Search

This study aimed to estimate the optimal forest rotation age for tropical plantations of a native tree species, Canarium album (Lour.) under the management of high, medium, and low income groups of farm households of Vietnam. The results suggest that: (i) the optimal rotation age for the low income group is longer than that for the high income group; (ii) low income farmers are more sensitive in terms of the land expectation value to changes in discount rate; (iii) low income farmers gain less if the carbon price increases; and (iv) the carbon payment scheme at the start of a rotation is more financially attractive to forest farmers, but the carbon payment scheme at the end of a rotation is more advantageous in terms of forest biodiversity. These findings lead to potential policy implications for forest management for the provision of multiple ecosystem services in the context of a developing country, demonstrating a tradeoff between forest income and biodiversity conservation. While an increase in carbon prices would benefit forest farmers, we also suggest that these farmers could be compensated for their income losses or rewarded to maintain or increase forest biodiversity. However, relatively greater attention could be paid to compensating low income farmers as they potentially lose more with an increase in discount rate and gain less with an increase in carbon price.

This study analyzes the productivity and profitability of Larix principis-rupprechtii and Pinus tabuliformis plantation forests in Northeast China. Three management regimes with different thinning intensities (heavy thinning, light thinning, and control) were considered. It is found that high initial planting densities without thinning cause high mortality and slow growth rates, leading to an unprofitable outcome. Thinning operations increase both diameter and height growth of the retained trees, boosting the merchantable volume of large-diameter trees and thus the profitability and productivity. The optimal rotation ages with heavy thinning of Larix principis-rupprechtii and Pinus tabuliformis plantations are 48 and 49 years, 7–8 years longer than what the current management regulation recommends. But the productivity per ha per year of Larix principis-rupprechtii in the heavy thinning regime doubled to 8.21 m3. For Pinus tabuliformis, the thinning treatments cause the productivity gains to increase from 5.1 to 7.9%. The constraints of government regulation without allowance for thinning to the near-mature stands and increasing the intensity could severely reduce the profitability and productivity.

We extended the Hartman model to examine the optimal rotation, taking into consideration the economic benefits of wood and the dynamics of three carbon pools (aboveground biomass, dead organic matter, and harvested forest products). Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) stands in Southern China were taken for a numerical example to analyze the effects of carbon price on the optimal management of short-rotation plantations. The results show that, with the current price of carbon, introducing the effects of harvesting on different carbon pools into the decision model would increase the optimal rotation age on poor (SI = 10) and medium (SI = 17) sites by one year, while it does not have any impact on the optimal rotation for good sites (SI = 21). Irrespective of site condition, the optimal rotation age is not sensitive to carbon price and interest rate. An increase in interest rate by 1% would reduce the optimal rotation age by one year. In conclusion, forest carbon trade could effectively enhance land owners' income from short-rotation forest plantations. However, it does not lead to any significant increase in forest carbon sink.

This article examines alternative forest harvesting regimes when ecosystem services in terms of water quality, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation are included in the analysis. The harvesting regimes are whole-tree harvesting with stump removal and conventional stem-only harvesting. The harvesting regimes are evaluated under two alternative climate policy contexts. The first alternative is a carbon neutral bioenergy policy, which assumes the carbon dioxide (CO2) neutrality of bioenergy and produces substitution benefits, as bioenergy replaces fossil fuels. The second alternative climate policy, a carbon non-neutral bioenergy policy, takes into account the fact that bioenergy causes carbon dioxide emissions, producing substitution costs, and that harvested woody biomass affects the ability of a forest to act as a carbon sink. We extend the traditional Faustmann (1849) rotation model to include nutrient load damage, biodiversity benefits, and climate impacts. The empirical analysis is based on Finnish data from a catchment experiment carried out on drained peatland forests. The empirical results show that under a carbon neutral bioenergy policy, whole-tree harvesting with stump removal produces the highest net social benefits. However, if a carbon non-neutral bioenergy policy is assumed, the net social benefits are greater under stem-only harvesting.

Biodiversity loss is a major problem in terms of loss of genetic and ecosystem services and more specifically via impacts on the livelihoods, food security and health of the poor. This study modeled forest management strategies that balance economic gains and biodiversity conservation benefits in planted tropical forests. A forest-level model was developed that maximized the net present value (NPV) from selling timber and carbon sequestration while maintaining a given level of biodiversity (as per the population density of birds). The model was applied to Eucalyptus urophylla planted forests in Yen Bai Province, Vietnam. It was found that the inclusion of biodiversity conservation in the model induces a longer optimal rotation age compared to the period that maximizes the joint value from timber and carbon sequestration (from 8 to 10.9 years). The average NPV when considering timber values plus carbon sequestration was 13 million Vietnamese Dong (VND) ha− 1 (765 USD ha− 1), and timber, carbon sequestration and biodiversity values were 11 million VND (676 USD) ha− 1. Given this differential, governments in such tropical countries may need to consider additional incentives to forest owners if they are to encourage maximizing biodiversity and its associated benefits. The results also have some implications for implementing the climate control measure of “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation-plus (REDD +)” in developing countries, i.e., payment for carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits in planted forests.