If a landowner‘s main objective is to maximize his/her profits from planted forest investments, questions such as when and where exactly they should fertilize, thin and clearcut must be answered. We take advantage of an experiment established in 5 different states in the US South. Forest inventory data was collected for different combinations of thinning densities where some of them received fertilization. We use the Land Expectation Value methodology where our assumptions are the infinite amount of Pine rotations while costs and stumpage prices are known and constant, and markets are perfect. One of the main results we found is that fertilization has a decreasing marginal benefit on site index quality. / M.S. / If the landowner‘s main objective is to maximize profit from forest investments, questions such as when and where they should fertilize, thin and clearcut must be answered. Fertilization‘s main objective is to provide essential nutrients for tree growth. Thinnings have two main objectives: a source of revenue in the middle of the forest rotation by selling the thinned trees and secondly to open space to the residual trees so they grown in diameter and gain value. We analyze how thinning and fertilization impact forest management from an economic perspective by checking their benefits and costs to landowners. We found that for low site index, fertilization has a positive impact in the sense its benefit is greater than the fertilization application cost. For better site indices, the opposite is true. For those who want to maximize economic benefits from planted forests. we end up with recommendations of which type of thinning and fertilization should be done according to the landowner site quality.

This research looks at some issues confronting community forestry in Nepal. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to analyze the issues confronting community forestry in mid hills region of Nepal. Results indicate that experts as well as local community users think positive aspects of community forestry to be more important than its negative aspects. In addition, through the comparison of three forest types, Alnus nepalensis found to be the most important forest type for conservation and Schima-Castanopsis to be the most important forest type for local benefits. Similarly, results also indicate that increase in carbon prices lengthen an optimal rotation age. Also, Land Expectation Value (LEV) increases substantially with the increase in carbon prices.

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is an invasive plant species in the United States (U.S.). This study utilized the most effective control measures found in the literature, and used financial analysis to identify the most cost effective management regimes to eradicate this species under different conditions. Management regimes were assessed using simulated scenarios created using six components, based on real parameters from the southern U.S.: infestation level, field coverage, stand density, herbicide application method, herbicide, and mechanical removal of privet. Financial impact on land expectation values (LEV) was analyzed and discussed for each simulated area conditions. Results suggest that the most cost effective management regime controlling privet varies according to these components. Privet control is economically feasible, and a positive LEV can be achieved for every area conditions. Finally, this study can serve as a guide to develop policies and incentives for invasive species control programs.

Different management regimes consisting of range of site indices and planting densities were simulated to evaluate price premiums required for growing high-quality southern pines across the southern United States. Optimal management regimes were identified maximizing the land expectation value. Growing high-quality pines on longer rotations are economically feasible, however, forest landowners need premiums which ranged from $1.40/ton to $9.81/ton for 10-year rotation extension and increased significantly with rotation ages. In uneven-aged management, price premiums for 5-year cutting cycle extension ranged from $1.75/ton to $2.25/ton. Additionally, sawmill’s willingness-to-pay price premiums for high-quality pine sawtimber were calculated using a mail survey. Sawmills showed a considerable interest in paying price premiums which ranged from $4.22/ton to $12.98/ton. Factors affecting mean WTP price premiums were sawlog size, procurement radius, grade, mill’s capacity, and employees. These findings will help landowners in deciding whether to extend rotation ages of their forest for growing higher quality pines.

Renewable energy has been developing rapidly in the U.S. over the past decades. This thesis first reviewed the status, challenges, and government policies related to the development of bioenergy products from forest-derived woody biomass. Forest management alternatives of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations for producing both timber and biofuels were then evaluated using economic and biological criteria. The PTAEDA3.1 computerized yield simulator was used to predict growth effects of various site preparation techniques, initial planting densities, and thinning activity. Results indicated that on Site Index 50 to 70 lands, the average annual yields of stem residues ranged from 0.86 to 1.20 tons per acre, from which 39.8 to 47.4 gallons of ethanol could be produced. The rise of relative biomass price would increase wood availability for biofuels. It will also boost intensive management practices, such as intensive site preparation, closer initial planting spacing, earlier thinnings and a shorter harvesting age.

Sequestering carbon in standing biomass, using woody bioenergy, and using woody products are the three potential ways to utilize forests in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and mitigating climate change. These forestry related strategies are, however, greatly influenced by the existing markets and market based policies. This study focuses on the first two forest strategies. It investigates the combined impact of carbon and woody bioenergy markets on two different types of forests in the US – oak dominated mixed hardwood forests in the Central Hardwood Forests Region and loblolly pine forests in the southeastern US. A modification of the Harman model was used for the economic analysis of carbon sequestration and harvesting woody biomass for bioenergy. A forest carbon life-cycle assessment was used to determine the carbon emissions associated with management of forests and harvesting of wood products. Results from this study indicate that carbon payments and woody bioenergy production increase the land expectation value (LEV) for both forest types.

Public Law 95-87, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), mandates that mined land be reclaimed in a fashion that renders the land at least as productive after mining as it was before mining. In the central Appalachian region, where prime farmland and economic development opportunities for mined land are scarce, the most practical land use choices are hayland/pasture, wildlife habitat, or forest land. Since 1977, the majority of mined land has been reclaimed as hayland/pasture or wildlife habitat, which is less expensive to reclaim than forest land, since there are no tree planting costs. As a result, there are now hundreds of thousands of hectares of grasslands and scrublands in various stages of natural succession located throughout otherwise forested mountains in the U.S. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for understanding/calculating the economic implications of converting these reclaimed mined lands to forests under various silvicultural regimes, and to demonstrate the economic/decision-making implications of an incentive scheme on such a land use conversion. The economic feasibility of a range of land-use conversion scenarios was analyzed for both mixed hardwoods and white pine, under a set of low product prices and under a set of high product prices. Economic feasibility was based on land expectation values. Further, three types of incentive schemes were investigated: 1) lump sum payment at planting (and equivalent series of annual payments), 2) revenue incentive at harvest and 3) payment based on carbon volume. Mixed hardwood LEVs ranged from -$2416.71/ha (low prices) to $3955.72/ha (high prices). White pine LEVs ranged from -$2330.43/ha (low prices) to $3746.65/ha (high prices). A greater percentage of white pine scenarios yielded economically feasible land-use conversions than did the mixed hardwood scenarios, and it seems that a conversion to white pine forests would, for the most part, be the more appealing option. It seems that, for both mixed hardwoods and white pine, it would be in the best interests of the landowner to invest in the highest quality sites first. For a conversion to mixed hardwood forests, a low intensity level of site preparation seems economically optimal for most scenarios. For a conversion to white pine forests, a medium intensity level of site preparation seems economically optimal for most scenarios. Mixed hardwoods lump sum payments, made at the time of planting, ranged from $0/ha to $2416.71/ha (low prices). White pine lump sum payments, made at the time of planting, ranged from $0/ha to $2330.53/ha (low prices). Mixed hardwoods benefits based on an increase in revenue at harvest, ranged from $0/ha to $784449.52/ha (low prices). White pine benefits based on an increase in revenue at harvest ranged from $0/ha to $7011.48/ha (high prices). Annual mixed hardwood benefits, based on total stand carbon volume present at the end of a given year, ranged from $0/ton of carbon to $5.26/ton carbon (low prices). White pine benefits based on carbon volume ranged from $0/ton of carbon to $18.61/ton of carbon (high prices). It appears that, for white pine scenarios, there is not much difference between incentive values for lump sum payments at planting, revenue incentives at harvest, and total carbon payments over a rotation. For mixed hardwoods, however, it appears that the carbon payment incentive is by far the cheapest option of encouraging landowners to convert land. / Master of Science

Patch clearcutting can be put to effective use for landowners with relatively small stands of timber. This project was designed to determine how clearcut opening size and mid-rotation crop tree release affects the value and volume of sawtimber at the end of rotation. In 1960 patch clearcuts were established in three different diameters, 50ft (.05ac), 150ft (.41ac), and 250ft (1.13ac). Current stand data (2011) was collected to determine trees per acre, basal area, average tree diameter, volume, and value. These data were input into a growth simulator to determine future trees per acre, basal area, average tree diameter, volume, and value with a crop tree release treatment and a control to 2061. The 50ft openings yielded little merchantable volume at mid-rotation and were primarily composed by shade tolerant species. In the 150ft and 250ft openings, there was better species diversity and an increase in sawtimber volume and value. Using openings of 150ft or greater, landowners can regenerate commercially important species and manage their forests to produce valued timber and maintain aesthetics.