Is This the Age of Intensive Management? A Study of Loblolly Pine on Georgia's Piedmont

Authors: Yin R.¹; Sedjo R.A.²

Source: Journal of Forestry, Volume 99, Number 12, 1 December 2001 , pp. 10-17(8)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

Using data for loblolly pine from Georgia's Piedmont, we find that, although the transition from natural to artificial regeneration leads to increased and better distributed stems, the control of competing vegetation results in a dramatic boost to the growth rate from previous- to current-generation plantations. Our results indicate that the marginal returns of forest management are increasing rather than diminishing; the more intensive the management, the better its economic performance. These findings suggest that intensive management represents a major technical change and bodes well for the future of commercial forestry in the South.

Keywords: economics; herbicides; plantation forestry; silviculture; environmental management; forest; forest management; forest resources; forestry; forestry research; forestry science; natural resources; natural resource management

Document Type: Miscellaneous

Affiliations: 1: Assistant Professor Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, 126 Natural Resources, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1222, yinr@msu.edu 2: Director Forest Economics and Policy Program, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC

Publication date: 2001-12-01

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