An Economic Analysis of Southern Pine Beetle Suppression Activity on the Gulf Coastal Plain National Forests During 1985 and 1986

Abstract

The 1985-1986 southern pine beetle suppression projects were analyzed on the national forests in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Project costs during that time were $11.6 million, and benefits of control were estimated at $45.5 million. Such a relationship yielded a benefit-cost ratio of 3.9:1 at a 4% real rate of return and 2.6:1 at 7 1/8%. Volume saved as a result of the suppression projects was estimated at 665,000 mbf (Scribner). Total cost per acre, including suppression and regeneration expenses, was $224. South. J. Appl. For. 14(2):70-73.

Simulation Modeling as a Tool for Understanding the Landscape Ecology of Southern Pine Beetle Infestations in Southern Appalachian Forests

“…SPB outbreaks impose additional heterogeneity onto this human‐generated template. At the regional scale, large outbreaks lead to an excess of salvaged timber and deflated timber prices, which may in turn influence management decisions that precipitate changes in land use (Prestemon and Holmes 2004; Redmond and Nettleton 1990). At smaller spatial scales, large patches of tree mortality may stimulate foresters to regenerate damaged stands and to redefine stand boundaries.…”