The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identifies significant opportunities in agriculture and forestry land and practices on those landscapes to mitigate carbon emissions and enhance carbon storage. These lands are also a critical resource for biodiversity, livelihoods, economic stability, and more that can be enhanced through sustainable management. YASSP works to enhance the body of research for sustainable land use in the following projects.
From pulpwood to jet fuel: forest residues and sustainable aviation fuel in the southeastern US
YASSP was contacted by a company interested in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using leftover forest biomass from logging operations. Our team synthesized relevant international and national regulations, scientific literature, and practitioner guidance to produce a short white paper outlining the need, opportunity, benefits, and risks of using forest residues to produce SAF. The paper will guide company operations and be shared with stakeholders.
Urban Forestry Data Intercomparison & Synthesis
We are comparing the strengths, limitations, and applications of the major urban forestry data sources currently used in the US (Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), street tree inventories, remote sensing). We are working to clarify the best uses of each data type, assess how they are applied in practice, and identify gaps between best use and actual use cases. With this project, we aim to inform the development of evidence-based guidance for cities on choosing the right tools for urban forest monitoring, planning, and decision making.
Measuring Reforestation Outcomes with Rock and Fungal Soil Amendments
Reforestation of previously forested areas is an important tool to combat climate change and protect forest diversity. But what if we could grow trees faster and capture more carbon? Graduate researcher, Kira Biener, is collaborating with YASSP researchers in a greenhouse study to empirically measure how two soil amendments, ectomycorrhizal fungi or crushed basalt rock, affects carbon gains in pine tree seedlings and inorganic carbon production in soils. Results from this project can inform whether future reforestation campaigns can “stack” tree planting with enhanced weathering amendments to capture and store more carbon, and we’re already sharing preliminary results with researchers at academic conferences (ERW25) and with carbon project developers (Funga Speaker Series).
