U.S. Forest Service

Pacific Northwest Research

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Synthesis of Western Species Wood Product Recovery Study Data

Background: The Ecologically Sustainable Production of Forest Resources team at the PNW Station has conducted over 100 wood product recovery studies for western tree species. These studies cover a wide range of tree ages,  locations,  products, and mill configurations.  We are developing methods to combine these studies to allow us to answer questions about current or proposed management activities.

 

Objectives: The objective of this effort is to provide an understanding of the characteristics and value of western species with respect to forest management history and manufacturing strategy/technology based on these aggregated recovery data sets with special emphasis on tree level data. Tree level data can then be aggregated to simulate many different stands under a variety of treatment regimes.

Results: We developed a statistically sound, pooled cross sectional analysis technique for testing whether data from different studies can be aggregated. Simulations of wood product outputs have been run using different management regimes by linking with FIA data and growth and yield models. The database allows user-defined queries within the constraints of the parameters measured.

Examples of possible database queries include determining:

• the variation in recovery volume and product yield from different age/diameter classes;
• the relationship between percent sound log volume and product yield; and
• relationship between product quality and age.

One of the most useful results of this analysis is to take the recovery studies to the origin of the production chain, i.e., to trees at the forest stand level Traditionally, forest managers (particularly those who are not part of a vertically integrated company that supply their own mills with raw materials) do not include recovery of products in their management projections. The aggregated recovery database allows this to be a part of the management decision-making process.