Bioproducts From Canada's Forests: New Partnerships In The Bioeconomy

BIOPRODUCTS FROM CANADA’S FORESTS BIOPRODUCTS FROM CANADA’S FORESTS New Partnerships in the Bioeconomy by SUZANNE WETZEL Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada LUC C. DUCHESNE Forest Bioproducts Inc., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada Faculté de Foresterie, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada MICHAEL F. LAPORTE Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN-10 ISBN-13 ISBN-10 ISBN-13 1-4020-4991-9 (HB) 978-1-4020-4991-0 (HB) 1-4020-4992-7 (e-book) 978-1-4020-4992-7 (e-book) Published by Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. www.springer.com Printed on acid-free paper With the exception of the image of fireweed, all cover images © 2006 JupiterImages Corporation. All Rights Reserved © 2006 Springer No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed in the Netherlands. Table of Contents Preface v ii Acknowledgments xv Forests as a Source of Bioproducts 1 Biofuels and Bioenergy 35 Biochemicals 61 Agroforestry 71 Foods from the Forest 89 Nutraceuticals from the Forest 113 Pharmaceuticals from the Forest 131 Decorative and Aesthetic Products 147 Recreation and Other Forest Values 163 Protecting Forest Biomass from Pests: Current Challenges 173 Other Innovative Products and Technologies 185 v vi Contents Carbon Credits 195 The Way Forward 211 References 225 Index 251 Preface Highlights and Fast Facts 3 This book presents an overview and a vision of bioproducts, specifically as they apply to the forestry sector. 3 Bioproducts are commodities that are derived from biomass. Biomass is any type of microbial, plant or organic material (both new and waste) that is available on a renewable or recurring basis. 3 Bioproducts include a broad range of commodities with applications to markets such as energy, transportation, chemicals, plastics, foods and food products, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and various other consumer goods. 3 The bioproducts industry is a natural extension of the forestry, non-timber forest products, biotechnology, agricultural, marine, materials and manufacturing industries. Bioproducts from these sectors will form the new bioeoconomy; a market of $100 billion1. 3 The bioeconomy has the potential to stimulate employment and generate wealth in rural and First Nation communities. 3 Because the bioproduct industry generates commodities from renew