Forest Management and Planning Chapter 11.

Control Techniques for Commodity Production and Wildlife Objectives

1. Area Control. Assume that the owners of the Lincoln Tract are interested in area control and the possible plan that might be developed using the area control method for regulating a forest. Assuming no intermediate treatments that would produce harvest volumes, and given the size of the forest (4,550.3 acres) and a desired future rotation age of 45 years: (a) How much land area would be scheduled for final harvest in each year?
Area to harvest Area of forest = D esired rotation age 4550 .3 acres = 45 years per year

A rea to harvest

= 101 .1 acres

(b) Which stands would be harvested during the first year of the plan? (c) How much harvest volume would be produced? Assuming an "oldest first" harvesting rule, stand 79 would be harvested, and produce 103.7 MBF per acre x 94.88 acres, or 9,839.06 MBF. In addition, only 6.22 acres of stand 78 are necessary to arrive at 101.1 acres harvested in the first year. In this case, we harvest 6.22 acres x 95.5 MBF per acre, or 594.01 MBF. The total harvest volume is then 10,433.07 MBF during the first year. 2. Area control. Develop a memorandum addressed to the owners of the Lincoln Tract that discusses the advantages and limitations of using area control as a guide for developing a forest plan. As we noted on page 214, area control is a method used to help develop a regulated forest within the timeframe of one rotation of tree. The method assumes that a regulated forest is desired by the landowner. When using area control, one would be interested in scheduling for harvest equal areas of land in each time period. By the end of one rotation of using this method, the landowner should have a forest with equal areas in each age class. In effect, area control stabilizes the area harvested during the conversion period (one rotation, which the landowner needs to define). One disadvantage of this approach is that the volumes scheduled for harvest may fluctuate widely during the conversion period, particularly when managing an irregular age class forest. This method may be too rigid for landowners that prefer to use natural regeneration. 3. Volume control. Assume the following about the Lincoln Tract: The desired future rotation age is 45 years. The growth rate of the current forest is about 5% per year. The mean annual increment of the stands less than 45 years of age results in a forest increment of 1,703 MBF per year. The mean annual increment of the future regulated forest is 2,953 MBF per year. The volume of mature timber over 45 years of age is 83,065 MBF. The current growing stock (standing volume) is 96,972 MBF. The desired future growing stock volume is 34,082 MBF. The adjustment period is 20 years. The harvesting rule is oldest stand first.

(a) Using the Hanzlik formula, what is the estimate of the sustained annual yield? How much land would be required to meet this harvest target during the first year of the plan?

V Sustained annual yield = m + I R

83,065 MBF Sustained annual yield = 45 years
Sustained

+1,703 MBF per year

annual yield = 3,548.9 M F per year B

34.22 acres of stand 79 would be needed to meet this harvest target in the first year. (b) Using the Von Mantel formula, what is the estimate of the sustained annual yield? How much land would be required to meet this harvest target during the first year of the plan?

2 (Growing stock volu me) Sustained annual yield = Rotation age

Sustained 2 (96,972 M BF) annual yield = 45 years =4,309 .9 M BF per year

41.56 acres of stand 79 would be needed to meet this harvest target in the first year. (c) Using the Austrian formula, what is the estimate of the sustained annual yield? How much land would be required to meet this harvest target during the first year of the plan?

G - Gr Sustained annual yield = a +I a

96,972 MBF - 34,082 MBF +1,703 MBF per year Sustained annual yield = 20 years
Sustained annual yield = 4,847.5 MBF per year 46.75 acres of stand 79 would be needed to meet this harvest target in the first year. (d) Using the Hundeshagen formula, what is the estimate of the sustained annual yield? How much land would be required to meet this harvest target during the first year of the plan?

G Sustained annual yield = a G r

(I r )

BF 96,972 M Sustained annual yield = (2,953 MBF per year) BF 34,082 M

Sustained annual yield = 8,402 MBF per year 81.02 acres of stand 79 would be needed to meet this harvest target in the first year.

(e) Using the Meyer formula, what is the estimate of the sustained annual yield? How much land would be required to meet this harvest target during the first year of the plan?

G a (1 + Growth rate) n - G r Annual harvest = Growth rate (1 + Growth rate) n - 1

96 ,972 MBF (1.05) 20 - 34,082 MBF Annual harvest = 0.05 (1.05) 20 - 1

Annual harvest = 6,750 MBF per year 65.09 acres of stand 79 would be needed to meet this harvest target in the first year. 4. Volume Control. In a memorandum addressed to the landowners of the Lincoln Tract, compare and contrast the various volume control options for the owners. In the memorandum, students should discuss the fact that each of the estimates of the annual yield vary considerably. The Hanzlik formula was designed for tracts that had an over-supply of mature timber, which is arguably the case here. The Hanzlik formula metes out the oversupply over some period of time while also incorporating the increment of the younger forest. The Von Mantel formula is for forests that are nearly regulated, which is not the case here, even though the estimate of annual harvest is in the mid-range of those considered. The Austrian formula utilizes an adjustment period to bring a forest to a regulated state (from a volume harvested perspective). In this example, the Austrian formula provided the middle solution between the highest and lowest estimated annual harvests. The Hundeshagen formula utilizes an estimate of the future growing stock levels, which in our case are so small relative to the growing stock of the mature forest, that the annual harvest level is relatively high. The Meyer formula was designed for forests with some regeneration as well as remnant older forest. Here, the estimated annual harvest is above that provided by the Von Mantel formula. 5. Volume Control. Discuss for the owners of the Lincoln Tract the advantages and limitations of using volume control as a guide for developing a forest plan. Volume control is a way to schedule activities to meet specific wood flow requirements of the landowner each time period. There are a number of methods one can use to determine the annual harvest, from best judgements to a determination from classical methods. While some adjustment period is generally assumed in a forest that has not been regulated, the annual harvest should be recalculated every few years. Volume control provides an even volume harvest over the short-term time horizon, but in the long run, volumes will fluctuate because equal areas are not harvested each year. 6. Habitat control. Assume that currently there are 1,071 acres of high quality pileated woodpecker habitat on the Lincoln Tract. The owners of the Lincoln Tract are interested in increasing the high quality habitat to around half the area of the Tract within the next 20 years. If the natural growth rate (increment) of high quality habitat is around 20 acres per year, on how many other acres would management actions be needed to improve the habitat quality forested stands in order to meet their objective? What relation would this objective have to the desire also to generate harvest revenue from the Tract? The desired habitat level is 2,275 acres. The current habitat level is 1,071 acres. The current rate of growth of habitat is 20 acres per year. The adjustment period is 20 years.

 G - Ga Annual build - up of habitat = r -I a

2,275 acres - 1,071 acres - 20 acres per year Annual build - up of habitat = 20 years Annual build - up of habitat = 40.2 acres per year
If we needed to improve the habitat on about 40 other acres per year, this may preclude some of the older forest areas from being harvested. 7. Allowable cut effect. Within a southern United States forest where the minimum harvest age is 23 years, we can implement intensive management activities today that effectively increase the site index (base age 25) from 65 to 75. Assume that the increase in volume at age 23 is 39.7 tons per acre, and the stumpage price assumed is $25 per ton. The additional regeneration cost that would be required to change the site index is $50 per acre. What is the rate of return on this investment? If we invested another $50 per acre today, we would hopefully obtain an additional $992.50 per acre in 23 years. This is about a 13.87% return on investment. Check: $50 x 1.138723 = $991.71. Assume further than the increase in timber volume that can be realized this year, after developing a forest plan that maximized the even-flow harvest volume when assuming the increased future yields, was 681 tons. This additional revenue ($17,025) was obtained from 869.46 acres resulting an average increased revenue per acre of $19.58. Given this allowable cut effect on the annual harvest volume, what would be your rate of return on the intensive site preparation investment? Now we are suggesting that if we invested $30.42 per acre today ($50 - 19.58), we would hopefully obtain an additional $992.50 per acre in 23 years. This is about a 16.36% return on investment. Check: $30.42 x 1.163623 = $992.30.