Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare the economic differences between withdraw of forest fuel and withdraw of pulpwood in first thinning, to see which method gives the maximum profitability (income - cost). Another purpose is to investigate the economic impact of the thicket cleaning.
The study compares four different methods: i) pulpwood output with thicket cleaning, ii) pulpwood output without thicket cleaning, iii) forest fuel output with thicket cleaning and iv) forest fuel output without thicket cleaning. The study was conducted in a 30-years old stand, dominated by spruce, outside Harg in Uppland.
The method that generated the best economic net income was pulpwood without thicket cleaning. It generated a positive net of 1,383 SEK per hectare. Forest fuel output without thicket cleaning also generated a positive net in 720 kronor per hectare. On the other hand both methods with thicket cleaning generated a negative net.
The results of this study show that the costs of the first thinning have a great importance for the economic result, and also that the brushing is quite expensive. In conclusion pulpwood thinning is still the best option in the first thinning and thicket cleaning may not always be a given action before thinning.