young-stand management options and their implications for wood quality and other values by jamie...
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Young-Stand Management Options and their Implications for Wood
Quality and Other Values
by
Jamie Barbour, PNW Research Station;
Richard Zaborske, USFS Washington Office;
Michael H. McClellan, PNW Research Station;
Linda Christian, Region 10;
Don Golnick, Region 10.
Road Map for Talk
• Wood quality what is it & what endures?
• SEA information (empirical & simulated)
• My views on what available information means
Southeast AlaskaCurrent Situation
• Resource = old-growth• Issue = costs• Challenges
– too much low quality– how to manage young stands
Current ResourceLog Grade Check Scale
0102030405060
Peel/S
el
Spe M
ill
N0. 1 S
aw
No. 2 S
aw
No. 3 S
aw
No. 4 S
awUtil
ity
Log Grade
% H
arve
sted
Vol
SpruceHemlock
1999 + 1st quarter 2000Spruce = 17% of harvestHemlock = 55% of harvest
Southeast AlaskaFuture Situation
• Resource = young-growth• Issue = costs• Challenges
– less high grade– competing in world markets
Wood Quality What’s Important?
• Knots
• Tree size
• Soundness
• Growth rate
• Stem straightness
• Basic wood properties
• Proximity to processing facilities & markets
Wood Quality CharacteristicsWhat’s Especially Important in SEA?
• Knots
• Tree size
• Soundness
• Growth rate
• Stem straightness
• Basic wood properties
• Proximity to processing facilities & markets
Size and Quality
Processing Streams
Structural Products
Lumber
Posts & Poles
Veneer
Particle and Fiber
Panel Products
Pulp and paper
Energy production Chemicals
Heat
Appearance Products
Open Grown Tree
JWMW
MW
JW
Tree from Dense Stand
Wood Quality and the Crown
4” 6” 8”S.Str.
No. 2
No. 3
No. 1
1”1.5” 2”
Knot Size, Lumber Width, & Lumber Grade
Existing Information onYoung-Growth
• Green and Kilborn, lumber grade and log grade.
• Wang et al., thinning and mechanical properties.
• Christensen et al., thinning and lumber grade.
0.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5
Thinning Intensity
MO
E(P
SI x
1,0
00,0
00)
HemlockSpruce
Stiffness (MOE) and ThinningSoutheast Alaska
Thinning Intensity
Wang et al. 2001
HeavyMediumLightControl
Southeast Alaska Young-GrowthSpruce Mechanical Properties
1
1.25
1.5
1.75
2
Clear
Sel Str
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
Econ
Lumber Grade
Mod
ulus
of E
last
icity
UnthinnedThinned
Christensen et al., 2002
Published Value
Southeast Alaska Young-GrowthHemlock Mechanical Properties
1
1.25
1.5
1.75
2
Clear
Sel Str
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
Econ
Lumber Grade
Mod
ulus
of E
last
icity
UnthinnedThinnedFluted
Christensen et al., 2002
Published Value
Southeast Alaska Young-GrowthVolume Recovery
35
40
45
50
Spruce Hemlock
Species
Cu
bic
Rec
over
y %
UnthinnedThinnedFluted
Christensen et al., 2002
Southeast Alaska Young-GrowthSitka Spruce Lumber Grades
0
10
20
30
40
50
Clear
Sel Str
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
Econ
Lumber Grade
Perc
ent L
umbe
r V
ol
UnthinnedThinned
Christensen et al., 2002
Southeast Alaska Young-GrowthHemlock Lumber Grades
0
10
20
30
40
50
Clear
Sel Str
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
Econ
Lumber Grade
Perc
ent L
umbe
r V
ol
UnthinnedThinnedFluted
Christensen et al., 2002
Current Study• Simulate 4 prescriptions using FVS
• Three harvest ages
• Two site classes
Current StudyAssumptions
• Generalize Christensen et al. results
• Branches last 50 to 80 years
• Lumber or veener will be important
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Cubic Foot Log Volumes
02000400060008000
10000120001400016000
PCT A 7
0
PCT B 7
0
CT 70
PAS 70
PCT A 1
10
PCT B 1
10
CT 110
PAS 110
PCT A 1
50
PCT B 1
50
CT 150
PAS 150
Silvicultural Regime
Lo
g V
olu
me
(CF
/ac)
Site 60Site 90
70 Years 110 Years 150 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Log Volumes
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 70 PCT B 70 CT 70 PAS 70
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
og
Vo
lum
e
Site 60Site 90
70 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Log Volumes
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 110 PCT B 110 CT 110 PAS 110
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
og
Vo
lum
e
Site 60
Site 90
110 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Log Volumes
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 150 PCT B 150 CT 150 PAS 150
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
og
Vo
lum
e
Site 60Site 90
150 Years
MBF/ac So What!• PCT A & PAS always produce most volume
• Some differences even out over time
• Important differences remain among site classes
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Lumber Revenues
$0$5,000
$10,000$15,000$20,000$25,000$30,000$35,000$40,000$45,000
PCT A 7
0
PCT B 7
0
CT 70
PAS 70
PCT A 1
10
PCT B 1
10
CT 110
PAS 110
PCT A 1
50
PCT B 1
50
CT 150
PAS 150
Silvicultural Regime
Lu
mb
er
Re
ven
ue
($/a
c) Site 60
Site 90
70 Years 110 Years 150 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Lumber Revenues
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 70 PCT B 70 CT 70 PAS 70
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
um
be
r R
eve
nu
e
Site 60
Site 90
70 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Lumber Revenues
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 110 PCT B 110 CT 110 PAS 110
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
um
be
r R
eve
nu
e
Site 60
Site 90
110 Years
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Normalized Lumber Revenues
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PCT A 150 PCT B 150 CT 150 PAS 150
Silvicultural Regime
No
rma
lize
dL
um
be
r R
eve
nu
e
Site 60
Site 90
150 Years
$/ac So What!• Volume buys a lot
• Volume is not everything
Ketchikan Area Site Class 60 and 90Average Lumber Revenues per MBF
$300
$320
$340
$360
$380
$400
PCT A 7
0
PCT B 7
0
CT 70
PAS 70
PCT A 1
10
PCT B 1
10
CT 110
PAS 110
PCT A 1
50
PCT B 1
50
CT 150
PAS 150
Silvicultural Regime
Ave
rage
Lum
ber
Rev
enue
($/
MB
F)
Site 60
Site 90
70 Years 110 Years 150 Years
What’s All This Mean?Branch Size
• Trees grown at wide initial spacings or thinned early tend to have large branches
• Large branches limit wood product potential
What’s All This Mean?Mechanical Properties
Later thinning does not seem to adversely affect mechanical properties
Mechanical properties of both spruce and hemlock suffer from wide early spacings
What’s All This Mean?Lumber Grades
Later lighter thinnings result in smaller trees with better lumber grades
Earlier heavier thinnings result in larger trees sooner but only average lumber grades
If our assumptions are correct the no thinning prescription might result in the best quality at 110 or 150 years.
What’s All This Mean?
For private landowners it comes down to questions about cash flow and return on investment
For public landowners it comes down to questions about jobs, subsidies, and ecological function
