Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1133-1548

Graduation Year

2024

Date of Submission

12-2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Environmental Analysis

Reader 1

Colin Robins

Reader 2

Emily Newes

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Kristen K Lu

Abstract

Aggressive fire suppression principles have dominated the Western approach to forest management, causing significant accumulation of forest fuels and magnified wildfire risk. Climate change has amplified these hazards by raising temperatures, reducing snowpack, prolonging droughts, and increasing weather anomalies. In response, forest thinning and controlled burning have become common strategies to mitigate fire risk. A promising alternative to controlled burning involves repurposing slash as biofuel feedstock, which not only reduces fire risk by addressing fuel loads but also contributes to renewable energy production. This thesis evaluates strategies for optimizing thinning residues for bioenergy production alongside wildfire risk mitigation, using the Stanislaus National Forest as a case study. The analysis evaluates the effectiveness of various thinning treatments by examining stand density reduction, measured through basal area reduction, and corresponding bioenergy potential. High thinning emerged as the most effective strategy for achieving these objectives, while variable density thinning showed moderate effectiveness and low thinning offered limited utility under the current framework. Future research recommendations include integrating additional fire risk metrics, such as ladder fuels, crown spread rates, and carbon storage, to enhance the scope and precision of optimization analyses.

This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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