This section discusses the utilization of the most economically accessible biomass resources arising from plantation forestry that include:

• Early thinnings, or dedicated energy roundwood.

• Harvesting residues (i. e., branches, tops and off-cuts).

• FT or salvaging from calamities (i. e., insects, wind, forest fires).

• Stumps and other sources.

Probably the most fundamental issue of biomass supply systems is that they con­sist of a number of stage-state steps between the standing tree and the boiler grate. Each step requires an action or selection of a method or machine that has implica­tions for the whole downstream chain, and which cannot be reversed. The choice of felling method reduces options for processing or extraction. A decision to do in-field chipping eliminates the option of conventional forwarding and transport. There are a larger number of stage-state combinations, alternating between change of location and change of form, and only the most predominant are discussed in this section.