires and lack of implementation of management tools such as prescribed burning, there has been a change in the fire regime of Northern Ontario. This has led to larger, more intense fires which are further influenced by climate change. There has been interest in recent years into the potential to utilize salvaged wood from such fires, especially for biomass because of the dryness of the wood. However, there is need for more information on the properties of salvaged wood as it relates to fire intensity, and time since fire. Downed woody debris also provides habitat for insects and other wildlife, so it is important to understand what negative affects there may be from harvesting this resource. In this study, samples of Northern Ontario tree species were taken from stems with varying levels of burn and insect damage to determine their moisture content, calorific qualities, and other general properties. Sample plots from the locations where the samples were collected were taken to provide information on estimated total volume based on fire intensity and pre-fire stocking. The sample plots also provided information on the presence (or lack of) of wildlife, specifically feeding excavations made by woodpeckers in burned stems. The results of this study concluded that salvaged wood from forest fires in the Boreal have properties which are advantageous in their use as biomass, however more information is needed on utilizing this resource without causing negative effects to wildlife habitat.