Harvest and collection advances are required in three key areas: 1) selective harvest (including forest thinning operations), 2) single-pass or minimum-impact harvest, and 3) harvest and collection efficiencies. The primary drivers for improved harvest technologies are reduced costs and access to larger tonnages of biomass through increased producer participation. For example, improved harvest technologies that address soil quality concerns — such as carbon sequestration, nutrient/water retention, erosion, and compaction will become increasingly important for enticing grower participation and accessing biomass resources.

Performance metrics for new harvest and collection systems include: 1) efficiency, 2) equipment capacity (an element of efficiency that includes technologies that reduce capital and improve throughput of equipment), and 3) quality. Without these improvements, the accessible biomass tonnage remains restricted.

Needed research in this area includes:

• Developing innovative harvest and collection methods for all resource types to eliminate or reduce unit operation costs and agronomic silviculture operational impacts

• Understanding, quantifying, and validating harvesting-specific quality related to com­positional effects, pretreatment effects, contaminant reductions, and bulk handling im­provements

• Developing and testing innovative equipment specific to woody feedstocks for which existing equipment is too costly and inefficient.