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.