• Keeton, William S.
  University of Vermont
  
• Tobi, Donald R.
  University of Vermont
  

Demand for forest bioenergy fuel is increasing in the northern forest region of eastern North America and beyond, but ecological impacts—particularly on habitat—of bioenergy harvesting remain poorly explored. In addition, there is uncertainty over the net greenhouse gas emissions associated with wood bioenergy production. Particularly uncertain are the net carbon (C) effects of multiple harvests staggered spatially and temporally across landscapes in which bioenergy is typically only one of many products in integrated operations Relatively few studies have evaluated these concerns using field data from actual bioenergy harvests. This study addresses these questions in two components, one devoted to effects on habitat, the other focused on net greenhouse gas emissions at stand and landscape scales. Both research components employed field inventory data from the same set of 35 recent harvests in northern hardwood–conifer forests, pairing harvested areas with unharvested reference areas in northern New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.