Assessing Changes in Pulpwood Procurement Cost Relative to the Gradual Adoption of Longleaf Pine at the Landscape Level: A Case Study from Georgia, United States

Abstract

Longleaf pine once covered 37 million hectares in the southern United States. However, it currently occupies only 5% of the original area. Efforts have been ongoing for the last decade to restore longleaf pine. The expected expansion in the area under longleaf pine has raised concern among wood-consuming mills regarding a potential increase in the total wood procurement cost, as wood availability per unit of land is typically lower for longleaf than for loblolly and slash pines for the first few decades. Therefore, a simulation model was developed in this study, examining the impact of the gradual adoption of longleaf pine by landowners on the total wood procurement cost of a pulp mill located in South Georgia over a 40-year simulation period. Results show no statistically significant difference between scenarios for maximum distance, total cost, and total distance over the simulation period. Our study will guide stakeholder groups to balance the needs for longleaf pine restoration and the reduced cost of wood procurement for wood-consuming mills.

Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Modeling for Pinus palustris Mill. (Longleaf Pine) Restoration in the South Carolina Sandhills Wiregrass Gap

“…Widespread fire-suppression policies implemented in the 1930s, poor forest stewardship, and resource exploitation have reduced Longleaf Pine ecosystems to a minor fraction (<4%) of their historical range, making them one of the most endangered forest ecosystems in the US (Brockway et al 2005a, Landers et al 1995). However, because Longleaf Pine ecosystems support high levels of endemism and biodiversity, they have become a restoration focus for many forest scientists and organizations (McIntyre et al 2018, Murray et al 2022, Paudel and Dwivedi 2022, Van Lear et al 2005).…”