Attention to scaling concepts reveals powerful emerging relationships between energy, forestry and agriculture. The American people face an uncertain energy future while at the same time concerns have emerged about the ability of the landscape to produce sufficient biomass to serve as a replacement feedstock for oil. A related issue is the future capability of existing forests under different ownership categories to meet changing demands for fiber and fuel and how the supply of wood can be augmented by plantations and other intensively managed forests. Further speculation has emerged regarding the effect of fossil fuel use on climate and the extent to which climate change might alter patterns of plant genetic adaptation to the landscape. We have addressed these issues by defining research goals and studies in the genetics and benefits of bioenergy plantations and the patterns of tree and forest adaptation to climate change.

Research Goals

Optimize the deployment of cellulose-based bioenergy plantations in the northern region of the United States and determine the regional implications of widespread intensive-culture plantations for bioenergy, fiber, and environmental benefits.

Evaluate the impact of climate change on patterns of tree adaptation by utilizing legacy data and newly collected data from 80 years of conifer seed source and progeny tests.

Selected Research

• Conduct a crop genetic development program to test the growth, yield, and pest resistance of new genotypes (clones) of hybrid poplars on a regional or national scale, leveraging our longstanding (30+ years) program and partnerships in this research.
  • Salt Tolerance and Salinity Thresholds of Woody Energy Crops Irrigated with High-salinity Waste Waters
  • Breeding and Selecting Poplar for Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Bioproducts
  • Development of Technical Innovations to Reduce Impacts of Invasive Species and Enhance Energy Crop Production  
  • Sustainable Production of Woody Energy Crops with Associated Environmental Benefits During Phytotechnologies
  • Using Short Rotation Woody Crops to Remediate Soils Contaminated with Organics
• Develop guidelines for optimal testing by applying quantitative genetic analysis to measurements of clone tests established with appropriate family structure.
  • Breeding and Selecting Poplar for Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Bioproducts
• Develop models to predict the effects of genotype x environment interactions on the limits to geographic transfer of poplar clonal selections and the design of future breeding and testing.
  • Genetics and Genotype x Environment Interactions Affecting Adventitious Rooting and Early Establishment of Poplar Energy Crops
  • Using Short Rotation Woody crops to Remediate Soils Heavily Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons
  • Predicting and Mapping Biomass of Poplar Energy Crops in the North Central United States
  • Phyto-Recurrent Selection: A Method for Selecting Genotypes for Phytotechnologies
  • An Approach for Siting Poplar Energy Production Systems to Increase Productivity and Associated Ecosystem Services
• Maintain sufficient knowledge of the complete National Energy issue to provide policy-relevant input on bioenergy opportunities for the Station and the Agency.
• Sustainable Production of Woody Energy Crops with Associated Environmental Benefits
• Development of Technical Innovations to Reduce Impacts of Invasive Species and Enhance Energy Crop Production
• Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Bioproducts from Short Rotation Woody Crops
• Impacts of Harvesting Forest Residues for Bioenergy on Nutrient Cycling and Community Assemblages in Northern Hardwood Forests
• Carbon Implications of Poplar Energy Crops Throughout the Energy Supply Chain
• Comprehensive Database of North American Poplar Research Published from 1989 to 2011
• Continue evaluation of legacy data contained in our Institute files to determine which of the available datasets can contribute to an understanding of adaptive patterns.
• Apply modern statistical methods to evaluate legacy datasets in ways that were not possible in the past.
• Identify field experiments that remain in good condition with high survival and collect new measurements of growth, yield and pest resistance as needed.
  • Enhanced Adaptation to Climate Change of Conifer Species and Provenances in Northern Forest Ecosystems