scholarly journals Enhancing Forest Technology: Research Priorities of the Southern Forest Sector

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45
Author(s):  
Eric D. Vance ◽  
Ben H. Cazell ◽  
H. Nick Chappell ◽  
Howard W. Duzan ◽  
Marshall A. Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wood Quality ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Productivity ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Genetic Management ◽  
Industry Research ◽  
Research Organizations

Abstract The southern forest sector has undergone dramatic changes over the past decade, including shifts in land ownership (from integrated forest product companies to organizations with different objectives and time horizons) and losses of forestland to development. The ability to support sustainable biomass production for traditional and emerging markets is at risk because of a decline in industry research infrastructure and because of dilution of government agency and university forest productivity research with other priorities. To assess forest productivity research priorities, a survey was distributed to integrated forest products companies, real estate investment trusts, timber investment management organizations, and consulting organizations based in the South. Environmental services were a top priority for all organization types, cited as a high or very high priority by 74% of respondents, followed by forest management (64%), improving wood quality delivered to mills (57%), and biotechnology and tree improvement (39%). The highest priority individual research needs were to quantify the potential of managed forests to sequester carbon and sustain water quality and biodiversity and to update growth and yield models to account for changing stand, genetic, management, and environmental factors. Respondents rely mostly on university cooperatives and industrial research organizations for both basic and applied/technology transfer research.

scholarly journals Creating a knowledge-based forest sector

1993 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clark S. Binkley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Economic Decline ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Knowledge Based

Traditionally an industry based on plentiful natural resources, the forest sector in British Columbia must be transformed to include a far higher amount of technology if its prosperity is to be sustained. Only by embodying a larger technological component in its products and processes can the forest sector offset the economic decline usually associated with the transition from old-growth to secondary, managed forests. Research will also increase the contribution the forests themselves can make to our economic and environmental well-being. Because of its position as a large producer of forest products, effective research strategies for British Columbia (and probably for Canada more broadly) will differ substantially from those pursued by major consuming nations such as the United States or Japan.

The status of forestry research in British Columbia

1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 730-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clark S. Binkley ◽  
Susan B. Watts
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Third Generation ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Research Organizations ◽  
Research Expenditures ◽  
The Status ◽  
Forestry Products

A survey of forestry and forestry products research in British Columbia indicates that the various research organizations in the province (e.g., Ministry of Forests, Forestry Canada, forest products companies, NSERC, and Universities) spent $71.1 million on research in 1991. This amounts to about 0.69% of gross sales, a figure that is less than half the research expenditures by such key competitors as the United States or Sweden. Although the economic returns to forestry and forest products research apparently are high, the failure to allocate more funds to research and development stems from a failure to conceptualize research as part of a larger forest sector strategy. Adopting this "third generation" approach to research planning would insure that research results are actually implemented, and would probably result in appropriately larger expenditures in this area.

scholarly journals Forest Product Trade Impacts of an Invasive Species: Modeling Structure and Intervention Trade-Offs

2006 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Prestemon ◽  
Shushuai Zhu ◽  
James A. Turner ◽  
Joseph Buongiorno ◽  
Ruhong Li
Keyword(s):  
Forest Products ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Spatial Equilibrium ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Spatial Equilibrium Model ◽  
The World ◽  
Nun Moth ◽  
Market Consequences

Asian gypsy and nun moth introductions into the United States, possibly arriving on imported Siberian coniferous logs, threaten domestic forests and product markets and could have global market consequences. We simulate, using the Global Forest Products Model (a spatial equilibrium model of the world forest sector), the consequences under current policies of a widespread, successful pest invasion, and of plausible trading partner responses to the successful invasion. We find that trade liberalization would have a negligible effect on U.S. imports of Siberian logs and, consequently, on the risk of a pest invasion. But, if it happened, possibly through trade in other commodities, a successful and widespread pest invasion would have large effects on producers and consumers over the period 2002 to 2030.

Does forest certification conserve biodiversity?

Oryx ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Gullison
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Tropical Countries ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Forest Stewardship

Forest certification provides a means by which producers who meet stringent sustainable forestry standards can identify their products in the marketplace, allowing them to potentially receive greater market access and higher prices for their products. An examination of the ways in which certification may contribute to biodiversity conservation leads to the following conclusions: 1) the process of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certification generates improvements to management with respect to the value of managed forests for biodiversity. 2) Current incentives are not sufficient to attract the majority of producers to seek certification, particularly in tropical countries where the costs of improving management to meet FSC guidelines are significantly greater than any market benefits they may receive; available incentives are even less capable of convincing forest owners to retain forest cover and produce certified timber on a sustainable basis, rather than deforesting their lands for timber and agriculture. 3) At present, current volumes of certified forest products are insufficient to reduce demand to log high conservation value forests. If FSC certification is to make greater inroads, particularly in tropical countries, significant investments will be needed both to increase the benefits and reduce the costs of certification. Conservation investors will need to carefully consider the biodiversity benefits that will be generated from such investments, versus the benefits generated from investing in more traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation.

Work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance in the US forest sector: in search of a conceptual framework

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1703-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Crespell ◽  
Eric Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Work Climate ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
The Us

Innovativeness can help companies differentiate themselves, with the ultimate goal of securing survival and improving performance. Modern theories in organizational behavior look at innovation as something that starts with individual creativity but that is also affected by the work environment. Using one broad industry sector, the US forest products industry, this study attempts to integrate into a unifying model the concepts of work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance using structural equation modeling. Results support the proposed theoretical model, with some modifications, finding a positive and significant relationship among all factors. Having innovation as a core part of a company’s strategy and fostering a climate for innovation positively affects the degree of innovativeness and performance of a company. This is especially true for secondary or value-added wood products manufacturers. A climate for innovation is characterized by high levels of autonomy and encouragement, team cohesion, openness to change and risk taking, and sufficient resources available to people. Lack of a validation sample suggests treating the model as tentative until further testing.

scholarly journals Development of A Study Module on and Pedagogical Approaches to Industrial Environmental Engineering and Sustainability in Mozambique

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Roope Husgafvel ◽  
Mikko Martikka ◽  
Andrade Egas ◽  
Natasha Ribeiro ◽  
Olli Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Environmental Engineering ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
Eduardo Mondlane University ◽  
And Training ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

Addressing the sustainability challenges in the forest sector in Mozambique require capacity building for higher education and training of new skilled expert and future decision-makers. Our approach was to developed a study module on and pedagogical approaches to industrial environmental engineering and sustainability. The idea was to developed a joint module that would eventually become a part of both PhD and MSc programmes in the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Mozambique. The basis of our development work encompassed the local priorities as identified by the UEM staff, UEM competencies in forestry engineering and the experience of the Aalto University in higher education in the fields of environmental engineering, sustainability and forest products technology. From the beginning, public authorities and industry/company representatives were involved in the development process to advance the created benefits in terms of sustainable development in Mozambique. The result of the joined work by these two higher education institutions was a study module that has been teached and completed by a class of MSc students as a part of the official UEM curricula.    

scholarly journals Growth and yield estimation of Chamaecyparis spp. through tree ring analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Kharal ◽  
T. Fujiwara
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Biomass Estimation ◽  
Tree Ring Analysis ◽  
Ring Density ◽  
Ring Analysis

Tree ring analysis is one of the most useful methods in volume and biomass estimation especially of the conifer trees. Ring width and ring density are important parameters in dendrochronological research. The present research was carried out with the aim of estimating the radial and volumetric growth of the Japanese Cypress trees (Chamaecyperis obstusa and C. pisifera). Destructive method was used while collecting the wood samples from the selected trees. Ring width and ring density were measured using soft X-ray densitometry method using micro-densitometer. Computer programme, developed by the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan was used to analyze the ring with and ring density data. The average ring width of the Chamaecyparis spp. was found to be about 3.4 mm at the age of 30 years. However, two types of growth pattern were observed in the trees. Average radial growth was about 5% every year during the first 20 years of the tree age, whereas, the average radial growth was negative during the age of 20–30 years. Average density of the tree rings were increased by about 11% in each height of the trees starting from the ground. Similarly, the stem density decreased by about 3.4% annually along the radial direction from the pith.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v22i2.9197Banko Janakari: A Journal of Forestry Information for NepalVol. 22, No. 2, 2012 November Page: 36-42 Uploaded date: 12/1/2013 

Integrating remote sensing and climate data with process-based models to map forest productivity within west-central Alberta's boreal forest: Ecoleap-West

2006 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Hall ◽  
F. Raulier ◽  
D T Price ◽  
E. Arsenault ◽  
P Y Bernier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Productivity ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Study Region

Forest yield forecasting typically employs statistically derived growth and yield (G&Y) functions that will yield biased growth estimates if changes in climate seriously influence future site conditions. Significant climate warming anticipated for the Prairie Provinces may result in increased moisture deficits, reductions in average site productivity and changes to natural species composition. Process-based stand growth models that respond realistically to simulated changes in climate can be used to assess the potential impacts of climate change on forest productivity, and hence can provide information for adapting forest management practices. We present an application of such a model, StandLEAP, to estimate stand-level net primary productivity (NPP) within a 2700 km2 study region in western Alberta. StandLEAP requires satellite remote-sensing derived estimates of canopy light absorption or leaf area index, in addition to spatial data on climate, topography and soil physical characteristics. The model was applied to some 80 000 stand-level inventory polygons across the study region. The resulting estimates of NPP correlate well with timber productivity values based on stand-level site index (height in metres at 50 years). This agreement demonstrates the potential to make site-based G&Y estimates using process models and to further investigate possible effects of climate change on future timber supply. Key words: forest productivity, NPP, climate change, process-based model, StandLEAP, leaf area index, above-ground biomass

Using bioeconomic models to assess research priorities: a case study on afforestation as a carbon sequestration tool

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 886-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W McKenney ◽  
Denys Yemshanov ◽  
Glenn Fox ◽  
Elizabeth Ramlal
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Hybrid Poplar ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Carbon Price ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Fuel Substitution ◽  
Spatial Estimates

We have developed a spatial cost–benefit afforestation model that includes the tracking of five carbon pools. In this application we represent three possible afforestation strategies that could be implemented in Canada using plantations of hybrid poplar, hardwoods, and softwoods with average expected growth rates of 12–14, 5–7, and 5–7 m3· ha–1·year–1 respectively. The model provides spatially explicit insights into the cost effectiveness of afforestation as a carbon sequestration tool. Here we develop an elasticity metric and experiment to assess model sensitivity and use the results to make recommendations about research priorities. The most important biological variables across all scenarios include site suitability, which is related to refining the spatial estimates of potential yields, biomass to carbon ratios, and wood density. The most important economic variables include refinement and lowering of establishment costs and agricultural opportunity costs. Parameters that have a low impact on the break-even carbon price, suggesting refinements in knowledge in these areas would be relatively less beneficial, include decay rates for forest products, stand senescence age (the age when stand mortality reaches its maximum), bioenergy and pulpwood prices, and mean residual time for leaf litter. Less importance was also placed on the proportions of forest products in the total harvest and refining a fossil fuel substitution coefficient.

Global forest products trade model.

2021 ◽  
pp. 110-141
Author(s):  
Prakash Nepal ◽  
Joseph Buongiorno ◽  
Craig M. T. Johnston ◽  
Jeffrey Prestemon ◽  
Jing-gang Guo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Mathematical Formulation ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Trade Model ◽  
Forest Industries ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract This chapter introduces the Global Forest Products Model (GFPM). The general model structure and the mathematical formulation of the GFPM are provided and key differences and similarities to the modeling approaches developed in the previous chapters are highlighted. The usefulness of the GFPM as a forest sector tool for policy analysis is illustrated by summarizing its applications in a wide array of past and ongoing studies. These studies are summarized under four representative groups: (i) forest sector outlook studies; (ii) studies evaluating the consequences of tariff and non-tariff barriers on the international trade of forest products; (iii) studies projecting the impacts of climate change and forest-based climate change mitigation strategies on forests and forest industries; and (iv) other studies dealing with other important questions, such as the effects of the rise in global planted forest area, illegal harvests, and invasive species. Some of the limitations of GFPM, ways to mitigate these limitations, and its overall usefulness as a forest sector policy analysis tool are also examined.

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