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Harvest optimization offers an effective strategy for maximizing lignin valorization yields and overall biorefinery production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. 

Alternative polymer feedstocks are highly desirable to address environmental, social, and security concerns associated with petrochemical-based materials. Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has emerged as one critical feedstock in this regard because it is an abundant and ubiquitous renewable resource. LCB can be deconstructed to generate valuable fuels, chemicals, and small molecules/oligomers that are amenable to modification and polymerization. However, the diversity of LCB complicates the evaluation of biorefinery concepts in areas including process scale-up, production outputs, plant economics, and life-cycle management. We discuss aspects of current LCB biorefinery research with a focus on the major process stages, including feedstock selection, fractionation/deconstruction, and characterization, along with product purification, functionalization, and polymerization to manufacture valuable macromolecular materials. We highlight opportunities to valorize underutilized and complex feedstocks, leverage advanced characterization techniques to predict and manage biorefinery outputs, and increase the fraction of biomass converted into valuable products. 

Summary statement Tree weatherproofing during senescence is imprinted in trees' stemflow chemistry.We supply novel data on stemflow neutral sugars leaching and propose a conceptual model to explain the interplay between higher stemflow neutral sugar concentrations during senescence and ecophysiological changes in bark/wood chemistry that initiate cold hardiness.