The US South is one of the world's leading timber producing regions. This article analyzes stumpage prices, the price a landowner receives for standing timber product, without the influence of growth or consideration of land price. Under the framework of Fisher's hypothesis and the real capital asset pricing model, we investigated stumpage prices' ability to hedge against inflation in 12 US southern timber regions using Timber Mart-South data. Prices for five major timber products, including pine sawtimber, hardwood sawtimber, pine pulpwood, hardwood pulpwood, and pine chip-n-saw, for each individual timber region and all regions combined were analyzed in a system by rolling regression and weighted least squares. Using instantaneous quarterly returns, no uniform conclusion could be drawn for either individual regions or the timber portfolio—the inflation hedging ability varied greatly by product and by time. Using 40-quarter average returns on the timber portfolio instead, it was found that pine pulpwood and chip-n-saw could hedge against both expected and unexpected inflation. Hence, stumpage prices alone should not be viewed as consistent or persistent hedges against inflation unless they are held for a long period.

Decreasing the damage rate of residual trees during selective cutting operations is quite important for forest landowners to reduce wood production waste and to use forest resources sustainably. In this article we analyze the impacts of chain saw selective felling operations on the damage rate of residual trees during winter in a mixed conifer–broad-leaved forest. A case study was conducted in Dongfanghong Forest Farm located in northeast China. After theoretical analysis, the influencing factors were identified, and a mathematical model that considers the relationships among damage rate of residual trees, harvesting intensity, initial stand density, and single stem volume to be harvested was established. The theoretical model was verified using the data collected from harvesting sites. Results show that the residual trees' damage rate increases linearly with an increase in stand density and in the volume per stem of felled trees. The damage rate of residual trees increases initially then decreases as the selective cutting intensity increases. In theory, the damage rate is at its highest value when the selective cutting intensity reaches 50 percent. The damage rate is significantly reduced by controlling the falling direction of felled trees, which shifts the maximum damage rate such that the highest rate occurs when the selective cutting intensity is 39 percent. The following recommendations for loggers are proposed to reduce damage rate: (1) effectively control the falling direction of trees being felled, (2) conduct cutting operation in nonfrozen seasons, and (3) design the cutting intensity (E) to be either E > 20 percent or E < 60 percent.

Coppice is a traditional forest management system used all over the world. It takes advantage of fast early growth and the vegetative reproduction of the respective trees. Coppice forests provide firewood and many other products and services, especially to rural communities. In Central Europe, regular periodic cutting and management of coppice forests was abandoned due to socioeconomic changes in recent decades, resulting in aged stands that have gradually lost their coppice characteristics. Today, coppice forests are recognized again not only for their growth potential but also for their benefits for biodiversity and nature conservation. Together with the rising demand for energy wood, this recognition could result in a renaissance of the traditional coppice management system. Several stands grow on relatively easily accessible terrain where fully mechanized systems (harvester, forwarder) could be used. However, there is no current information regarding the technical feasibility and productivity of modern harvester technology used in coppice forests.

In this study, an HSM 405H 6WD harvester with an CTL 40HW processor head was investigated with time studies to determine technical feasibility and time consumption of harvesting aged oak coppice. The results show high productivity for harvesting hardwood. The multiple stem structure that is typical for coppice forests does not result in technical problems or significantly higher time consumption for the harvester, even though it is slightly more time-consuming to grab and fell multi-stem trees than a single tree. Compared with a forest worker with a chainsaw, the harvester left significantly (5 cm) higher stools.

The goal of this study was to develop model equations to predict the production of special posts from aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) deresinated trees. Resin tapping causes some changes in the wood structure around the applied tapped area as a result of the resination of wood cells. Local communities have started to use timber from deresinated aleppo pine trees to produce small-sized posts for agriculture and green house use. The experimental sample consisted of 120 logs from the Sithonia peninsula forest in northern Greece. The logs were processed in a local sawmill to produce posts of four different sizes for agriculture use. The final product was 2-m-long posts measuring 4 by 4, 5 by 5, 6 by 6, and 8 by 8 cm.

Posts measuring 4 by 4, 5 by 5, and 6 by 6 cm were to be used for field tomato cultivation and 8 by 8-cm posts were for use in vineyards.

Linear regression model equations were developed for each post product. The models predicted the number of posts produced in relation to the diameter at the middle of the log and its utilized volume. On the basis of 120 logs processed, it was possible to draw secure associations using this model. Statistical analysis showed that the mean diameter effect was the most pronounced in all models.

Wood densification consists of processing wood by-products such as sawdust and chips into uniformly sized particles that are compressed into wood-based fuel products (pellets and briquettes). The main advantages are related to handling improvements of residual wood and energy generation opportunities when compared with wood chips from other forms of wood residues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the energy balance for production of briquettes from wood residues.

This research involved determining the energy consumption required to perform the main manufacturing operations to produce wood briquettes: size reduction, drying, and densification of wood. The amount of energy that can be obtained from the combustion of wood briquettes was also measured. The effects of several factors such as wood species, material dimensions, and raw material moisture content on the energy requirements for manufacturing briquettes were studied.

Four densification strategies were evaluated from an energy consumption standpoint: single size reduction (shredding) of dry lumber and wood chip densification; single size reduction (shredding) of wet lumber, drying, and wood chip densification; double size reduction (shredding and hammermilling) of dry lumber and wood particle densification; and primary size reduction (shredding) of wet lumber, wood chip drying, secondary size reduction of wood chips, and wood particle densification. At most 8 percent of total energy available from combustion of briquettes is required to produce briquettes. Moreover, drying wet wood residues consumes about 80 percent of the energy used in producing the briquettes.

This study shows that manufacturing briquettes from wood residues is feasible from an energy consumption perspective.

The wood fuel pellet industry has been growing rapidly in recent years. The survey results reported here are focused on the annual production, raw material, production cost rankings, market radius, barriers to market expansion, and other data that give an overview of the industry during a very difficult economic period. Eighty-four mills across the United States were contacted and 53 responded. The average volume of production was over 59,000 tons per year. Raw materials for pelletizing and labor were the principal costs of production according to respondents. Market demand and capital costs were cited as the chief barriers to expansion.

The industry is clearly subject to market forces that influence the cost and availability of raw materials as well as the cost of heating fuel alternatives such as oil. Despite the economic difficulties, demand continues to grow for pellet fuels both in the United States and in Europe.

With the increased emphasis in the utilization of biomass for energy, the interest in wood as an energy resource has moved from just mill residues to include in-woods residues. This study looked at five examples of in-woods biomass collection: two chipping operations and three grinding operations. Samples were taken from three truckloads at each operation and analyzed for particle size distribution, moisture content, British thermal unit value per ovendry pound, and ash content. The average characteristics of the processed residue were 87 percent moisture content, 7,945 Btu/lb oven dried, and 3.1 percent ash content.

Pinus radiata bark is a rich source of proanthocyanidins (PAs), a potent and valuable plant antioxidant. This study was performed to evaluate PA extraction conditions with water at various temperatures ranging from 25°C to 120°C. The properties of the water extract (WE) obtained at each temperature were investigated in terms of PA content, molecular weight (MW) distribution, and antioxidant activity. The WE yield was significantly dependent on temperature. The PA yield and the absorbance at 280 nm (an indicator of PA concentration) of WE reached maximum values at 80°C, implying increased extraction of monomeric polyphenols. Gel permeation chromatography results suggested that water extraction above 100°C caused depolymerization of extracted PAs, thereby noticeably reducing MW. It was found that more monomeric polyphenols can be extracted by increasing temperature. The WE antioxidant activity was maximized at 80°C and was dependent to some extent on the degree of polymerization.

Palm fruit shell was pyrolyzed in a closed simple reactor. The physical and chemical properties of the pyrolytic oil (bio-oil) were characterized. The effect of original and fractionated bio-oil was analyzed as a germination promoting agent. Raw palm shell bio-oil character differed from that of wood and other biomass. The pyrolysis temperature caused differences in yield and acetic acid content, but there were no significant differences in specific gravity, pH, or the major chemical components of shell bio-oil. The effect of shell bio-oil on germination and radicle growth of seeds depended on pyrolysis temperature, fraction, and dilution rate. Original shell bio-oil had the best effect on germination and radicle growth. Dilutions of 10² and 10³ inhibited germination and radicle growth for three kinds of seeds.

In British Columbia, many communities are dependent on the forest industry and are consequently concerned about uses for the millions of hectares of pine forests killed by the mountain pine beetle. The wood fiber from those dead trees is normally useless for traditional manufacturing of dimensional lumber due to its fragility and poor quality, but wood concrete provides an alternative use. This was a market research study on mountain pine beetle wood concrete product (MPBWCP), an innovative wood product that is a blend of pine beetle–killed wood and concrete. Three building product applications were investigated, including countertops, floor tiles, and garden blocks. We assessed the relative importance that consumers place on the product attributes of wood chip size, color, price, location of production, and green certification. Qualified consumer participants from cities on the West Coast of Canada and the United States were invited to evaluate physical samples of MPBWCP on site. The results of the conjoint analysis revealed that the consumers placed high importance on attributes pertaining to two forms of sustainability, economic and environmental. Indeed, economic sustainability of local communities was the most important attribute. Moreover, sustainability and aesthetic attributes were more important compared with the relative price attribute. Cluster analyses revealed that consumers could be divided into five different segments for all product types. Moreover, one consumer segment highly valued both attributes of sustainability (economic and environmental) more than any other segment. As for demographic insights, the most price-sensitive consumer segment had significantly higher education levels. Overall, consumers showed a desire for sustainable building products in their acceptance of MPBWCP. This is consistent with the importance they placed on both sustainability attributes versus the traditional product attributes of aesthetics and price. By examining a broader concept of sustainability that incorporates economic and environmental dimensions, this study extends the literature on wood products and environmental friendliness.