Harvest Scheduling as a Timber Appraisal Tool

Appraisers often value a forest that contains many different timber stands that can vary due to factors such as age, stocking, species, and site index. Many assumptions are possible on how the various stands will be harvested and what subsequent cash flows might be generated. We describe harvest scheduling methodology that is widely used to obtain the net present value of such a forest under optimal conditions. We illustrate how a popular software package can be used by appraisers to obtain optimal discounted cash flows using harvest scheduling and resulting timber stand values. ChristopherProduction Economics,

External factors shaping the 2010 forester: Continuing education from an academic point of view

Professional obsolescence is a danger facing all foresters. All too many foreste·rs consider their educational commitment to terminate when they earn their degree. The competency of the professional forester can quickly erode if the forester does not develop a personal continuing education program

Bullish on Forestry Careers

During the next decade, baby boomer-aged foresters, those born from 1946 to 1964, will be retiring in large numbers. This retirement trend is true for all sectors of forestry employment, from state and federal agencies to private firms and industries. Forestry employers in both public and private sectors are clamoring for more graduates, as well as for more diverse graduates, from forestry degree programs. With looming retirements and industry growth, employers can project the number of positions opening, and they are aware that U.S. forestry schools are not producing sufficient graduates to fill the positions

Business aspects of the Mid-South forest economy

Timber resources and related economic activity are substantial in the Mid-South states of Tennessee Alabama Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Most of u; are awar~ that timber is an important aspect of our regional economy. We observe many stands of timber and often see it being harvested and transported to shipping points and manuf~cturing facilities. Many, however, do not fully appreoate the absolute size of the Mid-South\u27s forest resources, nor their relative importance to states within the region. The Mid-South forest economy is described in two sections: (1) forest resources in general and (2) timber manufacturing or processing. Value added and employment and wages for Mid-South forest industries are considered in the analysis. These aspects of the forest products industry allow us to compare states within the region, to characterize the Mid-South\u27s position in the national forest economy, and to show the importance of forestry to Mid-South businessmen

Anomalous dynamical scaling in anharmonic chains and plasma models with multiparticle collisions

We study the anomalous dynamical scaling of equilibrium correlations in one dimensional systems. Two different models are compared: the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam chain with cubic and quartic nonlinearity and a gas of point particles interacting stochastically through the multiparticle collision dynamics. For both models -that admit three conservation laws- by means of detailed numerical simulations we verify the predictions of nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamics for the structure factors of density and energy fluctuations at equilibrium. Despite this, violations of the expected scaling in the currents correlation are found in some regimes, hindering the observation of the asymptotic scaling predicted by the theory. In the case of the gas model this crossover is clearly demonstrated upon changing the coupling constant.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. Matching the version published in Phys. Rev.

Basic concepts in computer analysis of forestry investments

In the last 20 years alone, computer hardware and software developments have dramatically increased our ability to calculate financial criteria quickly and accurately. While these advances have dramatically increased our ability to calculate, they have not replaced the need to understand what is being calculated, or how the results should be interpreted and applied. Our objective in the present article is to provide background information for understandingthe what and how of computer applications for forestry investment analysis. We briefly discuss the most important financial criteria that are calculated by investment analysis computer programs; we also describe their recommended uses and briefly review important guidelines for forestry financial analysis in general

Continuing education needs of natural resource professionals

New products, technology and changing social attitudes have created continuing education needs in many natural resource-related professions. Environmental educations rapidly become obsolete without continued study, and many professional organizations are addressing this problem. Causes of professional obsolescence· are briefly reviewed with emphasis on natural resource managers. Foresters\u27 needs and continuing education efforts are discussed to illustrate continuing education concepts in an environmental and natural resource-related profession

Structure and funding of state-level forestry cost-share programs

State cost-share programs have become a popular means of encouraging forest management activities on private nonindustrial lands. Programs have been started in 13 states most with extensive forest industries and high percentages of private nonindustrial land ownership. Cost-shares are a direct economic incentive and are used to encourage such specific practices as reforestation after harvest. Although the need for forestry cost-share programs has been questioned in the past, accomplishments have been high and programs have been effective in increasing reforestation on private lands

Forestry and natural resources investment analysis via computer software

The valuation of forestry and natural resources investments and projects often present challenging analysis problems that require the use of computer software. Obtaining useful results from such packages are often difficult due to complex user/ program interfaces, while most are also subscriber~based and not freely available