Hardwood Timber Production

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Hardwood (deciduous trees) timber production is the process of managing hardwood stands for the purpose of maximizing woody output. However, the production process is not linear because when dealing with a forest, multiple benefits should be considered. Factors that need to be addressed include marketable and non-marketable goods, financial benefits, management practices, and the environmental implications of those management practices.

1 Market and Non-Marketable Goods
2 Financial Incentives
3 Management
4 Examples of Environmental Implications of Management Practices
5 References

[edit] Market and Non-Marketable Goods

Forests include market and non-market products. Marketable products include goods that have a market price, such products would include timber, grazing/fodder, recreation, hunting, and biomass. Forests also provide some non-market values which have no current market price. Examples of non-market goods would be improving water quality, air quality, aesthetics, and carbon sequestration. To produce the most benefit from your hardwood stand a balance of marketable and non-marketable is crucial.

[edit] Financial Incentives

When considering the market goods, timber production can be a very profitable business. Prices range from a few hundred dollars per thousand board feet (MBF) to several thousand dollars for a veneer log. In addition to timber, there are other marketable goods that the forest provides. For example, a landowner could rent out the land or charge usage fees for hunting or recreation on the forest. There can also be speciality crops grown in the forest setting which will provide economic benefit, such as mushrooms and berries.

[edit] Management

Managing hardwood stands can be challenging due to the complexity of species usually associated in hardwood forest. With an increase in biodiversity there are more management possibilities. It is therefore important for land managers to understand some silvicultural practices. These practices can include harvesting, promoting regeneration, controlling insects and disease, fertilizing, applying herbicide treatments, and thinning. However, as the intensity of the management increases, the more likely there will be negative environmental effects.

[edit] Examples of Environmental Implications of Management Practices

Since woodlands can provide multiple benefits, timber managers need to keep in mind the effects of their management practices on the ecosystem. Management practices can have a negative effect on the ecosystem and produce undesired conditions. For instance, machinery used in a timber harvest can compact the soil. This compaction reduces tree growth due to stress on the root system, which in turn lengthens the rotation age (age when stand has matured and harvest can occur) of a stand. The machinery can also damage the understory, disturbing wildlife habitat and present regeneration. There can also be positive effects on the ecosystem. Fertilization can increase the growth rate and amount of plant material, thus possibly increasing the number of wildlife that can inhabit a site. Management is used to help control invasive species from taking over or highly affecting an area's structure and native composition. Land managers must practice sustainable forest management, because they need to be able produce products on that land (in theory) perpetually. They should assess the environmental impacts so that they are not degrading a system which they are dependent upon for financial stability.