Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2004. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1997. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-84). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1999. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-74). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1999. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-92). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 15, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. David Larsen Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1997. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-152). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-42). Also available on the World Wide Web.

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The controversy regarding commercial thinning continues to intensify as pine plantation acreage in the south increases. This controversy has caused industrial and nonindustrial landowners to re-examine the economic returns from their plantation investments. This study was undertaken to develop investment guidelines for the management of loblolly pine plantations. Computer simulation was used to evaluate the effect on present value that four future price/market scenarios, three management regimes, and three mechanized thinning systems can have on current thinning investments. When the economic returns from thinning are compared with a no-thin management regime, simulation results indicate that long-term investment advantages favor thinning only slightly, regardless of the future price/market scenario assumed. This slight difference suggests that individual forest product companies may find other reasons such as wood flow, tax advantages, and future product requirements of their manufacturing facilities to be overriding factors for engaging in commercial thinning. Generally, short-run cost and production differences between thinning systems are more significant than the long-term investment effects. Consequently, the type of mechanized thinning system employed has a negligible impact on the total investment. / Ph. D.

A computer program was developed which provides the necessary information required by landowners to evaluate thinning alternatives in yellow-poplar stands. The program is written Applesoft BASIC for the APPLE II+ microcomputer with a design which emphasizes flexibility and ease of use. The program consists of two primary segments: growth and yield, and economic evaluation. The growth and yield segment is composed of a stand level growth and yield model which consists primarily of a collection of equations specified by Knoebel (1982). The economic evaluation segment calculates two measures of economic performance for before or after taxes. The performance criteria are the present net worth and internal rate of return. Using the computer program developed in the study, optimum thinning regimes were estimated for existing stands of yellow-poplar under a variety of economic and biological conditions. Given a set of benchmark costs and revenues, optimum thinning regimes were estimated for three sites (80, 100, and 120, base age 50). A sensitivity analysis was conducted in which interest rates, thinning costs, and clearcut stumpage values were varied. The optimum regimes expressed varying degrees of sensitivity to changes in the economic parameters. / M.S.