• USDA Forest Service
  

Decreasing timber size, increasing costs, development of new wood products, greater demands for wood products, and more recently the energy crisis are but a few of the reasons why the forest products industries of the Nation are looking at the whole tree above ground as the primary forest product rather than just the main stem of the tree. Interest in the utilization of all tree parts above ground, including branches and foliage, has increased considerably over the past two decades. It has been demonstrated that the crown component of the tree can be used in a variety of ways: (1) as fuel to generate energy, (2) as chips or particles in glued up composite products, (3) as fiber in pulp and paper products, and (4) as a soil amendment or mulch in agriculture and horticulture.