Exploring controls of timber stock residence times in storage after severe storm events

The storage of significant amounts of timber from thrown or dead trees after natural disturbances is an established practice for forest enterprises. Timber storage mitigates economic losses caused by supply-driven timber price falls after natural disturbances. We use a forest accounting database to explore the controls of residence times of coniferous timber stocks in storage following severe storm events. We characterize forest enterprises’ timber stock outflow distributions from storage over several years by mean residence times and their variances. We conduct regression analyses on the expected residence times and their variances. We assess the significance of several explanatory variables representing economic, institutional and tree species-related factors on these metrics using multiple linear regression analyses. Illustrating the effect of these variables on timber storage residence time distributions we reanalyze the database by grouping the FADN data sets with regard to the identified control variables and determine their mean timber storage outflow distributions after the storm events as well as associated expected residence times and their variances. Applying the resulting parameters with the continuous gamma distribution to simulate TSO residence time distributions clearly illuminates the effect of the control variables on storage management. We show that besides market price dynamics, species groups, ownership categories and forest worker capacities are statistically significant controls for mean residence times of timber stock in storage and their variances. We find that stronger timber price falls correlate with shorter mean residence times of timber stocks in storage. We relate this to liquidity maintenance of forest enterprises. We model duration times parameterizing the Gamma distribution. The application of the Gamma distribution to characterize storage management behavior offers the potential to describe differences in timber stock quantities even on shorter timescales than the mean storage residence times. According to our results, we propose to assess timber stocks in storage over a multi-year period in order to improve related national and international accounting schemes.

Study on the Application of Internet of Things in the Logistics in Forest Industry

The origin, the composition, the function, the application and the developing trend of the Internet of Things (IOT) were reviewed. The application of internet of things would greatly improve the information technology in logistics. The internet of things supported by RFID and sensor technology has been applied in the area of logistics. A framework of three technical systems of sensing, communication and network, and intelligence has been established. The present technology of internet of things in logistics of forest industry was analyzed. The application cases of the internet of things in timber storage, wood transportation and logistics of forestry biomass materials were shown with their system composition, management function and development.

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE RESPONSE TO THE ARCO ANCHORAGE OIL SPILL, PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON1

ABSTRACT On December 21, 1985, at approximately 4:25 p.m. PST, the Arco Anchorage ran aground in Port Angeles Harbor. Two holes were torn in the ship's bottom, resulting in a spill of 5,690 barrels (239,000 gallons) of Alaska North Slope crude oil. This paper describes the Arco Marine response procedure during this spill, and the philosophies and methods used during the spill cleanup. The primary offshore cleanup method was recovery using booms and skimmers. Weather conditions permitted their effective operation. Removal of oiled debris was the primary onshore cleanup method. Port Angeles Harbor is a major timber storage area; log bundles are stored in the harbor awaiting pickup by ships. When log bundles were oiled during the spill, a method was devised to clean them. Oil percolated into coarse sediments on Ediz Hook, the most heavily oiled area. It was determined that large enough quantities of oil were trapped in the sediments to warrant removal. A cleanup method incorporating a combination of physical agitation to a depth of approximately 12 inches and high-pressure water jets effectively removed most of the entrained oil. The paper also describes the waste management plan that was developed.