Most of the nation's productive forests are in nonindustrial, private ownership. To meet projected demands, timber harvests will need to increase on these lands. Iowa, which has 0.61 million hectares (ha) or approximately 1.5 million acres of commercial forestland, could benefit from capitalizing on this demand. However, the state's timber resource has been generally under-utilized. For example, Iowans have not harvested poletimber and low-grade sawlog materials from their woodlots because the market for such products has been lacking. Killing such trees to make room for better quality material involves costs that do not immediately increase net returns; thus, incentive to manage these woodlands has not been high.

Work continued on a plan to increase the renewable, sustainable fuel sources available to power operations at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. A team of researchers from multiple institutions collaborated to create a tool that would allow the UI to evaluate its alternative energy options more effectively.

If cellulosic biomass is to play a significant role in America's energy future, research needs to be conducted on the optimal production and placement practices. This project looked at a portfolio of biomass cropping systems that might be adopted for Iowa.

The midwestern landscape, which formerly consisted of prairies, wetlands, and forests, is now primarily devoted to agricultural purposes. Unfortunately, the resulting large-scale agricultural production has also produced nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of water, alteration of waterways, and disruption of wildlife habitat. NPS pollution, whether by sediment, fertilizers, or pesticides, is a problem nationwide. The agricultural community has addressed this problem by increasing soil conservation efforts and improving chemical application practices. One Best Management Practice (BMP) is the use of riparian (streamside) vegetative filter strips on watersheds prone to such pollution. Most such filter strips to date consist primarily of cool-season grasses.

Biomass may be obtained from existing sources, such as industrial co-products (e.g., oat hulls and paper sludge), from the forest using managed timber stand improvement, and from growing perennial dedicated energy crops on marginal lands. Each of these sources may be developed in a manner that improves the sustainability of the University of Iowa energy supplies.

According to the National Christmas Tree Growers Association, Christmas tree production has expanded greatly in the last five years. More than 35.4 million trees were sold in the United States in 1987, a 25.5% increase over the previous year. Even so, nationwide the industry is beginning to suffer from overexpansion, especially in the retail lot markets. Small choose-and-cut operations are still doing well, however, and in most localities, there is a shortage of this type of tree-purchasing option.