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Forest products trade has a critical role to play in both global economic development and environmental protection. Based on the trade data of global forest products, raw forest products, and processed forest products from 2000 to 2020, this paper constructed a trade network and analyzed its pattern by using indicators such as density, average distance, out-strength, and in-strength. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the global trade network of forest products has been increasingly connected. Compared with the trade of raw material forest products, the trade network of processed forest products is more closely connected and its transport efficiency is higher. Countries with high GDP such as USA, China, and Germany are leading trading countries in forest products. Countries with abundant forest resources are the major exporters of raw forest products, while labor- and capital-abundant countries are major exporters of processed forest products. Countries with abundant labor and capital and high GDP are the main importers of raw forest products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High productivity in forest harvesting requires efficient forwarding. Planning is complicated by multiple choices of routes and their order, the number and types of assortments, the loading sequence, and pile organization at the landing. This paper develops and tests a decision support tool for forwarder routing with sequential co-loading of assortments. Input data are the harvester production file (including Global Navigation Satellite Systems tracking), placement of landing, and machine specifications. The trail network is generated from the harvester production data when devising routes to pick up all log piles, including specific assortments and volumes. Multiple assortments can be loaded along each route, and a certain loading sequence of assortments is preferred and (or) required. Sorting time during co-loading varies, depending on the assortment combinations and bunk loading pattern. Route planning is modeled using a set-partitioning problem, and the solution method is a metaheuristic based on repeated matching. In addition to routes and loading sequences, solutions include the organization of assortment piles at the landing, depending on the total volume of each assortment. The tool produces similar results to those attained by skilled forwarder operators on five clearcuts (3–11 ha) in northern Sweden, when the results are compared with data from actual forwarder production files. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity: a Second Notice was issued in response to ongoing and largely unabated environmental degradation due to anthropogenic activities. In the warning, humanity is urged to practice more environmentally sustainable alternatives to business as usual to avoid potentially catastrophic outcomes. Following the success of their warning, the Alliance of World Scientists called for discipline-specific follow-up papers. This paper is an answer to that call for the topic of wildland fire. Across much of Canada and the world, wildfires are anticipated to increase in severity and frequency in response to anthropogenic activities. The world scientists' second warning provides the opportunity for wildland fire researchers to raise the profile of the potential impacts that anthropogenic activities are likely to have on future fire regimes and, in return, what impacts future fire regimes may have on humanity. We discuss how wildfire is related to several issues of concern raised in the world scientists' second warning, including climate change, human population growth, biodiversity and forests, and freshwater availability. Furthermore, we touch on the potential future health impacts and challenges to wildfire suppression and management in Canada. In essence, our wildfire scientists' warning to humanity is that we, as a society, will have to learn to live with more fire on the landscape. We provide some recommendations on how we might move forward to prepare for and adapt to future wildfire regimes in Canada. Although this paper is primarily Canadian in focus, the concepts and information herein also draw from international examples and are of relevance globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable environmental management often involves long-term time horizons and multiple conflicting objectives and, by nature, is affected by different sources of uncertainty. Many sources of uncertainty, such as climate change or government policies, cannot be addressed using probabilistic models, and, therefore, they can be seen to contain deep uncertainty. In this setting, the variety of possible future states is represented as a set of scenarios lacking any information about the likelihood of occurring. Integrating deep uncertainty into multiobjective decision support increases complexity, calling for the elaboration of appropriate methods and tools. This paper proposes a novel interactive multi-scenario multiobjective approach to support decision-making and trade-off analysis in sustainable forest landscape planning under multiple sources of uncertainty. It includes new preference simulation models aimed at reducing the decision-maker's cognitive load and supporting the preference elicitation process. The proposed approach is applied in a case study of long-term forest landscape planning with four sustainability objectives in 12 scenarios and a forestry expert as the decision-maker. The approach is demonstrated to be efficient in exploring trade-offs in different scenarios, helping the expert gain deep insights into the problem, understand the consequences of alternative strategies, and find the most preferred robust strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate growth and yield projection for plantations is critical for evaluating management decisions and anticipating future yields. Development of site index (SI) models is often costly and can be problematic when new, short-rotation species are introduced, for example, hybrid poplar plantations, which are increasingly common due to their very fast growth and high productivity. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) allows accurate measurement of tree and stand height and is increasingly being used to develop top height models. In this paper, we demonstrate an approach to develop SI models from ALS data across hybrid poplar plantations in Quebec, Canada. We exploit a single time step ALS acquisition to generate top height estimates at 10 m grid level. Using existing information on planting date and management practices, we developed top height models for unique classes of fertilization treatment and clone. The generic models for unfertilized and fertilized stands showed good fit statistics, with R2 of 0.71 and 0.82, respectively. Clone-specific models showed similar goodness of fit, with the best model resulting in an R2 of 0.89 and relative root mean square error (RMSE) of 16.6%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that clone, fertilization status, and the interaction term between clone and fertilization were significant. Our results confirm the development of top height models from a chronosequence of ALS data was successful and offers a new approach to derive SI models in single-species plantation sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehabilitation of cutover stands is often a management objective of landowners who desire improved stand conditions and increased value from future harvest revenues. We evaluated crop tree growth response and quality following precommercial rehabilitation treatments in mixedwood stands degraded through repeated exploitive cutting in Maine, USA. Treatments included control (no rehabilitation), moderate rehabilitation (crop tree release), and intensive rehabilitation (crop tree release plus timber stand improvement). Paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere) crop tree diameter increments 0 to 9 years after treatment were greater following rehabilitation than in the control. Diameter increment did not differ between intensities of rehabilitation for any species. For conifers in the lower strata, crop tree height growth and change in crown length were negatively correlated with basal area in larger trees. The occurrence of epicormic branches on paper birches was greater in the rehabilitation treatments than the control. However, most epicormic branches occurred above the height corresponding to the first sawlog. These findings indicate that rehabilitation of mixedwood stands with similar characteristics can result in improved growth of crop trees without jeopardizing the quality of the lower bole in paper birches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the managed forest of Canada, forest fires are actively suppressed through efficient initial attack capability; however, the impact of different factors on the suppression success remains to be understood. The aim of this paper was to analyze the influence of operational suppression objectives (fire detection, initial attack, and fire control) along with fire intensity, fuel type, fire ignition cause, year, workload, and homogeneous fire regime zones on the achievement of the fire suppression objective (fire < 3 ha) using the Forest Fire Protection Agency of Quebec (SOPFEU) as a case study. The overall success of the suppression objective was very high (88%) over the study period (1994–2015). Both detection and control had significant effects on the suppression success through their interaction with fuel type, ignition cause, fire intensity, and zone variables. When the suppression objective was not achieved, final fire size was influenced by control, fuel type, fire intensity, and zone. The paper highlights the importance of the operational objectives and of regional differences for both fire suppression success and final fire size. Our results can help forest fire protection agencies to better understand their wildland fire suppression systems for a better adaptation to the upcoming fire regime changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development and implementation of a model to measure and compare transaction costs in situations of multiple land use, where interdependence prevails between the agents — thus actions of one agent affects others. Transaction costs typically occur in situations where limited resources are used by more than one agent and bargaining of the use is conducted to mitigate conflict. The model of the paper is empirically tested on one such situation: forestry and reindeer husbandry, which is pursued in northern Sweden where transaction costs occur in common land use as a result of consultations. The results indicate that transaction costs are unevenly distributed between the two agents, where reindeer husbandry carries the highest costs, resulting in uneven power relations. Transaction costs are driven by the presence of Land Use Plans of reindeer husbandry, interestingly enough driving the costs in different directions for the two agents. The model illustrates the elements of transaction costs in a common pool resource situation, and the results are not only useful for this specific situation in policymaking, but also for other similar situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies new wood-based products with considerable potential and attractive markets, including textiles, liquid biofuels, platform chemicals, plastics, and packaging. We apply a mixed-methods review to examine how the position of the forest industry in a given value chain determines the respective production value. An assessment is provided as to the degree to which these emerging wood-based products could compensate for the foreseen decline of graphic paper markets in four major forest industry countries: USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. A 1%–2% market share in selected global markets implies a potential increase in revenues of 18–75 billion euros per annum in the four selected countries by 2030. This corresponds to 10%–43% of the production value of forest industries in 2016 and compares with a projected decline of graphic paper industry revenue of 5.5 billion euros by 2030. The respective impacts on wood use are manifold, as many of the new products utilize by-products as feedstock. The increase in primary wood use, which is almost entirely attributed to construction and to some extent textiles markets, would be in the range of 15–133 million m3, corresponding to 2%–21% of the current industrial roundwood use in the selected countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Log logistics include sorting, processing, and transporting of logs from their place of harvest to demand locations. These activities account for a significant portion of the total log procurement costs; therefore, attempts were made in previous studies to optimize some aspects of log logistics. However, operational details, such as sorting decisions, truck compatibility requirements, and social objectives, are often disregarded in the optimization literature. Incorporating these details into the model makes the results more realistic and applicable. To address these gaps, a bi-objective mixed-integer programming model is developed in this paper to optimize log logistics. The first objective is to minimize total logistics costs, and the second objective is to provide a balanced workload for trucking contractors. The bi-objective model is solved using the goal programming approach. The model is applied to log logistics of a large Canadian forest company, where trucking contractors use heterogeneous fleet of trucks to carry various log sorts from cutblocks to sort yards for sorting. The planning horizon is 4 weeks with daily decisions. The goal programming model generates balanced workloads for the contractors with less than 0.4% increase in total costs compared to the single objective model where only the total cost is minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is central to forest management. To determine the sustainable annual harvest, practitioners rely on a simulation framework that combines inventory data, growth models, and optimization software. Because this standard simulation framework is based on model predictions aggregated into yield tables, it may not properly capture natural dynamics. In this paper, we designed an alternative simulation framework that does not require aggregated model predictions. However, the growth model must implement a harvest submodel and produce stochastic predictions. To showcase this alternative simulation framework, we used a forest management unit in southwestern Quebec, Canada, and compared our simulation results with those of the standard simulation framework. Our alternative simulation framework showed that the standing volume of most coniferous species would decrease, whereas that of maple species would increase over the 21st century. The annual harvest of one species as determined through the standard simulation framework was found to be unsustainable in the alternative simulation framework. Being much lighter in terms of computation, this alternative simulation framework can be used as a complement to the standard simulation framework, notably for checking if the optimization-based annual harvest is sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very high point density laser scanning data from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can be used to segment the trunks of individual trees. Such segmentation (e.g., individual trunk segmentation (ITS)) is useful, for example, in the estimation of diameter at breast height (DBH), which in turn is needed for the estimation of other tree and stand attributes, such as stem volume and diameter of the basal area median tree (DGM). In this paper, we assess the estimation of DBH directly from UAS LiDAR data in open and closed canopy conditions that represent the range of operational conditions encountered in boreal forests in Finland. We also compare trunk-based DBH estimates to corresponding estimates from individual tree crown segmentation (ITC) and fuse the results from the trunk- and crown-based estimates. The results showed that trunk segmentation performed slightly better than ITC in open canopy areas, whereas ITC performed better in closed canopy areas. The DBH prediction error was smaller for ITS (3.0 cm) than ITC (3.9 cm) when considering the trees that were recognized by both methods. We also conclude that a hybrid method, where both segmented tree trunks and tree crowns are fused, considerably increases the number of correctly segmented trees but does not decrease the prediction error associated with DGM compared to using either ITC or ITS individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horvitz–Thompson-like stand density estimation is a method for estimating the stand density from tree crown objects extracted from airborne laser scanning data through individual tree detection. The estimator is based on stochastic geometry and mathematical morphology of the (planar) set formed by the detected tree crowns. This set is used to approximate the detection probabilities of trees. These probabilities are then used to calculate the estimate. The method includes a tuning parameter, which needs to be known to apply the method. We present a refinement of the method to allow more general detection conditions than those of previous papers. We also present and discuss the methods for estimating the tuning parameter of the estimator using a functional k-nearest neighbors method. We test the model fitting and prediction in two spatially separate data sets and examine the plot-level accuracy of estimation. The estimator produced a 13% lower RMSE (root-mean-square error) than the benchmark method in an external validation data set. We also analyze the effects of similarity and dissimilarity of training and validation data on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, increasing attention has been drawn to improving productivity in logging passages while reducing negative impact on soil and water. The position of landings and extraction routes is crucial in these efforts, as it has a huge impact on efficient and sustainable forwarder passages. In this paper, we propose a two-phase approach to identify the best possible landing locations integrated with log extraction route design. The first phase identifies potential landing zones adjacent to forest roads. It considers practical restrictions such as slopes, stoniness, and closeness to infrastructure. The second phase uses an optimization model to evaluate the potential impact of each zone and aggregate zones, selecting one or two complete landings. This model is a relaxation of a formulation for an extraction route design; it is used to minimize a weighted objective of the total driving distance, avoid steep terrains and impact on soil and water. The proposed approach has been tested on a set of harvest areas in southern Sweden. The results not only show the potential to identify feasible landing zones but also identify a shorter driving distance and hence lower contractual cost with optimized positioning. The possibility to increase efficiency in forest operations by performing scenario analysis and thus forwarding distances with different landing sites is among the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-smart forestry (CSF) is considered a promising approach for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, as highlighted in several European policy documents. This paper describes a prospective approach to introducing an incentive-based scheme to facilitate the implementation of CSF through a case study in Iceland. It is argued that the payments for ecosystem services (PES) scheme allows for effective CSF management and long-term sustainability if introduced in compliance with local, cultural, and social values. In a case study of an Icelandic afforestation programme, we conducted an institutional analysis of the PES scheme and assessed its effect on the sustainable provision of forest ecosystem services for the long term. We provide preliminary findings on the application of CSF in the 30-year-old Icelandic afforestation programme scheme. The perspectives of forest and policy experts, as well as local farmers participating in the scheme, were crucial for assessing the effectiveness of PES scheme performance in Iceland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an econometric analysis of spatial integration of the United States and Canadian newsprint markets as reflected in newsprint prices. It applies the Johansen multivariate cointegration procedure to test the law of one price for five regional markets (British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, US east, and US west) of newsprint using monthly data for 1988–2004. Preliminary data analysis shows that all price series are nonstationary I(1) processes. The hypothesis that the law of one price holds for all five regional newsprint markets simultaneously was not supported by the Johansen multivariate test. The law of one price was also tested for national markets, and it was found to hold between US west and US east newsprint prices. The results suggested that there is a single newsprint market in the United States, whereas there are several distinct newsprint markets in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The USDA Forest Service, the Canadian Forest Service, and US and Canadian forest products industries are committed to the principles of sustainable forestry with a major focus on protecting soil productivity. The USDA Forest Service has developed and adopted soil quality standards to evaluate the effects of forest use and management activities on forest soils and, if necessary, prescribe remedial or preventive actions to avoid adverse impacts on soil productivity. Similarly, the Canadian Forest Service has adopted a series of criteria and indicators with which to monitor the impacts of management on soil resources. The policies of both public agencies reflect the recommendations of the Montréal Process Working Group (1999). Many forest industries have adopted the Sustainable Forestry Initiative developed by the American Forest and Paper Association (2000). Standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative clearly state the vision and direction for achieving sustainable forest management, goals, and objectives to be attained and performance measures for judging whether a goal or objective has been achieved. However, both public and private entities recognize that current standards, criteria, and indicators represent first approximations. Continuing revision and adjustment based on information from long-term research studies are vital to protecting soil productivity while deriving optimum public benefits from our forest-based resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey data and an equilibrium displacement model, we estimate the market and economic impacts of the American Forest and Paper Association's Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) on stumpage markets in the US South. We examine four timber product markets: softwood pulpwood, softwood sawtimber, hardwood pulpwood, and hardwood sawtimber. In each market we calculate changes in producer and consumer welfare using the equilibrium displacement model that accounts for reductions in timber inventories caused by SFI compliance. We find that SFI compliance costs the US South's economy about $36 million annually. SFI-compliant stumpage producers lose more than $33 million each year in producer surplus as a result of SFI compliance, and consumers lose about $12 million annually in consumer surplus due to higher product prices. These costs are offset partially by benefits to nonindustrial private forest producers, non-SFI-compliant industry producers, and public forest producers, who collectively gain about $10 million in producer surplus annually as a result of higher stumpage prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the implications of managing for sustained yield in a world characterized by growing risk and uncertainty. We review the history of sustained yield (SY) forestry in North America, with an emphasis on economic benefits and the persistence of the SY paradigm today, despite a publicized shift towards managing for a wider range of forest values called sustainable forest management (SFM). We show that current forest management goals around sustainability as well as SFM indicators are still predicated on maximizing harvest levels and timber flows. We build a simple model to explore the implications of SY under extreme (fat-tailed) risk assumptions to show that maximizing a level of harvest without adequately accounting for risk leads towards the depletion of the forest stock with a corresponding decline in the forest economy. We discuss these results in relation to real-world events such as the increase in catastrophic fires and pest outbreaks like the mountain pine beetle in Western Canada. We then examine the theoretical and practical implications that flow from this model and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the impacts of new information technology on newsprint demand in a sample of West European countries (Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). It is hypothesized that information technology, through the ready and free availability of news content on the Internet, could induce a structural shift in the newsprint consumption pattern in these markets. Econometric analyses based on historical data for the four countries mentioned above do not yet support this hypothesis. Based on evidence from the United States, where Internet penetration is higher, and several recently published market studies, there is, however, reason to expect stagnating newsprint consumption in Western Europe. By using Bayesian demand models, we try to incorporate prior information from these market studies in the econometric analysis. A classical demand model, based solely on historical data from 1971 to 1999, is estimated for comparison with the Bayesian models. Predictions for newsprint consumption based on the Bayesian approach show lower future consumption levels than those predicted by the classical models, which are commonly used in forest product demand studies. We conclude that Bayesian models carry the potential to improve the quality of forest products demand analyses when a structural break can be expected and sufficient information on its dynamics is available.Cet article s'intéresse à l'impact des nouvelles technologies de l'information sur la demande en papier journal dans un échantillon de pays ouest-européens (Allemagne, Italie, Espagne et Royaume-Uni). L'hypothèse retenue au sujet des nouvelles technologies de l'information était que le contenu rédactionnel sur l'actualité, qu'Internet rend disponible gratuitement sur demande, pouvait induire des changements structuraux dans la consommation de papier journal caractérisant ce groupe de pays. Les analyses économétriques actuelles qui s'appuient sur des données historiques ne confirment pas encore cette hypothèse. Cependant, des éléments de preuve provenant des États-Unis où la pénétration d'Internet est plus importante ainsi que plusieurs études de marché publiées récemment permettent d'envisager une stagnation de la consommation de papier journal en Europe de l'Ouest. Nous tentons d'intégrer l'information tirée de ces études de marché dans une analyse économétrique utilisant des modèles bayesiens de la demande. Un modèle classique de la demande, construit seulement à partir de données historiques pour la période 1971–1999, a aussi été estimé afin de permettre une comparaison avec les modèles bayesiens. Les prévisions au sujet de la consommation de papier journal effectuées à partir des modèles bayesiens montrent des niveaux de consommation qui sont inférieurs à ceux établis à partir des modèles classiques généralement employés dans les études concernant la demande en produit forestier. Nous concluons que les modèles bayesiens ont le potentiel d'améliorer la qualité des analyses prévisionnelles sur la demande pour les produits forestiers quand un changement structurel est attendu et qu'une information suffisante sur la nature de ce changement est disponible.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]