Economic and ecological impacts of wood chip production in North Carolina: an integrated assessment and subsequent applications

Schaberg, Rex H.; Aruna, P.; Cubbage, Frederick W.; Hess, George R.; Abt, Robert C.; Richter, Daniel deB.; Warren, Sarah T.; Gregory, James D.; Snider, Anthony G.; Sherling, Stacy; Flournoy, William

doi:10.1016/s1389-9341(03)00029-7

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The increase in the net carbon payments tend to increase the optimal harvest age whereas, bioenergy production tend to decrease the optimal harvest age. Both of these results are similar with those of other studies (Stainback & Alavalapati, 2002;Catron et al, 2013;Schaberg et al, 2005). Comparing the results of both scenarios, the optimal rotation is longer in the Baseline 2 scenario than in the Baseline 1 scenario with higher carbon prices.…”

Section: Optimal Rotation Agesupporting

confidence: 90%

Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of Forest Carbon Sequestration and Wood-Based Bioenergy Offsets in the Central Hardwood Forest Region of United States

Shrestha

Stainback

Dwivedi

et al. 2015

Journal of Sustainable Forestry

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This study investigates the combined impact of carbon and bioenergy markets on upland oak dominated mixed hardwood forests in the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHFR) of the United States.A modification of the Hartman model was used for the economic analysis of carbon sequestration and using wood-based biomass for bioenergy. A life-cycle assessment was used to determine the amount of carbon sequestered due to stand growth and emitted during harvesting and decay of wood products. Two scenarios were taken, one where additionality of carbon is considered and the other where it is not. Sensitivity analysis was done with the range of carbon and bioenergy prices. The results show that net carbon payments have more impact on land expectation value (LEV) when additionality is not considered; in contrast, bioenergy payments have more impact on LEV when additionality is considered. Carbon and bioenergy prices also influenced the amount of stand level supply of forest products and carbon in both scenarios. In general, sawtimber, wood bioenergy, and carbon supply increased with an increase in carbon prices, whereas, pulpwood supply decreased. With few exceptions at higher carbon prices, bioenergy supply decreased with the increase in wood bioenergy prices, showing a backward bending supply curve in both scenarios.

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Section: Optimal Rotation Agesupporting

confidence: 90%

Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of Forest Carbon Sequestration and Wood-Based Bioenergy Offsets in the Central Hardwood Forest Region of United States

Shrestha

Stainback

Dwivedi

et al. 2015

Journal of Sustainable Forestry

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“…An increase in the carbon price substantially increased the optimal rotation age. However, in contrast to some other studies [17,41,44], bioenergy payments did not decrease the optimal harvest age. This may indicate that bioenergy markets would not affect the stand level supply of traditional forest products.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Economic Impact of Net Carbon Payments and Bioenergy Production in Fertilized and Non-Fertilized Loblolly Pine Plantations

Shrestha

Stainback

Dwivedi

2015

Forests

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Sequestering carbon in forest stands and using woody bioenergy are two potential ways to utilize forests in mitigating emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Such forestry related strategies are, however, greatly influenced by carbon and bioenergy markets. This study investigates the impact of both carbon and woody bioenergy markets on land expectation value (LEV) and rotation age of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) forests in the southeastern United States for two scenarios-one with thinning and no fertilization and the other with thinning and fertilization. Economic analysis was conducted using a modified Hartman model. The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during various activities such as management of stands, harvesting, and product decay was included in the model. Sensitivity analysis was conducted with a range of carbon offset, wood for bioenergy, and forest product prices. The results showed that LEV increased in both management scenarios as the price of carbon and wood for bioenergy increased. However, the results indicated that the management scenario without fertilizer was optimal at low carbon prices and the management scenario with fertilizer was optimal at higher carbon prices for medium and low forest product prices. Carbon payments had a greater impact on LEV than prices for wood utilized for bioenergy. Also, increase in the carbon price OPEN ACCESSForests 2015, 6 3046 increased the optimal rotation age, whereas, wood prices for bioenergy had little impact. The management scenario without fertilizer was found to have longer optimal rotation ages.

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“…Similar to the wood chip mills that expanded rapidly across the SE US during the 1990s, pellet mills are a new processing technology rather than an independent cause of timber harvest. 38 Thus, pellet production does not currently drive the SE US forest product market nor the landscape-scale forest management decisions in the region. 39 Pellet mills can and do, however, influence localized markets.…”

Section: Focus Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

“…29 Recent analysis of FIA data for two SE US fuelsheds showed no change in the amount of land dedicated to either plantation forest or naturally regenerating forest during the period of expanding pellet production, 39 and past experience has shown that increased demand for a lowvalue forest product (Figure 2) is not likely to become a driver of SE US land-use change. 38 Based on regional trends and market analyses, land-use change affecting the forests is more likely to involve fragmentation and conversion to non-forest uses and development as SE US populations continue to grow. 30 Rather than assuming pellet production leads to forest clearing, a more reasonable approach is to consider alternative future scenarios based on historical evidence and probable feedstock fates (i.e., end uses).…”

Section: Potential Future Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Products such as wood pellets are generally found near the end of the SE US wood‐products supply chain and have a small market share and low value relative to saw timber (Figure ). Similar to the wood chip mills that expanded rapidly across the SE US during the 1990s, pellet mills are a new processing technology rather than an independent cause of timber harvest . Thus, pellet production does not currently drive the SE US forest product market nor the landscape‐scale forest management decisions in the region .…”

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confidence: 99%

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Reference scenarios for evaluating wood pellet production in the Southeastern United States

Parish

Dale

Kline

et al. 2017

WIREs Energy & Environment

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Wood pellet exports from the Southeastern United States (SE US) to Europe have been increasing in response to European Union member state policies to displace coal with renewable biomass for electricity generation. An understanding of the interactions among SE US forest markets, forest management, and forest ecosystem services is required to quantify the effects of pellet production compared to what would be expected under a reference case or ‘counterfactual scenario’ without pellet production. Inconsistent methods to define and justify the counterfactual scenario result in conflicting estimates and large uncertainties about the impacts of pellet production on SE US forests. Guidelines to support more consistent and transparent counterfactual scenarios are proposed. The guidelines include identifying major influences on current SE US forest conditions, developing potential futures that clearly document underlying assumptions and associated uncertainties, identifying the most likely alternative feedstock fates, and estimating the effects of no pellet demand on future forest conditions. The guidelines can help modelers to more accurately reflect the past and current forest dynamics and to consider the implications for SE US forest landscapes of future scenarios with and without pellet production. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, 6:e259. doi: 10.1002/wene.259 This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Climate and Environment Energy and Climate > Climate and Environment Energy and Development > Climate and Environment

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Economic and ecological impacts of wood chip production in North Carolina: an integrated assessment and subsequent applications

Cited by 7 publications

References 15 publications

Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of Forest Carbon Sequestration and Wood-Based Bioenergy Offsets in the Central Hardwood Forest Region of United States

Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of Forest Carbon Sequestration and Wood-Based Bioenergy Offsets in the Central Hardwood Forest Region of United States

Economic Impact of Net Carbon Payments and Bioenergy Production in Fertilized and Non-Fertilized Loblolly Pine Plantations

Reference scenarios for evaluating wood pellet production in the Southeastern United States

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