Abundant Forest Resources Research Articles

Texas trade in forest products industry

Texas boasts abundant forest resources, providing substantial economic and ecological benefits statewide. This study examines the trends in forest product trade within Texas over the past two decades, focusing on key disruptions during this period. The analysis categorizes the forest products industry into two main markets: solid wood and paper and pulp, further dividing the industry into five core sectors. The findings indicate that Texas operates as a net importer of solid wood and wood furniture products while serving as a net exporter of wood pulp and, paper and paperboard products. Both import and export values have generally shown a gradual increase over time. Notably, Mexico emerged as Texas’s primary trade partner for both imports and exports in 2023. Additionally, Texas ranks as the second-largest exporter of paper and paperboard products nationally while also being the second-largest importer of solid wood products and wood furniture products. The study highlights the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on Texas’s trade dynamics, emphasizing the crucial need for ongoing monitoring of trade policies and international relationships. These factors have the potential to exert significant influence on Texas’s trade landscape in the foreseeable future.

Study on the Geographical Spatial Characteristics of Forest Health Resorts in Fujian Province, China

Forest health tourism is an increasingly popular new form of tourism. Fujian Province, with its abundant forest resources, ranks among the top provinces in China in terms of forest coverage and holds significant development potential. The study focuses on 80 provincial-level forest health resorts in Fujian Province, China. Software such as the ArcGIS geographic information system is used to analyze the resorts’ nearest neighbor index, geographic concentration index, kernel density, etc., thus indicating their spatial distribution characteristics. Overlay analysis, correlation analysis, and fitting analysis are employed to explore the spatial distribution specificity and its influencing factors. The research results indicate that forest health resorts in the area exhibit an aggregated distribution with a higher overall concentration. They are influenced by factors such as the distribution of river systems, the accessibility of transportation, distance to central cities, and socio-economic conditions. The geographic concentration index (G) is 50.28 and the unevenness index (S) is 0.640, both indicating that the forest health resorts in Fujian Province demonstrate a distribution pattern of “overall dispersion with multiple core aggregations”. Based on the research findings, the article puts forward some policy insights. Taking into account the local geographical characteristics, it advocates for the rational development of forest health resort industry models suitable for the region. It suggests incorporating innovative ideas into the forest health resort industry in order to broaden development channels. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of close collaboration between the government and the market for mutual development.

Research on Constraints and Countermeasures of Forest Carbon Sink Economic Development in Sichuan Province

In response to global climate change, China has made a solemn commitment to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, with the development of carbon sink economy being an important approach to fulfill the dual carbon goals. Sichuan Province, with its abundant forest resources and vast territory, possesses a strong carbon sink capacity, which naturally lends itself to the development of a carbon sink economy. Based on Sichuan Province, this paper analyzes the current situation and challenges of carbon sink economic development, explores the ecological compensation mechanism for carbon sink economy under the dual drivers of ecological protection and economic development, harnesses the ecological functions of carbon sink economy, and contributes to the realization of the dual carbon goals, in line with the concept of “Clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets”.

Spatiotemporal Patterns and Risk Zoning of Wildfire Occurrences in Northeast China from 2001 to 2019

Wildfires, a recurring and persistent natural disaster, present direct threats to both ecological balance and human safety. Despite the northeastern region of China boasting abundant forest resources, it grapples with a significant wildfire issue. This study, focused on China’s northeastern region, employs sophisticated methodologies, including the Mann–Kendall (MK) mutation test, sliding t-test, and geographical heat maps, to unveil the spatial distribution and temporal trends of wildfires. Furthermore, a random forest model is utilized to develop a wildfire susceptibility map, enabling an in-depth analysis of the relationships between various potential factors and wildfires, along with an assessment of the significance of these driving factors. The research findings indicate that wildfires in the northeastern region exhibit distinct seasonality, with the highest occurrences in the autumn and spring and fewer incidents in the summer and winter. Apart from the spring season, historical wildfires show a decreasing trend during other seasons. Geographically, wildfires tend to cluster, with over half of the high-risk areas concentrated at the junction of the Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains in the northeastern region. The random forest model assumes a pivotal role in the analysis, accurately identifying both natural and human-induced factors, including topography, climate, vegetation, and anthropogenic elements. This research further discloses that climate factors predominantly influence wildfires in the northeastern region, with sunshine duration being the most influential factor. In summary, this study highlights the variation in various wildfire-driving factors, providing the basis for tailored management strategies and region-specific fire prevention. Through a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns of wildfires and associated risk factors, this research offers valuable insights for mitigating wildfire risks and preserving the region’s ecological integrity.

Exergy and energy analysis of a hybrid natural Gas/Hydrogen liquefaction cycle combined with methanol production plant

This paper presents an innovative renewable multi-generation system designed to simultaneously produce various fuels, including biomass-based methanol, liquid hydrogen, and liquid natural gas. This system is part of a broader strategy aimed at streamlining different processes within a comprehensive plant, enabling the simultaneous production of multiple biomass-based fuels at a single location. The implementation of this system in regions where natural gas liquefaction plants coexist with abundant forest resources allows for the efficient production of all required fuels. In this process, a new configuration leverages to regenerate the waste heat of methanol synthesis process in the diffusion absorption refrigeration cycle integrated to the natural gas liquefaction process to maximize energy and exergy efficiencies. Additionally, three hydrogen liquefaction processes are evaluated to identify the most suitable option based on performance, efficiency, and power consumption. The investigations reveal that the combined mixed refrigerant cycle (CMRC) emerges as the ideal choice for hydrogen liquefaction process, characterized by lower power consumption and a higher coefficient of performance. The energy and exergy efficiencies of biomass gasification and methanol synthesis processes are 87.54% and 80.41%. The energetic coefficient of performance of the natural gas liquefaction process and CMRC is 0.9 and 0.2209. The specific power consumption of natural gas liquefaction process is 0.225 kWh/kgLNG, and the specific power consumption of CMRC is 5.462 kWh/kgLH2. The natural gas liquefaction process is responsible for the highest portion of the total exergy destruction, with 32%.

Carbon emission reduction effects in Yangtze River Delta from the dual perspectives of forest resource endowment and low-carbon pilot policy in the digital age

Although Chinese society has transformed into the digital age, carbon peaking and neutrality are still important starting points for implementing the national strategy of green and low-carbon integrated growth in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China. With data from 41 cities in YRD from 2005 to 2019, this paper empirically analyzes the carbon emission reduction effects from dual perspectives of forest resource endowment and low-carbon pilot policy in the digital age. The findings include: (1) Forest resources are indeed conducive to reducing carbon emissions. However, when considering the carbon sequestration effect of forests, a nonlinear U-shaped relationship exists between forest resource abundance and net carbon emissions per GDP. (2) Low-carbon city pilot policies are effective in reducing carbon emissions. (3) Low-carbon pilot policies perform better in smart cities, resource-based cities, and cities with abundant forest resources, showing significant heterogeneity. Forests can be relied on to assist in carbon emission reduction in the short term, but in the long term, a forest ecosystem with biodiversity is needed to achieve low-carbon sustainable development. This article provides some experience and references for building green and carbon-neutral cities for YRD in the digital age.

The Impact of Grassroots Forestry Institutions on Forest Carbon Sequestration: Evidence from China’s Collective Forests

Many countries have established grassroots forestry institutions to manage and protect small-scale forestry resources and provide technology and services to private foresters. Since the inception of township forestry workstations (TFWs) in China almost 70 years ago, TFW has supported resource protection and forest property reform. In this paper, we employ fixed effect models to test the effects of TFW on collective forest carbon density and provide evidence for improving the quality of collective forests. Our results demonstrate that TFWs in China improve the carbon density of collective forests by performing forestry management and service functions. However, significant differences in TFWs exist under different management systems, and the dual leadership township forestry workstation (D_TWF) is more effective in increasing the carbon density of collective forests. The management system’s heterogeneity directly affects its performance, with D_TWF performing better management functions and the single leadership township forestry workstation (S_TWF) performing better service functions. These results underscore the importance of reforming the TFW management system in accordance with local conditions. In areas with abundant forest resources, the TFW’s management system should shift to single leadership (jurisdictional or vertical management). In forest resource-scarce regions, the TFW’s management system should change to dual leadership.

Complex network analysis of global forest products trade pattern

Forest products trade has a critical role to play in both global economic development and environmental protection. Based on the trade data of global forest products, raw forest products, and processed forest products from 2000 to 2020, this paper constructed a trade network and analyzed its pattern by using indicators such as density, average distance, out-strength, and in-strength. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the global trade network of forest products has been increasingly connected. Compared with the trade of raw material forest products, the trade network of processed forest products is more closely connected and its transport efficiency is higher. Countries with high GDP such as USA, China, and Germany are leading trading countries in forest products. Countries with abundant forest resources are the major exporters of raw forest products, while labor- and capital-abundant countries are major exporters of processed forest products. Countries with abundant labor and capital and high GDP are the main importers of raw forest products.

Economic and Ecological Impacts of Adjusting the Age-Class Structure in Korean Forests: Application of Constraint on the Period-to-Period Variation in Timber Production for Long-Term Forest Management

South Korea’s successful reforestation efforts over the past 50 years have led to abundant forest resources. However, intensive reforestation during the 1970s and 1980s skewed the forests’ age distribution towards forest stands aged 30 years or older, which results in an unbalanced distribution of age-class, requiring redistribution with harvest and effective regeneration plans to produce a sustained yield of timber as well as long term ecological benefits. During this conversion process, variations in timber production can occur, causing economic and ecological risks if excessive. To prevent these likely risks, permissible levels of increase and decrease in timber production can be restricted in the planning phase. In determining the appropriate variation rate in timber production, it is necessary to understand the impacts of variation in timber production on forest management. This study performed a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the economic and ecological impacts of constraining the period-to-period variation in timber production. A multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) forest management planning model was utilized to study forests in Mt. Gari, South Korea. Nine management alternatives were set with different levels of variation rate in timber production and further constraints. The total volume and net present value (NPV) of timber production, carbon storage, and water storage were analyzed for each alternative. As timber production variation rates decreased, the amount of timber production increased and forest carbon storage decreased; furthermore, NPV diminished as variation constraints strengthened. These differences were mainly caused by selection of regeneration species according to the constraint on variation in timber production. If the variation rate was strictly restricted, the area of timber species with short rotation age increased during conversion period, in order to reduce the gap of timber production between periods. At the latter part of planning horizon, the area of broad-leaved trees was enlarged as the burden of adjusting age-class structure reduced. The appropriate variation rate in timber production was determined to be 30%, based on considerations regarding the economic and ecological impact of the variation on the forest.

Measurement of Forest Carbon Sink Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors Empirical Evidence from China

The efficiency and productivity improvement are the core requirements of high-quality development, while improving the efficiency of forest carbon sinks is an important means and fundamental way to achieve their high-quality development. Based on the forests and socioeconomic development data of 31 provinces (cities and districts) in China from 2004 to 2018, the biomass method and DEA-Tobit panel regression model were used to analyze the level of forest carbon stock, carbon sink and carbon sink efficiency, and factors influencing forest carbon sink efficiency in China’s provinces. The results indicated that: ① nationwide forest carbon stocks and carbon sinks increased successively while carbon density decreased. The regions with higher carbon stock, carbon sink, and carbon density were concentrated in the northeast and southwest forest areas with abundant forest resources. ② During the 7th to 9th forest inventory, the efficiency of forest carbon sinks was on a low and decreasing trend. The mean values of comprehensive efficiency in general for the 7th to 9th forest inventory periods were 0.421 and 0.336, respectively. The scale efficiency in the decomposition efficiency was above 0.650 for both inventory periods, and gradually increased, showing that the gap between the actual scale and the optimal production scale of forestry carbon sink was decreasing. The pure technical efficiency level represented the production efficiency of input factors at the optimal scale of forestry carbon sinks. The mean values of the two periods are 0.639 and 0.514, respectively, while the differences within the production frontier surface are 0.361 and 0.486, which indicates that there is input redundancy or output deficiency in the two periods as a whole. ③ The total annual precipitation and the level of socioeconomic development have significant driving effects on the improvement of forest carbon sink efficiency, while the incidence of pests and diseases, abnormal changes in temperature, afforestation area and the development of population urbanization have significant inhibiting effects on the improvement of forest carbon sink efficiency in China.

THE IMPACTS OF INVESTMENT IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR ON THE INDONESIAN ECONOMY

Indonesia has abundant forest resources, reaching 120 million hectares of forest area. However, the forestry sector's contribution to the national economy continues to decline. The low performance of the forestry sector cannot be separated from the limited availability of round-wood materials for its processing industries and insufficient development of the multi-businesses activities among the forestry companies. Therefore, increasing the forestry sector's productivity is necessary through raising investment. This study investigates the impacts of investment in the forestry sector on Indonesian economic performance, including output, income, employment, and import, using the Input-Output (I-O) Model. The results show that investment in the forestry sector will increase output, income, and labour in the forestry sector and its related sectors. However, with the increase in its output, the demand for inputs, including round-wood materials, will also increase, encouraging a rise in imports. Thus, an increase in investment in the forestry sector needs to be balanced with the availability of roundwood materials and other associated inputs in Indonesia. For the follow-up research, it is important to separate the investment into upstream and downstream activities along the forestry value chain and include a regional aspect in the analysis.

Timber carbon stocks and influencing factors in the “Belt and Road Initiative” region

Most “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) countries are developing countries in the early and middle stages of economic development and industrialization. The ecological environment in the BRI region is relatively fragile. Therefore, ensuring the green development of the BRI is of great significance for realizing global sustainable development goals. As the largest terrestrial ecosystem, forests can offset carbon dioxide emissions and maintain biodiversity. This paper aims to study the BRI region's timber carbon stock flow pattern and the influencing factors. A multi-regional input-output model and carbon stock-accounting methods are used to analyze the embodied timber carbon stock flows. We also reveal the spatiotemporal characteristics of embodied timber carbon stocks in critical countries. Furthermore, a structural decomposition analysis (SDA) is used to examine the factors that influence timber carbon stock changes. The results show that the timber carbon stocks imported to the BRI region account for an increasing percentage of the global imported volume, while the exported percentage has decreased. Although the BRI region has been a net export, the net export volume has shown a declining trend. China and India are the largest timber carbon stock consumers in the BRI region. The United States, Japan, and Germany are the main export destination countries of timber carbon stocks outside the BRI region. The major source countries of timber export have transferred to developed countries outside the BRI region due to the requirement of forest certification systems for combating illegal logging. The changes in the import and export of embodied timber carbon stocks are mainly affected by the negative effect of timber carbon stock intensity and the positive effect of per-capita final demand. The analyses indicate that the developing countries in BRI region with abundant forest resources no longer rely on deforestation to export raw materials in exchange for low profits. Instead, they are gradually enacting sustainable forest management, and exporting wood products with higher added value.

China’s Forest Eco-Bank Project: An Analysis Based on the Actor-Network Theory

The high degree of fragmentation and unsustainable exploitation patterns of forest resources have become prominent obstacles to the realisation of the economic and social value of China’s forest resources. China’s forest eco-bank (FEB) project was set up to achieve centralised utilisation of diffuse forest resources in an underdeveloped area. Analysing FEB projects is of great significance to countries with abundant forest resources aiming to benefit from the economic and ecological functions of such resources and achieve sustainable economic and social development. This study uses the actor-network theory framework to analyse cooperation among various actors in the implementation process of the FEB project in China. Our results indicate the following. First, the government was the principal actor playing a vital role in motivating the other parties and driving the project forward. Second, the diffuse nature of China’s forest resources is a major obstacle to their utilisation. The centralised integration of forest resources is a prerequisite for their effective utilisation. Finally, it is necessary to improve the balance of interests of the various actors to promote a more stable actor network and attract more actors to participate in the FEB project.

Forest fire susceptibility assessment using google earth engine in Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

Forest fires are one of the most frequently occurring natural hazards, causing substantial economic loss and destruction of forest cover. As the Gangwon-do region in Korea has abundant forest resources and ecological diversity as Korea's largest forest area, spatial data on forest fire susceptibility of the region are urgently required. In this study, a forest fire susceptibility map (FFSM) of Gangwon-do was constructed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and three machine learning algorithms: Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Random Forest (RF), and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). The factors related to climate, topography, hydrology, and human activity were constructed. To verify the accuracy, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used. The AUC values were 0.846 (BRT), 0.835 (RF), 0.751 (CART). Factor importance analysis was performed to identify the important factors of the occurrence of forest fires in Gangwon-do. The results show that the most important factor in the Gangwon-do region is slope. A slope of approximately 17° (moderately steep) has a considerable impact on the occurrence of forest fires. Human activity and interference are the other important factors that affect forest fires. The established FFSM can support future efforts on forest resource protection and environmental management planning in Gangwon-do.

Forest Carbon Sink Evaluation – An Important Contribution for Carbon Neutrality

Forest carbon sink refers to the carbon storage in nature, including the process, activity and mechanism of removing carbon dioxide from the air. Forest carbon sinks play a very important role in reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and slowing down the global warming process. Fujian Province is one of the key forest areas in southeast China. It has a mild climate, abundant rainfall, superior natural conditions, and abundant forest resources. According to the National Forest Resources Continuous Inventory Statistics, the Fujian forest coverage rate reached 66.8% in 2018 and has kept the No. 1 ranking in China for the past 40 consecutive years. The potential of forest carbon sink resources is considerable. This article first analyzes forest carbon sinks and their advantages, and then studies the development of forest carbon sinks in Fujian Province, and carries out quantitative estimation. Finally, relevant suggestions for the development of forest carbon sinks are given.

Peluang dan strategi pengurangan emisi di Kawasan Delta Mahakam, Kalimantan Timur

Mahakam Delta area which functions as a Permanent Production Forest has abundant forest resources. However, there is a lack of management of the Mahakam Delta forest area which causes degradation and of mangrove forests to fish and shrimp ponds. This study aims to provide a rational, measurable, efficient and effective conceptual framework for exploiting mangrove forest resources by taking into account the socio-economic business aspects, emission reduction, local community culture and the preservation of mangrove forests in the Mahakam Delta area to achieve independent management of the Mahakam Delta. The method used in this study is Action Learning in which business plan concepts are introduced by promoting the principle of emission reduction to representatives of the KPHP Delta Mahakam. The results show the need for several improvements and strategies to resolve the Mahakam Delta problem, such as resolving pond conflicts, fostering and monitoring the Mahakam Delta area, synergies with related stakeholders, and optimal utilization of forest potential.
 Keywords: Business Strategy, Mahakam Delta, Production Forest, Emission

Antidumping Duty Investigations and Decisions in the Global Forest Products Industry

Abstract Special tariffs have been increasingly adopted to protect domestic industries from potential injury caused by unfair international trade. In this study, a multinomial logit model is employed to examine the patterns and determinants of antidumping duty investigations in the global forest products industry. From 1995 to 2015, a total of 372 relevant cases are identified. The number of firms and the inclusion of unions as a petitioner generally improve the probability of an affirmative decision. The characteristics of petition countries have shown more impacts on the decisions than those of target countries. Developing countries have initiated a larger number of antidumping duty investigations in the global forest products industry, and furthermore, they are more inclined to adopt antidumping duties than developed countries. Countries with abundant forest resources and more forest products trade are more likely to make an affirmative decision. These findings will provide helpful information to industrial firms and government agencies in dealing with the challenges of global competition. Study Implications The findings reveal that getting more stakeholders involved in an antidumping duty investigation will increase the probability of trade intervention. The economic status in petition countries is the primary determinant of the decisions from antidumping duty investigations in the global forest products industry. Developing countries not only have initiated a large number of antidumping duty investigations in the forest products industry but also have been more inclined to adopt antidumping duties. Antidumping duty investigations offer an opportunity to countries with abundant forest resources and extensive forest products trade in case of unfair international competition.

Investigating the Optimal Location of Potential Forest Industry Clusters to Enhance Domestic Timber Utilization in South Korea

South Korea has abundant forest resources capable of supplying the domestic wood demand. Despite the extensive forest resources, there is continued uncertainty about the nature, quantity, and quality of the timber contained in any particular forested area. Additionally, some technical, logistic, and economic challenges act as barriers to the expansion of domestic timber utilization. To overcome these limitations and to enhance the domestic timber utilization in South Korea, this study investigated the optimal location of potential forest industry clusters. The potential forest availability was estimated based on localized allometric equations. The integration of the analytical hierarchy process and GIS modeling, including a supply chain that minimizes transportation costs, allowed the identification of optimal forest industry clusters locations that balanced the economic, environmental, and social dimensions within the forest industry supply chain. The study reveals that the estimated potential forest resources availability presented approximately 1 billion m3, including sawlog (474 million m3) and pulpwood grade (541 million m3). Additionally, 45 percent of the sawlogs and 48 percent of the pup grade wood were produced from the Gangwon and Gyeongsangbuk-do regions. Furthermore, the logistic analysis indicates that ten potential forest industry clusters are best aligned with the optimal socio-economic impacts with minimized timber transportation costs. To identify the optimal size and number of potential forest industry clusters, further studies that consider fixed and variable costs for maintaining the forest industry clusters are required.

Environmental Impacts of Building Construction Using Cross-laminated Timber Panel Construction Method: A Case of the Research Building in Kyushu, Japan

In Japan, there has been an increase in the number of buildings built using cross-laminated timber (CLT) in order to utilize the abundant forest resources in the country. However, no studies have evaluated the environmental impact of the construction of CLT buildings in Japan. This study evaluates the environmental impacts from the start of construction to the completion of a real CLT building in Kumamoto city, Kyushu region, southern Japan. We investigated the input of the materials and energy used in the construction of the building. The environmental impact categories evaluated include climate change, ozone layer depletion, eutrophication, acidification, and photochemical oxidation. We found that the concrete used for the foundations, and the cement-based soil stabilizer used for ground reinforcement accounted for 42% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The construction site was previously used as a seedbed field, necessitating ground reinforcement. Furthermore, the large foundations were designed in order to raise the low height of the wooden structure from the ground level. Developing and applying methods with lower environmental impacts for ground reinforcement and building foundations is recommended. In addition, we found that by using biomass-derived electricity in CLT manufacturing, the environmental impacts of CLT manufacturing could be reduced, thus reducing the environmental impacts of the entire building. The biogenic carbon fixed in the wooden parts during the building usage accounted for 32% of the total GHG emissions of the building construction. Since this biogenic carbon will be released to the atmosphere at the end-of-life stage of the building, a long-term usage of the CLT buildings and/or reuse of the CLT is recommended.

Forest Resources of Krasnoyarsk Region for Cows Feeding

An important factor for increasing the productive performance of dairy cattle is the adequate and balanced diets due to improving the quality of feeds enriched with the combined additives made of alternative sources, in particular, with the use of abundant forest resources. The practical experiment to study the effects of dietary intake of conifer meal on milk production and metabolic parameters in cows and to determine its optimal dosage was carried out at LLC Plemzavod Taezhny breeding enterprise, Sukhobuzimsky district, Krasnoyarsk region. In order to perform the experimental analogue study, three groups of five milk cows each were formed. The experiment lasted for 100 days. The animals in the control, first, and second groups were fed with the basal diet, the basal diet supplied with the conifer meal at a dose of 50 g/head/day, and the basal diet supplied with conifer meal at a dose of 100 g/head/day, respectively. The data were analyzed and processed according to the common methods. A positive effect of the conifer meal on milk production and technological parameters of cow milk was proven. The analysis of the produced data allowed us to determine the most effective dose of conifer meal, which comprised 50 g/head/day. It contributed to increasing the milk yield for 100 days of lactation, the milk fat content, the milk protein content, and the amount of basic fat milk by 15.6, 29.8, 17.1, and 29.4%, respectively, improving the technological milk parameters.