Abstract

Exporting is a critical component of the product mix for many domestic hardwood firms. Previous research has identified factors associated with hardwood lumber exporting behavior, but less is known about the advantages and disadvantages to exporting associated with the region within which a firm is located, or about exporting of secondary hardwood products. A procedure comparing a measure of production (employment) to the level of exporting in three US hardwood regions (based on aggregations of state-level data) was used to contrast regional relative exporting of primary and secondary products. Several factors were then considered as possible explanations for the observed regional differences. Overall, the results suggested that proximity to seaports (i.e., the East Coast) benefited exporting of both hardwood lumber and secondary products, but the impact was greater for lumber. Thus, for secondary products, regional exporting barriers appeared to be lower. Firm size and sawtimber quality and species were additional factors that were associated with regional exporting. Data for individual states provide clues to interstate movement of hardwood products as they make their way to US ports. This influence also is discussed, but such movement makes state-level analysis of exporting difficult.

Abstract

We use the orthogonalized investor sentiment index formed by M. Baker and J. Wurgler (J. Financ. 61(4):1645–1680, 2006) to examine the relationship between investor sentiment and timberland investment returns. The empirical results show that current investor sentiment is an important factor that determines the one-quarter future returns of timberland investment, and the predicting power persists over the next 1 to 5 years. Both the short- and long-term studies obtain negative coefficients on investor sentiment, indicating that current increase in investor sentiment drives prices up and lowers future returns. In addition, significantly different return variances and insignificantly different average returns of timberland investment are obtained between low- and high-sentiment periods. The result further confirms the ability of earning long-term stable returns by timberland investment.

Abstract

Total on-site energy requirements for wood product manufacturing are generally not well understood or publicly available, particularly at subregional scales, such as the state level. This article uses a mail survey of softwood sawmills in Montana to develop a profile of all on-site energy consumption. Energy use is delineated by fuel type on a production basis for both renewable and nonrenewable sources for production year 2009. Survey respondents represented 92 percent of total Montana softwood lumber production of 449 million board feet, which is 4 percent of western US production and 2 percent of national production. Total annual on-site sawmill energy required was 1.6 trillion British thermal units. Seventy-seven percent was derived from wood and bark, primarily for process heat and steam for lumber drying; 16 percent was from electricity; 5 percent was from diesel used for on-site rolling stock; and the remainder was from gasoline, propane, and natural gas. Energy produced from renewable sources accounted for 86 percent of total on-site energy consumption. In addition to providing an energy profile of Montana sawmills for policymakers, aggregated results may be useful to individual firms in characterizing their energy requirements relative to the state average and in identifying potential opportunities for bioenergy expansion.

Abstract

The environmental and economic problems associated with the use of fossil-based fuels have encouraged a shift to abundant renewable resources, such as forest residues. However, before forest residues can be used as an industrial resource, their properties must be known. This study determined the physical (moisture content, bulk density, and wood/bark ratio) and thermal (elemental composition, thermal reactivity, and energy value) properties of heterogeneous residues generated during commercial harvesting on two forest sites within the Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest of southeastern Ontario. Other factors that can affect these properties, such as duration of storage and location in a storgae pile, were also evaluated. A physical fractionation treatment was also investigated as a means of value addition to forest residues. Long-term storage in an uncovered pile resulted in the forest biomass on the surface losing moisture (19.3%) and the biomass on the inside gaining moisture (73.1%). In addition, storage caused an increase in bulk density and a reduction in chloride content. The higher heating value of the forest harvest residues averaged 19.0 MJ/kg (standard deviation [SD] = 0.3 MJ/kg), with an average energy density of 1,991 MJ/m³ (SD = 628 MJ/m³ ). This study also found that size fractionation resulted in fractions with more uniform properties.

Abstract

In addition to the fact that actions have been taken by the European Union and the World Bank to impede illegal logging worldwide, full traceability of logs would also be of benefit to the timber industry and market participants. Therefore, in this study, basic conditions for RGB image acquisition are derived for tracking roundwood by means of biometric features on log end faces within the wood supply chain from stump to sawmill. For this purpose, 24 logs were initially photographed in the forest after felling and photographed a second time 8 weeks later in the sawmill. Difficulties in image acquisition were analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively by comparing the images made in the forest with those made in the sawmill. The quantitative evaluation was carried out using different measures that are well established with respect to digital image processing. Tracking efforts solely by means of these measures turned out to be unsuitable. However, the shape measures performed best and are assumed to be supportive in combination with other methods. Therewith, conditions for a practical implementation in the future can be deduced.

Abstract

The southeastern United States has a promising source for renewable energy in the form of woody biomass. To meet the energy needs, energy plantations will likely be utilized. These plantations will contain a high density of small-stem pine trees. Since the stems are relatively small when compared with traditional product removal, the harvesting costs will increase. The purpose of this research was to evaluate specialized harvesting and skidding equipment that would harvest these small stems cost efficiently. The feller-buncher utilized was a Tigercat 845D with a specialized biomass shear head. The skidder was a Tigercat 630D equipped with an oversized grapple. This equipment was evaluated in a 4-hectare stand with characteristics of a southern pine energy plantation. During the study, the feller-buncher achieved an average production rate of 47 green tonnes/productive machine hour (gt/PMH) and the skidder had an average production rate of 112 gt/PMH. A before-tax cash-flow model was used to determine a cost per ton for each machine. The feller-buncher costs were $3.85/gt over a 10-year life span, whereas the skidder costs were $1.95/gt over the same 10-year life. The results suggested that the current system working in a southern pine energy plantation could harvest and skid small stems for approximately $5.80/gt.

Abstract

Bark accounts for about 9 percent of the weight of the boles of mature radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) trees. The presence of bark can be considered as either a cost or benefit depending on the participant in the forest-to-customer supply chain. Understanding how much bark is lost or removed by different processing methods should help with managing bark quantities and with the design of harvesting systems and equipment.

Bark loss was measured in autumn in New Zealand on radiata pine logs processed using two methods; delimbing and bucking with a mechanized, dangle-head processor fitted with spiked rollers, and delimbing with a static, pull-through delimber and manual bucking using a chainsaw. The line intersect method and photographic images were used to measure areal bark loss on a total of 302 logs. Equal numbers of logs were measured for each log-processing method.

No difference in bark removal was found between methods for log grades cut from the lower portion of the stem. However, there were significant differences for grades cut from the upper portion of the stem. For the total stem, bark removal was greater with the mechanized processor method (75%) than with the static delimber and manual bucking method (48%).

Abstract

Luminescent pigments can be incorporated into coatings for various applications, including safety signage, that provide illuminated directions when lighting systems fail. The influence of the brightness of a solid wood substrate on the persistence performance of luminescent pigments was analyzed. Three species were tested: maple (Acer pseudoplatanus; a brightly colored wood), steamed beech (Fagus sylvatica; a medium-colored wood), and walnut heartwood (Juglans regia; a dark-colored wood). The results show that the surface color has a major influence on the performance of the pigments, when applied in a clear coating. Other significant factors for the afterglowing effect are the amount of pigment and the time and intensity of light during the charging process.

Abstract

Flat pack (ready-to-assemble, knockdown) furniture has become the most extensive furniture model produced with the development of wood-based board materials technology. It is especially preferred in the building industry as a model suitable for mass production. In this study, the resistances of dowels and screws, which are used in a widespread manner as joining material at the corners of ready-to-assemble furniture, were investigated against tensile and compression resistances in the diagonal direction. Chipboard (CB), medium-density fiberboard, and gaboon mahogany plywood (GMP), 14, 16, and 18 mm thick, were used in this study. Dowel + screw, screw, screw + polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive, and screw + polyurethane (PUR) adhesive joining were implemented for the L-type corner models obtained from wood-based board materials. According to the results obtained, the highest moment-carrying capacity values in the L-type corner joining were provided in the 18-mm GMP board joined with screw + PVAc adhesive and screw + PUR adhesive for both tests. The joining made without adhesive and the CB materials produced the lowest moment-carrying capacity values.

Abstract

Partially embedded metal connector plates can occur in wood trusses when the plates are not properly pressed, when they “walk out” as the wood dries during service, or when there is a mismatch in member thickness. Current industry practice is to ignore the remaining strength of a partially embedded plate when making repairs. This assumption results in a large, overdesigned repair along with high material and labor costs. The project objective was to determine if a smaller clamped repair is sufficient to restore the strength of the partially embedded plate to the fully embedded connection strength. A total of 40 tension splice connections were fabricated from 2 by 6 members with 5 by 3 metal connector plates. The specimens included 10 fully embedded plates, 10 partially embedded plates, 10 partially embedded plates repaired with plywood gussets secured outside of the main 2 by 6 members (RC), and 10 partially embedded plates repaired with plywood gussets and light wood screws (RS). The average strength of the partially embedded RC specimens and partially embedded RS specimens were 87 and 108 percent of the fully embedded specimens' strength, respectively, whereas the unrepaired partially embedded plates achieved only 60 percent of the fully embedded specimens' strength. The results of the tests indicate that smaller screw-type gusset repairs are sufficient to return the strength of a tensile splice connection with a 1/16-inch partially embedded plate to its fully embedded plate capacity. Both the clamping action of the plywood gussets and the additional tensile capacity of the screwed plywood gussets were observed to contribute to the strength gains.

Abstract

The health, sustainability, and commercial viability of eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) are currently under threat from thousand cankers disease. The disease is caused by an invasive bark beetle species, the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), and its associated fungal pathogen (Geosmithia morbida). Range expansion of the beetle and pathogen has likely been facilitated by transport of infested walnut forest products. Preventing colonization of these products is crucial to limiting further spread of thousand cankers disease. This study evaluated three insecticides for their ability to induce walnut twig beetle mortality and prevent colonization of black walnut bolts, 3 to 5 cm in diameter, after dip treatment applications. Treatments included 0.003 percent azadirachtin, 15 percent disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT), 0.5 percent permethrin, and water in Trial 1, and 0.013 percent azadirachtin, 30 percent DOT, 0.5 percent permethrin, and water in Trial 2. A total of 40 beetles, 4 beetles per sample, were exposed to treated samples and observed for 120 hours in each trial. Permethrin was the only treatment to achieve 100 percent mortality and prevent all colonization activity. The 30 percent DOT treatment increased mortality compared with the control; however, it did not reduce the mean number of attacks or mean gallery length. Azadirachtin was not effective at either concentration. Results suggest that insecticide dip treatments can prevent walnut twig beetles from colonizing cut black walnut logs. Treatments could be used in conjunction with phytosanitation to help prevent further spread of thousand cankers disease while allowing for the continued transport of bark-on walnut forest products.

Abstract

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is an invasive tree that is the target of many restoration efforts across the United States. These removals are very expensive and generate large amounts of woody biomass waste that currently goes unused. The attractive grain and color of the wood has motivated some mills to process Russian olive and sell it for artisan uses. Some research exists on Russian olive biomass utilization, but no studies have been done on its use as a solid-sawn wood product. The Colorado State Forest Service nursery has hundreds of Russian olives on its property slated for removal. This presented the opportunity to conduct an economic analysis on the potential for increased utilization of Russian olive wood. An inventory of standing trees was conducted to find the volume of merchantable wood and estimate the potential lumber yield. Additionally, a sample of the trees was removed and milled, with actual costs and lumber yields tracked throughout the process. Findings from the two studies indicate that removal and disposal of merchantable material with no utilization would cost $30,254.10. Using the estimated 1445.4 ft³ of merchantable wood and 86.0 yd³ of mulch could generate revenues of $16,659.63 and bring net cost down to $21,544.17, after accounting for additional expenses.

Abstract

Chile is host to several types of temperate forests, many of which are plantations of moderate- to low-value woods. In an effort to explore potential methods of adding value to radiata pine and southern beech, these woods were inoculated with native Chilean fungi to determine if spalting could be induced under a reasonable time frame. Results showed that pine spalted more readily than beech, both internally and externally. Ophiostoma sp. and Phialocephala sp. performed the best in terms of spalting. In addition, a new red-staining fungus was discovered: Eurotium sp. Both wood species did show some level of spalting, and all the captured fungi produced some visual effects. It is concluded that two of the major plantation trees of Chile, radiata pine and southern beech, are suitable for controlled spalting and that native Chilean fungi can be used for this process. These results open a new method for increasing the value of Chilean plantation timber and can be done entirely on a local scale, without reliance on materials or organisms from North America.

Abstract

The remoteness of the Qazi Nag Range in the western Himalayas has resulted in complete dependence of local people on woody plants for socioeconomic development. The present study aimed to evaluate utilization of woody plants in the Kashmir region. Information was collected through questionnaires and interviews during field surveys. A total of 40 tree species belonging to 29 genera and 18 families were recorded, being used locally as fence and fuel, hedging, thatching, roofing, construction, decoration, furniture, and agricultural tool making. The predominant plant families included Pinaceae and Moraceae, with five species each, followed by Fagaceae and Salicaceae, represented by four species each. Twenty-seven species were used as fence, 25 as fuel in the study area, and 14 species were used for agricultural tool formation, fodder, and fruit production. Nine species were used for furniture, eight tree species were recorded with medicinal values, and only four species were used in construction as structure wood. Cedrus deodara, Taxus wallichiana, Juglans regia, Pinus wallichiana, Celtis eriocarpa, and Betula utilis had multiple uses, being widely used in manufacturing furniture, decoration pieces, and tool handles; in construction; and as fuel, fence, and medicines. J. regia and C. deodara were also used to create artistic decorative masterpieces. Local inhabitants used T. wallichiana, Aesculus indica, J. regia, C. deodara, P. wallichiana, and Quercus species for cooking and heating homes during the winter season.