scholarly journals The Impacts of Calamity Logging on the Sustainable Development of Spruce Fuel Biomass Prices and Spruce Pulp Prices in the Czech Republic

Forests ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Mansoor Maitah ◽  
Daniel Toth ◽  
Karel Malec ◽  
Seth Nana Kwame Appiah-Kubi ◽  
Kamil Maitah ◽  
...  

Currently, due to the calamity of unplanned harvesting, the amount of biomass from wood products has increased. Forests occupy 33.7% of the total area of the Czech Republic; therefore, wood and non-wood forest products are important renewables for the country. Wood biomass consists mainly of branches and bark that are not used in the wood or furniture industry. However, it can be used in bioenergy, including wood processing for fuel. As spruce production in the Czech Republic increased from the planned 15.5 million to almost 36.8 million trees in 2020, the price of wood biomass can be expected to be affected. This study aims to develop a predictive model for estimating the decline in the price of wood biomass for wood processors, such as firewood or sawdust producers, as well as for the paper industry. Wood biomass prices are falling with each additional million m3 of spruce wood harvested, as is the decline in wood pulp, which is intended for the paper and packaging industries. The proposed predictive model based on linear regressions should determine how the price of wood biomass will decrease with each additional million harvested spruce trees in the Czech Republic. This tool will be used for practical use in the forestry and wood industry. The linear regression model is suitable for practical forestry use due to its simplicity and high informative value. The aim of the research is to model the dependence of the prices of firewood in the form of wood briquettes and pellets for domestic and industrial processing, as well as the prices of wood pulp on the volume of unplanned logging. It is a guide for the practice of how to use excess spruce wood from unplanned mining in the field of alternative processing with a sustainable aspect for households or heat production for households. The intention is to carry out modelling in such a way that it does not include prices of higher quality wood assortments, which are intended for the woodworking industry.

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Róbert Babuka ◽  
Andrea Sujová ◽  
Václav Kupčák

Research Highlights: One of the priorities of the European Commission is to build up an effective circular economy based on recycling and multiple use of materials. Wood biomass is a renewable raw material and can be used several times in a cascading sequence. Each country has a unique situation regarding the availability and utilization of wood sources. Background and Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze wood flow in the Czech Republic using the cascading principle of biomass use. The specific situation in the Czech Republic lies in a lack of valid and reliable input data from official statistics. Therefore, the reverse input method was applied. Materials and Methods: Input data analyses of roundwood sources and foreign trade were based on official statistical data. The calculation of raw wood volume consumption in primary processing was performed based on the data after our own correction and recalculation. It was then possible to build up a basic model of multi-stage cascade wood use. The input volume of roundwood was divided among all types of primary processing production using conversion factors. Results: Cascading use of wood (CUW) showed the level of efficiency of the resource. Official statistical input data and the reversed input data regarding raw wood volume entering wood processing revealed differences at a level of 27%. The overall CUW in the Czech Republic indicates a high rate of wood use in primary processing with low added value and in generating energy. Conclusions: The reverse input method reveals the real situation of wood consumption irrespective of the level of official statistical data. It is suitable to apply in an environment of incomplete or incorrect input data. CUW in Czechia showed an opportunity for increasing the efficiency of wood utilization. The structure of wood use needs to be optimized towards creating greater added value.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 743-764
Author(s):  
Nahanga Verter ◽  
Libor Grega

This article assesses the development of wood exports in the Czech Republic (Czechia) and Austria in recent years. Some approaches, such as revealed comparative advantage (RCA), relative trade balance index (RTB), and diversification ratios are used to assess the export performance and competitiveness indicators in these countries. The RCA result reveals that both Czechia and Austria have been competitive in the global wood markets, just as the countries have witnessed positive in RTB within the period under study. Market diversification results indicate that both countries concentrated in few markets (mainly within the EU single market) for exports of wood products. Also, the competitiveness based on the product structure shows that both countries, notably Austria wood product groups have been diversified and mostly processed before exports. In summary, both countries have performed impressively within the period under study even though the time series for the research was short. Nevertheless, there is a need for market export diversification beyond the EU’s single market.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Toth ◽  
Mansoor Maitah ◽  
Kamil Maitah ◽  
Veronika Jarolínová

Currently, the decline in spruce wood prices is a serious problem for the forestry sector in the Czech Republic. We estimate that the fall in wood prices in European markets causes losses not only to the forestry companies producing, harvesting, and processing the wood, but also to the workers in the sector. These losses are mainly caused by a combination of several natural factors: drought, climate change, and the effects of bark beetles. In particular, spruce bark beetles cause the greatest damage. Due to this bark beetle calamity, unplanned logging has increased. In 2019, these damages have culminated. Almost 100 million m3 of wood has been harvested over the last decade due to the bark beetle and more than half of this volume has been mined in the last four years. Therefore, the losses in the forestry sector are around EUR 1.12 billion. The aim of this study is an analysis of the relationship between the volume of incidental logging and the decline in the price of spruce wood. These results show the strong correlation between the measure of unplanned wood harvesting and the decrease in wood prices, as well as an estimate of price development if the upward trend of incidental mining continues. The average price of wood in the Czech Republic could thus reach a historical minimum of EUR 79.39 per m3 of spruce and category SM/JE II (spruce/fir). In addition, the decline in wood prices will be reflected in the management of forestry and timber businesses, including stagnant wages for forestry workers. The socio-economic impact of the bark beetle calamity is high and is most affected by the decline in spruce timber prices.


2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 127-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kupčák

The basic feature of an economic reform of the forestry in the Czech Republic after 1990 was separation of supervision in the state forests from operating performance. The Forests of the Czech Republic, state enterprise, was charged with management and supervision, hence economic activities of the subject are provided on the basis of contracts by entrepreneurial units called contractors in the forestry. The purpose of the paper is economic analysis of the Forests of the Czech Republic, state enterprise, in the period 1998–2002. The objective is the construction and testing of an elementary method of financial analysis as well as outline of financial situation and development of the chosen subject generally. The paper contributes to branch economy analysis, common in agriculture and wood-processing industry.


2016 ◽  
Vol 688 ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miloš Gejdoš ◽  
Jozef Suchomel

In the last decade the prices of wood in Slovakia were affected by the global economic crisis, rising intensity and extent of incidental felling and specific market conditions in SR. This paper analyses the shares of selected raw wood assortments supplies for the pulp and paper industry in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany for the period 2008-2013. We also analyse the price trends of raw-wood assortments of the III.C class spruce, fir and beech saw-logs, pulpwood and firewood in selected countries of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The analysed period represented the last 7 years (from 2008 - April 2015). The last part is devoted to evaluation of the potential of these assortments as a source of raw material for pulp and paper industry.


Author(s):  
Jan Vopravil ◽  
Pavel Formánek ◽  
Darina Heřmanovská ◽  
Tomáš Khel ◽  
Karel Jacko

In the Czech Republic, the afforestation of agricultural land has been supported by providing subsidies from the government and the European Union. Afforestation of less-productive agricultural land provides many benefits including carbon sequestration, soil erosion control, biodiversity, water retention, cooling, social benefits, decreasing noise and light pollution, increasing air quality, wind speed reduction, oxygen production, wood production and non-wood products. In some aspects, it is possible to produce wood of the same quality on former agricultural land compared to permanent forest land. In this study, we attempted to find out the course of temperatures and volumetric water content as well as some other physical soil properties (at depths of 20, 40 and 60 cm) 9 years after the afforestation of agricultural land (warm, mild dry region of the Czech Republic) with a mixture of broadleaved tree species (Quercus robur L., Quercus rubra L. and Acer platanoides L.) or monospecific Pinus sylvestris L. stand; the study was performed in the period from April to the beginning of November 2020. Concerning the studied physical soil properties, the value of bulk density was higher (and total porosity lower) at a depth of 20 cm in Pinus sylvestris L. compared with agricultural land or the mixture of broadleaves; the water stability of soil aggregates was higher after the afforestation with the mixture of broadleaves. The temperature was lower in the soil of afforested plots (at all studied depths) compared to the agriculturally used land. Differences in rainfall interception, transpiration, soil<br />(and forest floor) properties and other factors could influence the obtained values of water content in the soil of the studied plots. The average volumetric water contents were the highest in the plots with Scots pine (depth of 20 cm) and broadleaves (depth of 40 cm), and on the control plot (depth of 60 cm). The volumetric water content at a soil depth of 20 cm was not significantly (P &gt; 0.05) different when the plot with Scots pine and agriculturally used land were compared. In all other cases and depths, the differences between plots were significant (P &lt; 0.05).


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 417-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Šišák

The article investigates the socio-economic importance of collection and use of non-wood forest products (NWFP) for inhabitants in the Czech Republic (CR) in 2005 and brings a comparison with former investigations and research projects. The research project consisted of these parts in 2005: 1. Analysis of hitherto performed research projects and their results in 1999&ndash;2003, 2. Investigation of quantities and values of NWFP collected in 2004 and 2005, 3. Specific investigation of socio-economic importance of NWFP collection and use. The results of respective investigations prove NWFP collection being quite important for the inhabitants of the CR. The importance consists in the material value of picked commodities on the average annual level higher than 3,000 mil. CZK. Nevertheless, collecting NWFP is considered as a very important recreational activity. Only a small part of the population collecting NWFP (about 12%) collects NWFP to save money.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 672
Author(s):  
Jakub Michal ◽  
David Březina ◽  
Dalibor Šafařík ◽  
Robert Babuka

The current requirements put on the Member States of the European Union (“EU”) in the area of sustainability and climate-neutral economy through strategic visions such as “Agenda 2030” or “A Clean planet for all” demonstrate the increasing need for quick identification of the changes required in the use of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Forests are a particular specific area of such changes. They represent a part of the ecosystem that is important for society from the economic, social, and environmental perspectives. Current climate changes have had a negative effect on the state of forestry in the Czech Republic and have raised many questions of how to ensure its sustainability. Besides the changes in forestry, the situation has also affected the sector primarily depending on the production function of forests and whose coexistence is conditioned. Taking specific sectors as examples, the article presents some prospects that could result in more efficient use of resources and defines potential synergic effects. Analyses of primary and secondary information sources were used to create preferential models (the term “preferential” in the context of the article represents opportunities through which it is possible to achieve an improvement in competitiveness and market advantage over the current model of wood processing and timber trade in the Czech Republic. The model works with potential perspectives and respects the challenges in the field of sustainable development) of timber and wood raw material production and processing and preferential and of economic efficiency (the term “efficiency” in the article represents the technical efficiency of the use of resources to achieve maximum economic benefit and added value. The aim is to increase the economic potential of individual sectors of primary and secondary processing in relation to timber sources) of woodworking businesses. The production model indicates that the energy use of wood, the expansion of the production mix in construction, the use of biomass and digestate in agroforestry, and the logging waste recovery are the most prospective sectors. The model presenting preferential areas in the woodworking industry development with respect to sustainability identified the need to increase associated production and material efficiency in construction and energy sectors, as well as insufficient activity of the sectors associated with technological innovations, FSC and PEFC certification prospects, bioeconomy and circular economy, a considerable need for wage growth in the sector and increased use of the existing production capacities by both domestic and foreign sales.


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