TECHNOLOGICAL ADAPTATION TO RESOURCE SCARCITY IN THE U.S. LUMBER INDUSTRY

This paper provides an econometric investigation of the role of a renewable natural resource, sawlogs, in the production of lumber over the period 1950-1974. The economic scarcity of sawlogs is confirmed. Within a given production technology, the potential for substitution among capital, labor and sawlog inputs is greatly restricted but not impossible. Technological change has been strongly labor-saving but has had a negligible effect on wood requirements. Consequently, the real price of lumber has risen, stimulating development of substitute wood products. Continued decline of the industry is anticipated.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Upper midwest regional capstone award program

Five Upper Midwest universities—Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point—all offer a capstone course or capstone sequence for senior students in forestry that results in a written paper or project report. The five universities have collaborated with private industry and public agencies to develop an award program for these capstone reports. In this paper we describe the capstone courses taught by each of the universities and their project requirements. We summarize experience gained on the administrative and judging requirements and procedures, including those relating to costs and funding, during the first year of the competition. We also discuss the benefits of the program to students, faculty and the participating industries and agencie

Economies Of Plant and Firm Size in the Unites States Pulp and Paper Industries

Statistics from the United States Bureau of the Census, census of manufacturers of 1972 for the pulp and paper industries, were analyzed with respect to labor productivity and profitability for evidence of economies of scale. In the pulp industry, profitability and productivity appeared to decrease sharply for mills with more than 500 employees. For paper and paperboard, productivity and profitability tended to level off or decline only slightly in mills with more than 500 employees. Only in the small building paper and paperboard industry did the largest mills exhibit the highest productivity. Integrated paper mills appeared more profitable than nonintegrated mills, but even the former revealed a limit to productivity gains resulting from increases in size. Employees in large mills received significantly higher wages and worked fewer overtime hours. Survivor data for pulp mills indicated a strong increase in the relative frequency of plants with 250 to 500 employees, and a large decrease in plants with 100 to 250 employees. For paper mills, a small increase in the relative number of plants with more than 250 employees was apparent. Survivor data for other industries were inconclusive. For the three largest industries, there was no evidence of economies of scale at the firm level offsetting the stagnation or decline of productivity in large plants. Size of plants appeared to explain most of the variation in productivity among firms

Population ecology of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) as an invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and an imperiled species in Europe

The sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus (Linnaeus) is both an invasive non-native species in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America and an imperiled species in much of its native range in North America and Europe. To compare and contrast how understanding of population ecology is useful for control programs in the Great Lakes and restoration programs in Europe, we review current understanding of the population ecology of the sea lamprey in its native and introduced range. Some attributes of sea lamprey population ecology are particularly useful for both control programs in the Great Lakes and restoration programs in the native range. First, traps within fish ladders are beneficial for removing sea lampreys in Great Lakes streams and passing sea lampreys in the native range. Second, attractants and repellants are suitable for luring sea lampreys into traps for control in the Great Lakes and guiding sea lamprey passage for conservation in the native range. Third, assessment methods used for targeting sea lamprey control in the Great Lakes are useful for targeting habitat protection in the native range. Last, assessment methods used to quantify numbers of all life stages of sea lampreys would be appropriate for measuring success of control in the Great Lakes and success of conservation in the native range

An economic approach to African game cropping

Master of ScienceForestryUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113845/1/39015003272435.pd

TECHNOLOGICAL ADAPTATION TO RESOURCE SCARCITY IN THE U.S. LUMBER INDUSTRY

This paper provides an econometric investigation of the role of a renewable natural resource, sawlogs, in the production of lumber over the period 1950-1974. The economic scarcity of sawlogs is confirmed. Within a given production technology, the potential for substitution among capital, labor and sawlog inputs is greatly restricted but not impossible. Technological change has been strongly labor-saving but has had a negligible effect on wood requirements. Consequently, the real price of lumber has risen, stimulating development of substitute wood products. Continued decline of the industry is anticipated