Planejamento florestal otimizado considerando áreas mínimas e máximas operacionais de colheita

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Julio Eduardo ArceCo-orientadores : Prof. Dr. Arinei Carlos Lindbeck da SilvaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Florestal. Defesa: Curitiba, 27/08/2014Inclui referências ao final de cada capítuloÁrea de concentração : Manejo florestalResumo: Questões espaciais relacionadas ao padrão resultante das atividades de colheita florestal vem se tornando um importante componente do planejamento florestal. Geralmente estas questões são incluídas em cenários de planejamento através de consideração de relações de vizinhança entre talhões. A maior parte da literatura a respeito da inclusão de questões espaciais no planejamento se refere às restrições para limitar a área máxima de colheita. Restrições de área máxima de colheita são vistas como uma maneira de beneficiar a fauna e reduzir impactos ao solo florestal causado pelo maquinário. Este problema de planejamento é tratado no quarto capítulo deste trabalho, que tem por objetivo a incorporação de restrições de área máxima utilizando as abordagens URM e ARM a um cenário de planejamento florestal otimizado de uma floresta composta por 236 talhões do gênero Pinus e Eucalyptus. Inicialmente propostas para beneficiar a fauna, a fragmentação causada por restrições que limitam a área máxima de colheita podem ter um efeito negativo sobre a mesma, reduzindo a área de habitat interior. Adicionalmente, a fragmentação das áreas de colheita causa o aumento no custo das operações envolvidas nesta atividade. Neste contexto, o objetivo do capítulo 5 foi o de introduzir restrições para a formação de blocos de colheita respeitando uma área mínima determinada, avaliando os efeitos desta restrição sobre a configuração espacial dos talhões e receita advinda da floresta. No sexto capítulo, ainda sobre a ótica da formação de blocos de colheita, são estudadas alternativas para promover a agregação das áreas de colheita, através da maximização das adjacências entre talhões em um mesmo ano do horizonte de planejamento. Foram avaliados para tal fim modelos de Programação Linear Inteira Mista e modelos de Goal Programming. No último capítulo, ainda sobre a ótica da agregação das áreas de colheita, se buscou a conectividade dos talhões a serem colhidos em um mesmo ano do horizonte de planejamento. Para tal, foi aplicado um modelo baseado no problema da arborescência mínima. Os efeitos da inclusão de critérios para a formação de blocos de colheita foram avaliados com base no agendamento espacial da colheita e na alteração do VPL gerado pela floresta. Palavras chave: planejamento espacial, otimização, agregação da colheita florestalAbstract: Spatial relationships related to the pattern resulting from forest harvest activities have become an important component of forest planning. Usually, these spatial relationships are included in forest planning scenarios through the consideration of neighborhood relationships between the stands. The major part of literature regarding the consideration of spatial questions is related to limiting the maximum harvest area. Limiting the maximum harvest area is viewed as a way to benefit wildlife and reduce the impacts on the soil caused by the machinery. This planning problem is addressed in the fourth chapter of this study, which has the objective of including maximum area constraints applying URM and ARM approaches in an optimized forest planning model of a forest composed by 236 Pinus and Eucalyptus stands. Initially proposed to benefit wildlife, the fragmentation caused by the constraints that limit the maximum harvest area can have a negative impact on the wildlife, reducing the interior habitats. Additionally, the fragmentation of harvest area causes an increase in the cost of the harvesting operations. In this context, the objective of chapter 5 was to introduce constraints for blocking harvesting activities, respecting a minimum area and evaluate its effect on the spatial configuration of stands scheduled for harvesting and on the receipt coming from the forest. In the sixth chapter, still addressing the clustering of harvest activities, approaches to promote the aggregation of stands are studied. This is addressed through the maximization of adjacencies between stands in a same year of the planning horizon. For performing this analyses models of Mixed Integer Linear Programming and Goal Programming were tested. In the last chapter, still aiming for aggregating the harvesting areas, it was sought to obtain the connectivity of stands to be harvest in the same year of the planning horizon. To achieve the connectivity, a model based in the minimum spanning tree problem was applied. The effects of inclusion of the clustering criteria was evaluated based on the spatial distribution of stands scheduled for harvesting and in the variation of the NVP generated by the forest. Key words: spatial planning; optimization; clustering forest harvestin

Planejamento florestal otimizado considerando áreas mínimas e máximas operacionais de colheita

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Julio Eduardo ArceCo-orientadores : Prof. Dr. Arinei Carlos Lindbeck da SilvaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Florestal. Defesa: Curitiba, 27/08/2014Inclui referências ao final de cada capítuloÁrea de concentração : Manejo florestalResumo: Questões espaciais relacionadas ao padrão resultante das atividades de colheita florestal vem se tornando um importante componente do planejamento florestal. Geralmente estas questões são incluídas em cenários de planejamento através de consideração de relações de vizinhança entre talhões. A maior parte da literatura a respeito da inclusão de questões espaciais no planejamento se refere às restrições para limitar a área máxima de colheita. Restrições de área máxima de colheita são vistas como uma maneira de beneficiar a fauna e reduzir impactos ao solo florestal causado pelo maquinário. Este problema de planejamento é tratado no quarto capítulo deste trabalho, que tem por objetivo a incorporação de restrições de área máxima utilizando as abordagens URM e ARM a um cenário de planejamento florestal otimizado de uma floresta composta por 236 talhões do gênero Pinus e Eucalyptus. Inicialmente propostas para beneficiar a fauna, a fragmentação causada por restrições que limitam a área máxima de colheita podem ter um efeito negativo sobre a mesma, reduzindo a área de habitat interior. Adicionalmente, a fragmentação das áreas de colheita causa o aumento no custo das operações envolvidas nesta atividade. Neste contexto, o objetivo do capítulo 5 foi o de introduzir restrições para a formação de blocos de colheita respeitando uma área mínima determinada, avaliando os efeitos desta restrição sobre a configuração espacial dos talhões e receita advinda da floresta. No sexto capítulo, ainda sobre a ótica da formação de blocos de colheita, são estudadas alternativas para promover a agregação das áreas de colheita, através da maximização das adjacências entre talhões em um mesmo ano do horizonte de planejamento. Foram avaliados para tal fim modelos de Programação Linear Inteira Mista e modelos de Goal Programming. No último capítulo, ainda sobre a ótica da agregação das áreas de colheita, se buscou a conectividade dos talhões a serem colhidos em um mesmo ano do horizonte de planejamento. Para tal, foi aplicado um modelo baseado no problema da arborescência mínima. Os efeitos da inclusão de critérios para a formação de blocos de colheita foram avaliados com base no agendamento espacial da colheita e na alteração do VPL gerado pela floresta. Palavras chave: planejamento espacial, otimização, agregação da colheita florestalAbstract: Spatial relationships related to the pattern resulting from forest harvest activities have become an important component of forest planning. Usually, these spatial relationships are included in forest planning scenarios through the consideration of neighborhood relationships between the stands. The major part of literature regarding the consideration of spatial questions is related to limiting the maximum harvest area. Limiting the maximum harvest area is viewed as a way to benefit wildlife and reduce the impacts on the soil caused by the machinery. This planning problem is addressed in the fourth chapter of this study, which has the objective of including maximum area constraints applying URM and ARM approaches in an optimized forest planning model of a forest composed by 236 Pinus and Eucalyptus stands. Initially proposed to benefit wildlife, the fragmentation caused by the constraints that limit the maximum harvest area can have a negative impact on the wildlife, reducing the interior habitats. Additionally, the fragmentation of harvest area causes an increase in the cost of the harvesting operations. In this context, the objective of chapter 5 was to introduce constraints for blocking harvesting activities, respecting a minimum area and evaluate its effect on the spatial configuration of stands scheduled for harvesting and on the receipt coming from the forest. In the sixth chapter, still addressing the clustering of harvest activities, approaches to promote the aggregation of stands are studied. This is addressed through the maximization of adjacencies between stands in a same year of the planning horizon. For performing this analyses models of Mixed Integer Linear Programming and Goal Programming were tested. In the last chapter, still aiming for aggregating the harvesting areas, it was sought to obtain the connectivity of stands to be harvest in the same year of the planning horizon. To achieve the connectivity, a model based in the minimum spanning tree problem was applied. The effects of inclusion of the clustering criteria was evaluated based on the spatial distribution of stands scheduled for harvesting and in the variation of the NVP generated by the forest. Key words: spatial planning; optimization; clustering forest harvestin

Conservation Costs of Retention Forestry and Optimal Habitat Network Selection in Southwestern Germany

Promoting the maintenance of biodiversity in managed forests should take into account economic efficiency of conservation plans. Therefore, novel economic valuation schemes must be developed in order to support conservation programs and mitigate biodiversity loss. Here, we assess the economic implications of retention forestry practices and create a habitat network in a mixed-montane forest in Southwestern Germany. We applied a simulation-optimization approach for i) evaluation of retention forestry practices applied in the region, ii) creation of forest reserves with a minimum eligible area for biodiversity conservation and establishing a connecting corridor with minimum cost, and iii) allocation of deadwood islands inside the connecting corridor with minimum cost. The average opportunity cost arising from retention forestry practices amounted to 1795 EUR/ha by leaving a minimum deadwood volume of 35 m3/ha and 2.5-5 habitat trees /ha. The optimized plan for establishing a habitat network would reduce the net present value (NPV) of forest management between 3.7% and 4.2%, and the novel design for the allocation of deadwood islands would impose a marginal reduction (<1%) to the NPV. We conclude that the creation of a habitat network for biodiversity conservation can be realized with the minimum trade-off to forest management profitability.peerReviewe

IMPLEMENTING MINIMUM AREA HARVESTING BLOCKS IN AN OPTIMIZED FOREST PLANNING MODEL1

ABSTRACT The spatial relationships between forest stands scheduled for harvesting are crucial for forest planning, once they affect directly environmental impacts and logistic aspects related to this operation. In this context, the objective of this study was to perform the optimized forest planning of a Pinus taeda, Pinus elliottii and Eucalyptus dunnii forest, composed by 236 stands, including minimum area constraints. Two approaches were applied for clustering harvesting activities. The first approach considered the inclusion of a set of constraints so-called ring inequalities, proposed by Carvajal et al. (2013). The second approach was based on the formulation proposed by Rebain and McDill (2003) for the creation of old-growth forest areas. Both formulations were capable to generate harvesting blocks with minimum area requirements, causing a reduction up to 5.1% in the objective function for the most restrictive scenario. We conclude that the formulation based on Carvajal et al. (2013) is the best alternative when only minimum area constraints are considered, due to the inferior number of constraints and superior performance in terms of the NPV generated

Bridging the Gap between the Estimates of Forest Management Emissions from the National GHG Inventories and Integrated Assessment Models via Model–Data Fusion

Current criteria to define managed forests are inconsistent among countries’ reports of GHG emissions to UNFCCC. Integrated assessment models used for assessing countries’ mitigation pathways employ a proxy for managed forests that differ from the countries’ criteria. This is one of the reasons for the gap of 5.5 GtCO2 year−1 between the modelled and reported global land-use GHG emissions. Using multiple data, we developed a map of managed forests (0.5 × 0.5 deg), consistent with official GHG inventories. We applied the map in the G4M model for masking a managed forest area and estimating the GHG emissions from that area

SPATIAL FOREST HARVEST PLANNING CONSIDERING MAXIMUM OPERATIONAL AREAS

One of the biggest challenges that forest managers face in forest planning is related to logistic issues of forest harvesting. The operational planning of forest harvesting must consider simultaneously the economic and environmental concerns, searching for increasing the efficiency and mitigating environmental damage related to the opening of forest cover. The inclusion of spatial aspects in forest harvesting is usually done through adjacency constraints. The main approaches to solve this sort of problem are ARM (Area restriction Model) and URM (Unit Restriction Model) models. In this context, the objective of this study was to perform the optimized forest planning of 236 stands of a Pinus taeda and Eucalyptus sp. forest, incorporating classical constraints like available area, timber flow, among others, and ARM and URM constraints, evaluating their effects on the optimization results. With the optimization outcomes, it is possible to conclude that ARM and URM model approaches are viable alternatives for solving forest harvest scheduling problems, being the ARM approach most suited for our case study, due to the possibility of higher profitability, while respecting maximum harvesting areas

Realizing Mitigation Efficiency of European Commercial Forests by Climate Smart Forestry

Abstract European temperate and boreal forests sequester up to 12% of Europe’s annual carbon emissions. Forest carbon density can be manipulated through management to maximize its climate mitigation potential, and fast-growing tree species may contribute the most to Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) compared to slow-growing hardwoods. This type of CSF takes into account not only forest resource potentials in sequestering carbon, but also the economic impact of regional forest products and discounts both variables over time. We used the process-based forest model 4 C to simulate European commercial forests’ growth conditions and coupled it with an optimization algorithm to simulate the implementation of CSF for 18 European countries encompassing 68.3 million ha of forest (42.4% of total EU-28 forest area). We found a European CSF policy that could sequester 7.3–11.1 billion tons of carbon, projected to be worth 103 to 141 billion euros in the 21st century. An efficient CSF policy would allocate carbon sequestration to European countries with a lower wood price, lower labor costs, high harvest costs, or a mixture thereof to increase its economic efficiency. This policy prioritized the allocation of mitigation efforts to northern, eastern and central European countries and favored fast growing conifers Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris to broadleaves Fagus sylvatica and Quercus species

Fire Weather Compromises Large-scale Afforestation Scenarios

Forestation can contribute to climate change mitigation. However, the globally increasing frequency and intensity of climate extremes will lead to more profound and frequent forest disturbances affecting the mitigation potential of forestation efforts. Here, we critically assess the forestation scenarios of five different Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) by quantifying the spatially explicit exposure of forestation scenarios to fire weather and a detailed overview of the modeled forest - climate change feedbacks. Few IAMs are currently accounting for such feedbacks. Consequently many forestation areas proposed by IAM scenarios will be exposed to fire-promoting weather conditions. We conclude that the actual climate mitigation potential of forestation in IAM scenarios is subject to substantial uncertainty and that the risk of overly optimistic estimates of negative emission potential of forestation should be avoided. As a way forward we exemplify how to integrate more detailed climate information when modeling forestation scenarios