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The objective of this research project was to assess whether standard forestry best management practices (BMPs) are sufficient to protect stream water quality from intensive silviculture associated with short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) production for bioenergy. Forestry BMPs are designed to prevent the movement of deleterious quantities of nutrients, herbicides, sediments, and thermal energy (sunlight hitting stream channels) from clear-cuts and plantations to surface waters.

Eucalyptus spp. is the world’s most widely planted hardwood species. It has been established and produced successfully in warmer regions of the U.S. for decades, and is positioned for commercialization as a biomass feedstock in the U.S. South. Plantation management options for Eucalyptus as a short-rotation woody crop include both single-stem and coppicing systems, with harvests every 3-7 years with average annual yields ranging from about 4 to 14 dry tons acre-1 year-1.

The need to reduce the Nation’s dependence on foreign oil as a source of energy has been elevated in recent years as a national priority. To achieve this vision, efforts have focused on developing a broader portfolio of energy sources for domestic use. Renewable energy will play an important role in diversification, and considerable investment has been directed to advancing the commercial feasibility of these technologies.