Hardwood Timber Production
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Hardwood (deciduous trees) timber production is the process of managing hardwood stands for the purpose of maximizing woody output. However, the production process is not linear because when dealing with a forest multiple benefits should be considered. Factors that need to be addressed include marketable and non-marketable goods, financial benefits, management practices, and the environmental implications of those management practices.
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[edit] Market and Non-Marketable Goods
Forests include market and non-market products. Marketable products include goods that have a market price. These products would include timber, grazing/fodder, recreation, hunting, and biomass. Forests also provide some non-market values which have no current market price. Examples of non-market goods would be improving water quality, air quality, aesthetics, and carbon sequestration. When dealing with timber production a balance is crucial to produce the most benefit from your hardwood stand.
[edit] Financial Incentives
When considering the market goods, timber production can be a very profitable business. Prices range from a few hundred dollars per thousand board feet (MBF) to several thousand dollars for a veneer log. In addition to timber there are other marketable goods that the forest provides. For example, a landowner could rent out the land or charge usage fees for hunting or recreation on the forest. There can also be speciality crops grown in the forest setting which will provide economic benefit. These crops might include mushrooms and berries.
[edit] Management
Managing hardwood stands can be challenging due to the complexity of species usually associated in these forest. With an increase in diversity there are more management possibilities. It is therefore important for land managers to understand some silvicultural practices. These practices can include harvesting, promoting regeneration, controlling insects and disease, fertilizing, applying herbicide treatments, and thinning. However, as the intensity of the management increases the more likely there will be negative environmental effects.
[edit] Examples of Environmental Implications of Management Practices
Since woodlands can provide multiple benefits, timber managers need to keep in mind the effects of their management practices on the ecosystem. Management practices can have a negative effect on the ecosystem and produce undesired conditions. For instance machinery used in a timber harvest can compact the soil. This compaction reduces tree growth due to stress on the root system which in turn lengthens the rotation age of a stand. The machinery can also damage the understory, disturbing wildlife habitat and present regeneration. There can also be positive effects on the ecosystem. Fertilization can increase the growth rate and amount of plant material, thus possibly increasing the number of wildlife that can inhabit a site. Management is used to help control invasive species from taking over or highly affecting an area's structure and native composition. Land managers should practice sustainable forest management, because they need to be able produce products on that land (in theory) perpetually. They should assess the environmental impacts so that they are not degrading a system which they are dependent upon for financial stability.
[edit] References
Nyland, R.D. 2002. Silviculture: Concepts and Applications. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Klemperer, D.W. 1996. Forest Resource Economics and Finance. McGraw-Hill, New York.
