Economics of mixed-species forestry with ecosystem services

Tahvonen, Olli; Rämö, Janne; Mönkkönen, Mikko

doi:10.1139/cjfr-2018-0514

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…Mixed-species uneven-aged stands have been analysed in e.g. Haight and Getz (1987), Haight and Monserud (1990), Rämö and Tahvonen (2015), and Tahvonen et al (2019).…”

Section: Economics Of Even-and Uneven-aged Forest Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economics of carbon storage in heterogeneous forests

Assmuth¹

2020

Diss. For.

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Forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change, as they sequester and store large quantities of carbon. This dissertation examines how carbon storage may be increased by changing forest management at the stand level. To extend the economics of forest carbon storage beyond single-species even-aged stands, this dissertation develops a bioeconomic model framework that incorporates the size and species structure of the stand, and the optimal choice between continuous cover forestry and forestry based on clearcuts. The studies apply empirically estimated growth models for boreal conifer and broadleaf tree species. The dissertation consists of a summary section and three articles. The first article presents an analytically solvable economic model for timber production and carbon storage with optimized management regime choice between continuous cover and rotation forestry. Continuous-time optimal control theory is utilized to solve the thinning path and the potentially infinite rotation age: if no optimal finite rotation age exists, thinnings are performed indefinitely while maintaining continuous forest cover. The second article extends this model by applying a size-structured growth model for Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), roadside pricing of sawlog and pulpwood, variable and fixed harvesting costs, and several carbon pools. The timing and intensity of thinnings, the rotation age, and the management regime are optimized numerically. In the third article, the optimization approach of the second article is extended to mixed-species size-structured stands. Species mixtures include the commercially valuable Norway spruce and birch (Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh.), and other broadleaves (e.g. Eurasian aspen, Populus tremula L., and maple, Acer sp.) that have no market value. Optimal rotation age is shown to either increase or decrease with carbon price depending on interest rate and the speed of carbon release from harvested wood products. Given empirically realistic assumptions, carbon pricing increases the rotation period and eventually causes a regime shift from rotation management to continuous cover management. Hence, carbon pricing heightens the importance of determining the management regime-continuous cover or rotation forestry-through optimization. Optimal thinnings are invariably targeted to the largest size classes of each tree species. Carbon pricing postpones thinnings and increases the average size of harvested and standing trees, hence increasing mean stand volume. Without carbon pricing, commercially nonvaluable other broadleaves are felled during each harvesting operation. When carbon storage is valued, some of the other broadleaves are retained standing until they are large, thus increasing tree species diversity and deadwood quantity. The results suggest that moderate carbon price levels increase timber yields, especially of sawlog that may be used for long-lived products. Increasing carbon storage through changes in forest management is shown to be relatively inexpensive, ...

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“…Mixed-species uneven-aged stands have been analysed in e.g. Haight and Getz (1987), Haight and Monserud (1990), Rämö and Tahvonen (2015), and Tahvonen et al (2019).…”

Section: Economics Of Even-and Uneven-aged Forest Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economics of carbon storage in heterogeneous forests

Assmuth¹

2020

Diss. For.

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“…The complex problem of managing mixed-species uneven-aged stands has been studied in a dynamic setting by Haight and Getz (1987), Haight and Monserud (1990a, b), and Rämö and Tahvonen (2015). Tahvonen et al (2019) study timber production and ecosystem services in boreal mixed-species stands using a generalized model that includes both continuous cover forestry and rotation forestry and optimizes the choice between them. Parkatti and Tahvonen (2020) explore various boreal species mixtures and management objectives, demonstrating that overyielding (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal Carbon Storage in Mixed-Species Size-Structured Forests

Assmuth

Rämö

Tahvonen

2021

Environ Resource Econ

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We extend the study of economically optimal carbon storage to a previously unexplored forest type, mixed-species size-structured stands. The ecological model applied in the study is a transition matrix model with growth functions for boreal Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), birch (Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh.), and other broadleaves. The other broadleaved trees are assumed to have no commercial value. We maximize the sum of timber revenues and the value of carbon storage by optimizing the timing and intensity of thinnings and the potentially infinite rotation age. The optimization problem is solved in its general dynamic form using gradient-based interior point methods and a genetic algorithm. We present results for a mixed stand of Norway spruce and birch, and a mixed stand of Norway spruce, birch, and other broadleaves, and compare these to a pure Norway spruce stand. We show that carbon pricing increases stand volume by postponing harvests and limiting them to larger trees, and changes the optimal species composition by increasing the share of Norway spruce relative to birch. Further, carbon pricing incentivizes maintaining other broadleaves in the stand despite their lack of commercial value, thus increasing tree species diversity. We find that sawlog and total yields increase with carbon price. We show that the higher the number of tree species in a stand, the lower the marginal cost of carbon storage.

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“…The increased runoff typically results in higher suspended sediment loads and changes in downstream solute yields (Ampoorter, de Schrijver, van Nevel, Hermy, & Verheyen, 2012; Eklöf, Lidskog, & Bishop, 2016; Oda et al, 2018; Vance et al, 2018). These impacts potentially lead to the degradation of aquatic and wetland habitats, resulting in a loss of ecosystem services at local and watershed scales (Pohjanmies et al, 2017; Tahvonen, Rämö, & Mönkkönen, 2019). Underpinning these broader landscape impacts are the changes to hillslope runoff generation processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in hillslope hydrology in a perched, shallow soil system due to clearcutting and residual biomass removal

McCarter

Sebestyen

Eggert

et al. 2020

Hydrological Processes

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Sustainable fuels legislation and volatility in energy prices have put additional pressures on the forestry sector to intensify the harvesting of biomass for "advanced biofuel" production. To better understand how residual biomass removal after harvest affects forest hydrology in relatively low slope terrain, a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) study was conducted in the USDA Forest Service's Marcell Experimental Forest, Minnesota, USA. Hydrological measurements were made from 2010-2013 on a forested hillslope that was divided into three treatment blocks, where one block was harvested and residual biomass removed (Biomass Removed), the second was harvested and residual biomass left (Biomass Left), and the last block was left as an Unharvested Control. The pre-harvest period (2 years) was 2010-11 and postharvest (2 years) was 2012-13. Water table elevation at the upslope and downslope position, subsurface runoff, and soil moisture were measured between May-November. Mixed effect statistical models were used to compare both the beforeafter and "control" treatment ratios (ratios between harvested hillslopes and the Unharvested Control hillslope). Subsurface runoff significantly increased (p < .05) at both harvested hillslopes but to a greater degree on the Biomass Left hillslope. Greater subsurface runoff volumes at both harvested hillslopes were driven by substantial increases during fall, with additional significant increases during summer on the Biomass Left hillslope. The hydrological connectivity, inferred from event runoff ratios, increased due to harvesting at both hillslopes but only significantly on the Biomass Left hillslope. The winter harvest minimized soil disturbance, resulting in no change to the effective hydraulic conductivity distribution with depth. Thus, the observed hydrological changes were driven by increased effective precipitation and decreased evapotranspiration, increasing the duration that both harvested hillslopes were hydrologically active. The harvesting of residual biomass appears to lessen hydrological connectivity relative to leaving residual biomass on the hillslope, potentially decreasing downstream hydrological impacts of similar forestry operations.

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Economics of mixed-species forestry with ecosystem services

Cited by 17 publications

References 36 publications

Economics of carbon storage in heterogeneous forests

Economics of carbon storage in heterogeneous forests

Optimal Carbon Storage in Mixed-Species Size-Structured Forests

Changes in hillslope hydrology in a perched, shallow soil system due to clearcutting and residual biomass removal

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