Forest and Biomass Harvest and Logistics

This book explains forest and woody biomass harvest, harvesting machines, systems, logistics, supply chain management, best management practices, harvest scheduling and carbon sequestration. It also covers applications of harvesting principles in forest and biomass management practices.

The book provides an in-depth understanding of functions and applications of current and future harvesting technologies, the unique characteristics of harvesting machine with respect to cost, productivity, and environmental impacts. Special features include harvest machine illustrations and images of field operations, tabular presentations of filed studies of forest operations and detailed modelling processes for forest and biomass harvest logistics and supply chain management.

Specifically, the book is designed for students, researchers, educators, and practitioners in the field of forest and biomass harvest and logistics. The book’s contents have been tested in teaching as the Harvesting Forest Product class for undergraduates and graduates in the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources at West Virginia University since 2000. The information contained in this book is a robust reference resource for students who would be future forest and biomass managers, timber contractors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and educators in the fields of forest and biomass operations, engineering, and resource management.

Dr. Jingxin Wang is the Benedum Distinguished Scholar and Endowed Davis Michael Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at West Virginia University (WVU), USA. He also serves as the Director of WVU Sustainable Biomaterials & Bioenergy. He received his B.S. in Forest/Mechanical Engineering from Jilin Forestry College, China, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Forest/Mechanical Engineering from Northeast Forestry University, China. He received a M.S. in Computer Science from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Forest Resource Management from the University of Georgia, USA. He has taught forest and biomass harvesting logistics and analysis, and computing applications in forest and natural resources for both undergraduate and graduate students for more than 20 years. His research interests include biomass energy and bioproducts, forest carbon sequestration and optimization, forest, and biomass supply chain management and decarbonization, computer simulation and system modelling, and forest ecosystem management and climate change. Dr. Wang has authored or co-authored 200 refereed papers, and 12 books or book chapters. He is a leading PI for several USDA- and USDOE-funded biomass energy and bioproducts projects. He has served as an editorial board member and associate editor for four international journals. He is an active member of six international professional societies.