Book description:

Offers rare insight into the tools for resource assessment, providing a platform for tapping into this

hugely important global resource

◦ Provides the skills to understand the resource base and the pros and cons of biomass exploitation,

drawing valuable conclusions for practitioners and policy makers

◦ Engages in the vital policy issues surrounding this hotly debated renewable energy source

Responding to the need for reliable and detailed information on biomass consumption and supply

and overcoming the lack of standardized measurement and accounting procedures, this handbook

provides the skills to understand the biomass resource base, the tools to assess the resource and the

pros and cons of exploitation. Topics covered include assessment methods for woody and

herbaceous biomass, biomass supply and consumption and remote sensing techniques.

International case studies, ranging from techniques for measuring tree volume to transporting

biomass, help to illustrate step-by-step methods and are based on field work experience. A set of

technical appendices offer a glossary of terms, energy units and other valuable resource data.