The CC Lab is conducting several nationwide field experiments, including the “wood cookie” and “slash pile” experiments, to explore simple, cheap, and scalable treatments to slow wood decomposition. The wood cookie experiment monitors decomposition that occurs within a single block of wood. The slash pile experiment measures decomposition in stacks of wood, a typical layout after forest thinning operations. 

We are investigating several approaches that may slow or halt decomposition, including wood burial, submersion, above-ground suspension, and physical encasement (e.g. limewash coasting). In our slash pile experiments, we are exploring the effects of stacking wood in different configurations and covering with a waterproof layer. We periodically analyze samples from the field to determine rates of decomposition and the efficacy of each treatment.