Estimating Availability of Logging Residues Using Forest Management Records at Aggregated Stands of Nasushiobara City in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Abstract:Using forest management records from 2005 to 2010, this study compared supply potentials and available logging residue amounts from profitable aggregated stands in Nasushiobara city in Tochigi prefecture with those from profitable subcompartments. Supply potentials from precommercial, commercial thinning, and final felling operations were 39,584 tons, 10,376 tons, and 3,385 tons, respectively. Available amounts at 3,000, 6,000, and 10,000 yen/ton were estimated to be 2,920 tons, 3,495 tons, and 13,334 tons from profitable subcompartments and 2,628 tons, 5,143 tons, and 29,940 tons from profitable aggregated stands, respectively. The available logging residue amounts were increased according to logging residue prices and for aggregated stands. Considering the subsidy, available amounts at 3,000, 6,000, and 10,000 yen/ton were increased to 20,526 tons, 34,981 tons, and 45,175 tons, respectively. The annual available logging residue amounts with a 3,000-yen/ton logging residue price were 3,421 tons/year over the expected demand of logging residues of 2,000 tons/year. Furthermore, the annual available logging residue amounts with a 6,000-yen/ton and a 10,000-yen/ton logging residue price were 5,830 tons/year and 7,529 tons/year over the expected demand for woody biomass of 5,000 tons/year. The supply potential and availability of logging residues, particularly from precommercial thinning operations, were significantly increased from 2009 because of the new tax that started in April 2008.

Research Trends and Future Direction for Utilization of Woody Biomass in Japan

“…In Case 26 in Table 1, when no subsidies are applied and the selling price of woody biomass is 6000 yen/m 3 , Aggregated Forests can enhance the availability rate from 6.6% to 9.6%. When the selling price is 10,000 yen/m 3 , the availability rate increases from 25.0% to 56.1% [17]. Additionally, Cases 19 through 24 in Table 1, which consider regional trade, show that Aggregated Forests effectively improve woody biomass availability [24].…”

“…Different studies set different values for the extraction rate, which mainly include four situations. Cases 25 to 27, 30, and 31 in Table 1 adopted the biomass expansion factors published by the Japanese government, which is the ratio of aboveground area, including branches and strips, to the standing tree trunk [16,17,25,27]. Cases 1 to 3 and 32 utilized actual measurements from harvesting activities [18,19,28], whereas Cases 4, 5, 8, and 29 did not consider the use of branches and leaves [20,21,26].…”

“…Short-term estimation provides relatively accurate estimates of the annual supply potential based on actual harvesting records, such as cases 25 to 32 in Table 1. However, this may underestimate the potential, as in some areas forest operational records only record harvesting activities subsidized by the government [16,17]. Conifer The estimation of woody biomass supply potential primarily relies on government forestry survey data (e.g., forest registers and forest management plans).…”

Numerical examination of the optimal bucking method to maximize profits applied in Nasu town, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

“…Numerous studies have examined the availability of woody biomass resources such as small sized logs and logging residues using GIS in Japan (Yoshioka and Sakai, 2005;Kamimura et al, 2009Kamimura et al, , 2012Kinoshita et al 2009Kinoshita et al , 2010Aruga et al, 2011Aruga et al, , 2014Uemura et al, 2015;Yamamoto et al, 2019) as well as in other countries (Nord-Larsen and Talbot, 2004;Ranta, 2005;Möller and Nielsen, 2007;Panichelli and Gnansounou, 2008;Rørstad et al, 2010;Viana et al, 2010). However, these studies have not considered the optimal bucking methods although those have been conducted in Japan (Nagumo et al, 1981;Yoshida and Imada, 1989;Nakajima et al, 2008Nakajima et al, , 2009 as well as in other countries (Sessions et al, 1989;Olsen et al, 1991;Haynes and Visser, 2004;Akay, 2009Akay, , 2017Wang et al, 2009;Akay et al, 2010Akay et al, , 2015Serin et al, 2010;Pak and Gulci, 2017).…”