Kalle Karttunen, Juha Laitila, Tapio Ranta. (2016). First-thinning harvesting alternatives for industrial or energy purposes based on regional Scots pine stand simulations in Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 2 article id 1521. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1521

Keywords: harvesting; energy wood; stand simulation; stumpage price; small-diameter wood

Highlights: Small-diameter delimbed wood from Scots pine stands delivered directly for energy use was the most cost-efficient option in terms of the total supply-chain cost in comparison with corresponding industrial use or a whole-tree supply chain for energy use; Forest-management and harvesting decisions influenced the removal of forest biomass and stumpage price as well as the total supply-chain costs for forest biomass; The greatest cost-reduction potential (10.0%, 4.00 € m^–3) was achieved for the delimbed energy wood’s supply chain in the regional case of South Savo in eastern Finland.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Combining research into forest management stand conditions and wood supply chain processes has been missing from earlier forestry studies. There is a clear need to develop more cost-efficient small-diameter wood production, harvesting and transportation methods from first thinning, which could be used for either industrial or energy wood purposes. This study considers the total cost for small-diameter wood originating from young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) dominated stands. Pine pulpwood is the most harvested and most used roundwood assortment, use of which is expected to rise following new pulp-mill investments in Finland. In addition, utilisation of small-diameter trees directly for energy purposes has been increasing steadily in recent years. The aim of the study was to determine the cost-reduction potential of alternative forest management options and supply chains for small diameter-wood in the regional case of South Savo in eastern Finland. The total costs of three distinct scenarios were studied on the basis of forest management, first-thinning harvesting methods, and transportation: 1) industrial wood, 2) delimbed energy wood, and 3) whole trees for energy purposes. The cost-reduction potential for energy-wood supply chains from first thinning was compared to the industrial supply chain. Small-diameter delimbed wood delivered straight for energy purposes was found to be the most cost-efficient as far as the total cost of the supply chain is concerned. More cost-efficient small-diameter wood processes can be found by linking forest stand simulations with supply chain analysis.

Karttunen, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT School of Energy Systems, Laboratory of Bioenergy, Lönnrotinkatu 7, FI-50100 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: kalle.karttunen@lut.fi
Laitila, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Bio-based business and industry, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: juha.laitila@luke.fi
Ranta, Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT School of Energy Systems, Laboratory of Bioenergy, Lönnrotinkatu 7, FI-50100 Mikkeli, Finland E-mail: tapio.ranta@lut.fi

article id 562, category Research article

Tero Kokkila, Annikki Mäkelä, Eero Nikinmaa. (2002). A method for generating stand structures using Gibbs marked point process. Silva Fennica vol. 36 no. 1 article id 562. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.562

Keywords: spatial distribution; stand simulation; Gibbs point process; Markov chain Monte Carlo

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Stand growth modelling based on single tree responses to their surroundings requires a description of the spatial structure of a stand. While such detailed information is rarely available from field measurements, a method to create it from more general stand variables is needed. A marked Gibbs point potential theory combined with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) random process was used to create a spatial configuration for any given number of trees. The trees are considered as charges rejecting each other and building ‘potential energy’. As an analogue of the potential energy in physical systems, the potential of a stand is defined in terms of size-dependent tree-to-tree interactions that can be thought of as related to resource depletion and competition. The idea that bigger trees induce larger potentials brings 3-dimensional effects into the system. Any feasible spatial structure is a state of the system, and the related potential can be calculated. The probability that a certain state occurs is assumed to be a decreasing function of its potential. Because more regular structures have lower potentials, by adjusting the steepness of the probability distribution the spatial structure can be allowed to have a lot of randomness (naturally regenerated stands) or forced to be very regular (planted stands). The MCMC algorithm is a numerical method of finding stand configurations that correspond to the expected level of the potential, given the size distribution of trees and the shape of the probability density function. The method also allows us to take into account spatial variation in the terrain. Some spots can be defined to have lower basic potential than others (ditch, planting furrow, etc.) in order to create areas of higher than average stocking density. A preliminary test of the method was conducted on two measured stands. The results suggest that the method could provide an efficient and flexible means of mimicking variable stand structures.

Kokkila, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 Helsingin yliopisto, Finland E-mail: tero.kokkila@helsinki.fi
Mäkelä, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 Helsingin yliopisto, Finland E-mail: am@nn.fi
Nikinmaa, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 Helsingin yliopisto, Finland E-mail: en@nn.fi

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles

Follow @SilvaFennica