Trends in Wood Quality for the British Columbia Coast and the United States, Pacific Northwest, Westside

Abstract

Abstract Two alternative methods of measuring wood quality are described—the index number approach and the hedonic approach. Indices of wood quality are constructed for the Vancouver Forest Region (VFR), 1925-80, the Vancouver Log Market (VLM), 1925-82 and the Pacific Northwest, West-side (PNW) log market, 1957-82. The general hypothesis that the quality of the wood supply on the British Columbia (BC) Coast has declined over time is confirmed. However, this decline proceeded at a decreasing rate between 1925 and 1970, and during the 1970s an increase in wood quality was measured. This increase was more pronounced for the VLM than for the VFR. Wood quality declined at a faster rate in the PNW than in B.C. from 1957 to 1982. On the VLM, most of the decline in wood quality, prior to 1957, was due to deterioration in the grade mix while between 1957 and 1970 changes in the species mix was the dominant factor. On the PNW log market, quality decline between 1957 and 1982 was entirely due to deterioration in the grade mix, the species mix showing some improvement during this period. For. Sci. 34(1):176-189.