Over the last decade, renewable energy expansion, driven by legislation such as the Renewable Energy Directives passed by the European Union (EU) member states has generated a surge in demand for sustainable feedstock alternatives, notably woody biomass in the form of wood pellets. Expansion of woody biomass harvesting in the southeastern United States (US) has raised concerns regarding removal, distribution, and spatial allocation of forest residues following harvesting, and potential ramifications for nutrient depletion, biodiversity, accelerated erosion, and water quality impairment. This study evaluated the current state of knowledge regarding the sustainability of woody biomass and wood pellet feedstock harvesting on the effects of woody residue, soil characteristics, biodiversity, carbon, and water quality. Our survey of existing literature revealed a lack of research evaluating the effects of forest residue removal across the southeastern US. Limited field studies have assessed biomass harvesting in general, and effectively no studies assessed wood pellet feedstock operations specifically. Primary recommendations include completing field studies on wood pellet feedstock harvests in the southeastern US to better understand resource utilization, changes in forest land allocation, and the potential effect on site sustainability. Current management standards such as biomass harvesting guidelines (BHGs) and best management practices (BMPs) appear effective at managing base recommended thresholds in specific regions, but should further evaluate what criteria are necessary, appropriate, and operationally feasible for sustainable biomass production. These studies should be conducted regionally to evaluate potential effects of increased residual removal for wood pellet feedstock as compared to conventional practices.

中文翻译：

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评估美国东南部森林生物质采伐实践的可持续性，以实现欧洲可再生能源目标


过去十年中，在欧盟 (EU) 成员国通过的可再生能源指令等立法的推动下，可再生能源的扩张导致对可持续原料替代品的需求激增，特别是木颗粒形式的木质生物质。美国东南部木质生物质采伐的扩大引起了人们对采伐后森林残留物的清除、分布和空间分配，以及养分枯竭、生物多样性、加速侵蚀和水质损害的潜在影响的担忧。本研究评估了木质生物质和木颗粒原料收获的可持续性对木质残留物、土壤特性、生物多样性、碳和水质影响的当前知识状况。我们对现有文献的调查显示，缺乏评估美国东南部森林残留物清除影响的研究。有限的实地研究对生物质收获进行了总体评估，实际上没有研究专门评估木屑颗粒原料的操作。主要建议包括完成美国东南部木颗粒原料收获的实地研究，以更好地了解资源利用、林地分配的变化以及对场地可持续性的潜在影响。目前的管理标准，例如生物质收获指南（BHG）和最佳管理实践（BMP），在管理特定区域的基本推荐阈值方面似乎很有效，但应进一步评估哪些标准对于可持续生物质生产是必要的、适当的和操作上可行的。 这些研究应在区域范围内进行，以评估与传统做法相比，增加木颗粒原料残留去除的潜在影响。