Mastication

Mastication of forest thinnings can serve multiple purposes, whether chipping is done at the cutting site or at a transfer facility. When done on site, chips and smaller wood pieces function as nutrient-rich mulch for the forest floor. When areas are dramatically overgrown or invasive species must be removed, chipping is done at a transfer facility -usually an existing waste management site. Here, chips can be bagged for sale as landscape material, or densified into pellets for heating stoves.

See also Heat & Energy: Firewood & Chips and Infrastructure: Wood Use Sort Stations