Poplar utilization in Canada: Past, present and future

Abstract

A national survey of supply and present and future prospects for use of Populus species in Canada was conducted by a questionnaire in the fall of 1990. Replies were discussed under primary and secondary industry groups and products. The information was compared with historical data. Conclusions were that poplar usage would continue to grow because of a diminishing supply of accessible softwoods and industry's ability to improve processing technology. Recommendations included using the present survey for periodic updates and the building up and maintenance of a data base of poplar-related publications and research projects across Canada.Un sondage national sur l'approvisionnement et sur les tendances et les perspectives futures quant B l'utilisation des espbces du genre Populus au Canada a kt6 men6 au nom du Conseil du Peuplier du Canada, au cours de l'automne de l'annte 1990. Les rtponses au sondage ont Ct C group6es sous les rubriques d'industries primaires ou secondaires et subdivistes selon le produit manufacturt. L'information et les opinions r e y e s ont t t t compartes aux donntes dtjh existantes. I1 en a Ctt conclu que l'utilisation industrielle du peuplier continuera de s'accroitre parce que les politiques gouvernementales favorisent un utilisation optimale des ressources forestikres et si les industries investissent dans la recherche et le dheloppement technologique.Nous recommendons des mises B jour ptriodiques de ce sondage ainsi que son utilisation comme point de riftrence pour la mise en place d'une banque de d o~t e s contenant I'ensemble des publications et des projets de recherche traitant du peuplier au Canada. Poplar Distribution and Supply Natural StandsThe genus Populus which includes those trees known under the general term "poplar" has wide distribution across Canada. It contains trembling aspen, P. tremuloides, and largetooth aspen, P. grandidentata, balsam poplar, P. balsamifera and the cottonwoods, eastern cottonwood, P. deltoides and black cottonwood P. trichoca~pa. All these species are deciduous, fast growing with a relatively short life span, are moisture loving, generally intolerant of shade, and are medium to large trees. Vegetative propagation, mainly from the roots but also from the stump, is characteristic of the poplars.Trembling aspen comprises over 80% of the total merchantable poplar standing timber and has a volume estimated at 1,857 million m3. It is also by far the most widely distributed and utilized species and is the main subject of this survey. It is known as a "pioneer species" since it is one of the first to appear after a stand disturbance such as fire, insect, disease or by clearcutting. Aspen's wide distribution, ease of establishment either vegetatively or by seed, its fast growing ability and its light soft wood might suggest that it would be highly prized by forest managers. In fact, until very recently, the situation was the reverse. Poplar was regarded as a weed tree, and the objective of most silviculturalists was to take measures to eradicate it, usually ...

Achievements in the utilization of poplar wood – guideposts for the future

“…The utilization level has increased so much that there is a concern that the aspen cut will exceed growth and the aspen supply will not be adequate to support the growing solid wood, composite, and paper industries in the Lake States region of the U.S. Similar concern has been expressed in Canada across the aspen belt, from British Columbia to the Maritimes (Morley and Balatinecz 1993).…”

Polymorphic site index curves for black spruce and trembling aspen in northwest Ontario

“…Surveys show that after harvesting regeneration is often pure aspen or mixedwood conifer and aspen stands (Hearnden et al 1992). Greatly increased aspen utilization has developed for a wide variety of forest products and several symposia and literature reviews recognize the need for better utilization and management of an increasingly valuable aspen forest resource that in the past was often viewed as a forest weed (Davidson et al 1988;Adams 1990;Navratil and Chapman 1991;Peterson 1992, 1995;Morley and Balatinecz 1993;Navratil et al 1994;David et al 2001;Shepperd et al 2001).…”

Evaluation of the profitability of poplar cultivation in Quebec

“…Considering a transportation rate based on the trucking distance in private forests (SPBAT 2011), we can safely say that hybrid poplar plantations must be located within a trucking distance of 175 km from the mill to remain profitable. Moreover, lowering harvesting costs is possible since harvesting in plantations is less expensive than doing so in natural forests (Morley and Balatinecz 1993). For example, a 10% decrease in harvesting costs increases the NPV of scenario 12 by 36%.…”