The Biodiversity Benefits and Opportunity Costs of Plantation Forest Management: A Modelling Case Study of Pinus radiata in New Zealand

Abstract

This study modelled the potential biodiversity benefits and the opportunity costs of a patch-clear-cutting strategy over a clear-cutting strategy for Pinus radiata in New Zealand. Patch-clear cutting is a special case of clear cutting involving the removal of all the trees from strips or patches within a stand, leaving the remainder uncut or clear cutting a series of strips or patches. A forest-level optimisation model was extended to include uncertainty in timber growth, plant diversity, and cutting costs. Using a species-area relationship and economies of cutting scale, the net present value and optimal rotation age under alternative management strategies were calculated. Results suggested that the optimal rotation ages were similar (24 and 25 years) for the two cutting strategies. Patch-clear cutting provided higher biodiversity benefits (i.e., 59 vs. 11 understorey plant species) with an opportunity cost of 27 NZD (18 USD) per extra plant species or 1250 NZD (820 USD) ha −1 . However, the true benefits of patch-clear cutting would be even greater if other benefits of stand retention are included. Our research can potentially inform local decision making and inform international systems of payment for environmental services, such as the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) program, to conserve biodiversity in developing countries with plantation forests.

Effects of different afforestation years on soil moisture and nutrient content in Maxian Mountain of the Loess Plateau

“…Planted forests refer to artificial ecosystems established by planting native or exotic tree species 12 , with functions such as soil erosion prevention, ecological and environment improvement, and biodiversity enhancement 13 . In 1999, the Chinese government initiated a large-scale “returning farmland to forests” project, converting 4.83 million km 2 of farmland into forests 14 , 15 .…”

Bar-HRM for Species Confirmation of Native Plants Used in Forest Restoration in Northern Thailand

“…Over the past few decades, many countries have recognized the problem and put effort into forest conservation and restoration. One commonly used reforestation strategy is planting or seeding of native or introduced species [12,13]. Two main strategies of plantations have been established, which are monoculture and mixed-species plantations.…”

Assessing the feasibility of forest plantation of native species: A case study of Agathis dammara and Eusideroxylon zwageri in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

“…Optimization analysis of forest development must be conducted to assess the uncertainty in stand growth and costs spent during the management regimes from planting to harvesting. This analysis allows to calculate profitable business scale, current net value (NPV) and optimal volume of increment growth (Nghiem and Tran 2016;Soares et al 2019). Economic valuation is needed to include all important variables so that they can become a reference for further activities (Arias et al 2011;Price et al 2011;Latifah and Sulistiyono 2013;Bijalwan 2014).…”