University of Maine researchers are starting a four year study of how partially harvested forests recover and how much carbon they absorb afterward. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, compares a logged section of the Howland Research Forest in central Maine with an untouched area. The team is tracking tree growth, seedling establishment, decomposition of leftover branches, and CO2 exchange using ground plots, tree rings, and annual aerial laser scans. The work fills a gap in DOE's Earth system model, which currently does not simulate recovery after partial harvest. Maine relies heavily on partial cutting in commercial forests, so the results should give managers and modelers a more realistic picture of carbon storage and regrowth over time. Researchers began collecting data before the August 2025 harvest, so the project has a solid baseline.
