What is woody biomass and where does it come from?
Woody biomass is composed of trees including wood from the bole (trunk) of the tree, limbs, tops, roots and even the foliage. Woody biomass can include shrubs and other woody plants. The principal sources of woody biomass for energy production have historically been: 1) trees killed or damaged by fire, insects, disease, drought or that have no other use; 2) trees grown specifically for energy production; and 3) trees removed to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations or improve forest health. Woody biomass also includes wood wastes from urban areas (e.g., construction wood, tree trimmings) and products derived from trees such as lumber, paper and byproducts of wood manufacturing (e.g., sawdust and bark).
