Wood Export Research Articles

Corrupting Ecologically Unequal Exchange? India and Forest Loss in a Cross-National Perspective

Drawing on ecologically unequal exchange theory and previous cross-national research, the authors assess whether wood exports from peripheral nations to India are related to increased forest loss in the exporting nations. The authors also build on this perspective by assessing if corruption interacts with the ecologically unequal exchange of wood exports to India. In this regard, the authors hypothesize that corruption creates an “institutional context” whereby bribes, kickbacks, and embezzlement by government officials translate into the prioritization of consumptive practices in the short term rather than advocating for long-term investments such as conservation. Toward this end, the authors expect that wood exports to India increase forest loss more in peripheral nations with higher rather than lower levels of corruption. The authors find support for this hypothesis using ordinary least squares regression for a sample of 67 low- and middle-income nations. The authors conclude by discussing the theoretical, methodological, and policy implications that follow from the interaction finding.

The current state and prospects for the development of Russian Federation green energy exports

Renewable energy is obtained from sustainable sources, which in particular include solar and wind energy, geothermal and hydroelectric energy, biomass, tidal energy. The Russian Federation has a significant potential for the development of “green” energy, is among the leaders in terms of export potential in this area. The article considers the export potential of fuel wood pellets. The European sales market, problems and prospects of entering it were studied as priority areas. The purpose of this study is to assess the export potential of the Russian Federation for “green” energy products, using the example of the group of HS 4401310000 Wood pellets. Within the framework of the study, the following tasks were solved: the importance of export relations in the framework of the development of “green” energy directions was studied, the market of wood pellets of the Russian Federation was studied and the export potential of the country for this group of goods was determined. As a result of the conducted research, the authors concluded that the development of the export of wood fuel pellets is of high importance for strengthening the country’s position in the market of foreign trade in renewable energy sources.

Inflation of wood resources in European forests: The footprints of a big-bang.

The current increase in European forest resources forms a singularity across the globe. Whether this trend will persist, and how biological and economic trends feature it form crucial issues to green economy challenges and C sequestration. The present screening of Forest Europe 2015 statistics explored the features, inertia and limits of this expansion, and its relationships with countries’ development, forest management and trade, intense in this area of the world. Persisting footprint of past demographic pressure on forests was identified, with opposed traces on their area and growing stock density. Steady growing stock (GS) increases, proportional to GS, not density-limited, and sustained by forest area increases, supported the view of an inflationary forest dynamic. Economic development and liberalism fostered both forest exploitation and production, yielding no significant impact on GS changes. Wood exports exerted a tension on forest exploitation and GS changes, thus lowering GS inflation but providing a resource security margin in the face of expected climate threats. Conflicting a common view, GS inflation and moderate felling-to-increment ratios make increased use of wood resources and C sequestration reconcilable, and GS expansion timely for ongoing EU forest policy processes. Anticipated adverse impacts of ongoing climate change were not clearly identified in these statistics.

Modelling of large wood export at a watershed scale

AbstractThis study proposed a quantitative model for analysing the mass balance of large wood and its export on an annual scale at a watershed scale. The study sites are five dam reservoir watersheds of the Kitakami River catchment located in the north‐eastern part of Japan. From analyses on 20 years patterns of actual large wood export to target dam reservoirs, (1) the annual 24‐h maximum rainfall would be a key factor for the annual large wood recruitment, and (2) large wood export characteristics on an annual scale would be based on two relationships. Based on the earlier findings, the model consists of two frameworks: the rainfall‐induced analytical shallow landslide model for the large wood recruitment, and the double storage function with the lumped hydrological method at a watershed scale for the large wood entrainment.The model was used to re‐analyse 20 years of actual large wood export. The Nash–Sutcliffe values were 0.7 or more, which indicated satisfactory results with high reproductivity of simulation, for large wood export estimated using this model for four among five dam reservoir watersheds. Namely, our results could demonstrate that the landslide or slope failures are a significant procedure of large wood export, and the characteristics of large wood export can be defined by two relationships, which are the direct export of large wood caused by an increase in large wood recruitment with the extreme rainfall event, and the baseflow of large wood, which is mainly old large wood recruitment stored at the slopes and in the stream.

EU-Ukraine Arbitration: Will WTO Law Become More Deferential Outside the WTO?

The first dispute brought by the EU under its bilateral trade agreements, Ukraine – Export Restrictions on Wood, was in many respects a typical World Trade Organization (WTO) case. A panel of three arbitrators, including two prominent and highly experienced WTO adjudicators, was to rule on consistency of the respondent’s export bans with Articles XI and XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, incorporated by reference into the EUUkraine Association Agreement. The latter, moreover, explicitly requires that arbitrators rely on the WTO jurisprudence – which they, technically, did. Yet, the arbitration panel appears to have shown more deference to the respondent than any WTO panel ever has (or would). By contrasting the reasoning of the arbitration panel with that of WTO panels deciding similar issues, the article questions whether WTO law may take a more deferential path outside the WTO. WTO law, GATT, Article XX(b), EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, wood export ban, dispute settlement, judicial deference

Inward- versus outward-focused bioeconomy strategies for British Columbia\u2019s forest products industry: a harvested wood products carbon storage and emission perspective

BackgroundBritish Columbia’s (BC) extensive forest resources provide climate change mitigation opportunities that are available to few other jurisdictions. However, as a consequence of the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak and large-scale wildfires, BC is anticipating reduced roundwood harvest for the next decades. Progress towards more climatically efficient utilization of forest resources is needed. This research quantitatively compared the greenhouse gas emission consequences of nine harvested wood products trade and consumption strategies. Inward-focused strategies use wood products within Canada to achieve emission reduction objectives, while outward-focused strategies encourage exports of wood products.ResultsIn the business-as-usual baseline scenario, average emissions arising from BC-originated harvested wood products between 2016 and 2050 were 40 MtCO2e yr−1. The estimated theoretical boundaries were 11 MtCO2e yr−1 and 54 MtCO2e yr−1, under the scenarios of using all harvests for either construction purposes or biofuel production, respectively. Due to the constrained domestic market size, inward-focused scenarios that were based on population and market capacity achieved 0.3–10% emission reductions compared to the baseline. The international markets were larger, however the emissions varied substantially between 68% reduction and 25% increase depending on wood products’ end uses.ConclusionsFuture bioeconomy strategies can have a substantial impact on emissions. This analysis revealed that from a carbon storage and emission perspective, it was better to consume BC’s harvests within Canada and only export those products that would be used for long-lived construction applications, provided that construction market access beyond the US was available. However, restricting export of wood products destined for short-lived uses such as pulp and wood pellets would have significant economic and social impacts. On the other hand, inward-focused strategies had a small but politically and environmentally meaningful contribution to BC’s climate action plan. This study also revealed the conflicts between a demand-driven bioeconomy and targeted environmental outcomes. A hierarchical incentive system that could co-exist with other market drivers may help achieve emission reduction goals, but this would require a better quantitative understanding of wood products’ substitution effects. While the analyses were conducted for BC, other regions that are net exporters of wood products may face similar issues.

Corruption, Shadow Economy and Deforestation: Friends or Strangers?

This study aims to reveal the connection between corruption and shadow economy, on one hand, and deforestation, on the other. The research considers 131 countries from all over the world, in the timeframe between the years 2012 and 2020, and it reveals that corruption and shadow economy positively influence deforestation. Determinants like democratic governance quality, press freedom, wood export share, and culture are also key factors in implementing the right, efficient countermeasures aimed at reducing the levels of illegal deforestation and sustainably managing the forestland. The importance of this study is to provide a solid quantitative basis to decision-makers that come across this problem of illegal logging through a better, fact-based understanding of the phenomenon.

Impact of the Prospective Roundwood Export Ban on Russian Timber Production

Illegal timber harvesting and trafficking is one of the most important economic and environmental problems in the Russian Federation. Illegal logging leads to degradation of forests and a shortage of timber in wood industries. One of the measures to counter illegal logging is the ban on the export of raw wood, which will take effect on January 1, 2022. However, such a measure will lead not only to control over the circulation of illegal timber, but also to a number of economic consequences. The impact of the ban on the inland market can be assessed using the point sectoral model of the forestry complex (PSM‑fc). The results of scenario calculations show that a ban on the export of raw materials can lead to a reduction in logging volumes and an increase in the share of products of deeper processing in exports

SPATIAL LAYOUT OF THE SOVIET UNION TIMBER PROCESSING COMPLEX: THE IDEA BEHIND THE FIRST FIVE-YEAR PLAN

During the years of Soviet power, principal changes took place in the country’s wood industry, including in spatial layout development. Having the large-scale crisis in the industry in the late 1980s — 2000s and the positive changes in its functioning in recent years and the development of an industry strategy, it becomes relevant to analyze the experience of planning the spatial layout of the wood industry during the period of Stalin’s modernization, particularly during the first five-year plan. The aim of the article is to analyze the reason behind spatial layout of the Soviet wood industry during the implementation of the first five-year plan. The study is based on the modernization concept. In our research we conducted mapping of the wood industry by region as well as of planned construction of the industry facilities. It was revealed that the discussion and development of an industrialization project by the Soviet Union party-state and planning agencies in the second half of the 1920s led to increased attention to the wood industry. The sector, which enterprises were concentrated mainly in the north-west, west and central regions of the country, was set the task of increasing the volume of harvesting, export of wood and production to meet the domestic needs and the export needs of wood resources and materials. Due to weak level of development of the wood industry, the scale of these tasks required restructuring of the branch, its inclusion to the centralized economic system, the direction of large capital investments to the development of new forest areas and the construction of enterprises. It was concluded that according to the first five-year plan, the priority principles for the spatial development of the wood industry were the approach of production to forests and seaports, intrasectoral and intersectoral combining. The framework of the industry was meant to strengthen and expand by including forests to the economic turnover and building new enterprises in the European North and the Urals, where the main capital investments were sent, as well as in the Vyatka region, Transcaucasia, Siberia and the Far East.

Wood trade responses to ecological rehabilitation program: Evidence from China's new logging ban in natural forests

This study examines the wood trade in response to China's new logging ban policy in natural forests (LBNF). Our identification is based on a triple-difference (DDD) strategy, in which the variations in the staggered policy implementation with region and time, together with the different trade responses between forest products, are jointly exploited. Our estimates show that the LBNF simulates an additional solid wood import by 15.2%, while the wood export and trade in other wood-related products were not affected. Heterogeneous analyses reveal that the growth in wood imports is mainly from low-income countries with less stable trade relations with China, which indicates a very limited potential for the future global market and the rising risk of China's wood supply. Unlike the generally optimistic forecasts in previous studies, our findings update the expectation under the new policy shock and restate more practical actions to promote domestic wood supply in China.

Long-term trends in anthropogenic land use in Siberia and the Russian Far East: a case study synthesis from Landsat

As globally important forested areas situated in a context of dramatic socio-economic changes, Siberia and the Russian Far East (RFE) are important regions to monitor for anthropogenic land-use trends. Therefore, we compiled decadal Landsat-derived land-cover and land-use data for eight dominantly rural case study sites in these regions and focused on trends associated with settlements, agriculture, logging, and roads 1975–2010. Several key spatial–temporal trends emerged from the integrated landscape-scale analyses. First, road building increased in all case study sites over the 35-year period, despite widespread socio-economic decline post-1990. Second, increase in settlements area was negligible over all sites. Third, increased road building, largely of minor roads, was especially high in more rugged and remote RFE case study sites not associated with greater agriculture extent or settlement densities. High demands for wood export coupled with the expansion of commercial timber harvest leases starting in the mid-1990s are likely among leading reasons for an increase in roads. Fourth, although fire was the dominant disturbance over all sites and dates combined, logging exerted a strong land-use pattern, serving as a reminder that considering local anthropogenic landscapes is important, especially in Siberia and the RFE, which represent almost 10% of the Earth’s terrestrial land surface. The paper concludes by identifying remaining research needs regarding anthropogenic land use in the region: more frequent moderate spatial resolution imagery and greater access to more finely resolved statistical and other spatial data will enable further research.Social media abstractLandsat reveals long-term anthropogenic land-use trends in Siberia and Russian Far East

Dispute Settlement Mechanisms Provided by the Association Agreements Concluded By the European Union with Third Countries

International dispute settlement and international relations both have a long history. All EU association agreements have appropriate dispute settlement mechanisms, which differ to some extent. The main task of this study is to determine the international legal mechanisms for resolving disputes included in the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Furthermore, the purpose of the study becomes especially relevant in the context of the process of resolving the Ukraine-EU trade dispute on national restrictions on timber exports, which is the first dispute in Ukrainian practice. A comparison of the various treaty principles of EU cooperation with third countries suggests that the highest level of protection of individuals through the functioning of the dispute settlement mechanism is described by association agreements, and some of them even resemble an "arbitration clause". It was found that the criteria of comparative analysis were the types of dispute resolution mechanisms, consultation procedures and arbitration procedure, mediation procedure and rules of procedure. According to these criteria, it was found that the association agreements contain almost identical provisions on consultation procedures and arbitration, with the exception of some agreements where arbitration is presented on a narrower scale. The provisions on mediation procedures in the submitted agreements are almost identical to the Code of Conduct for Arbitrators and the Rules of Procedure, which serve as template documents duplicated in the various agreements. The association agreements between the EU and Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova are analysed in detail, and common and distinctive features are described. Differences in the details of dispute settlement mechanisms may indicate that the parties have concerns about the likelihood and intensity of disputes. The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU for the settlement of disputes makes provision for the use of various methods: consultations, arbitration, the establishment of an arbitration panel. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the first case of a trade dispute, which is resolved with the use of the arbitration procedure under the Association Agreement with Ukraine on the export of raw wood

Fluvial transport of coarse particulate organic matter in a coastal mountain stream of a rainy‐temperate evergreen broadleaf forest in southern Chile

AbstractCoarse particulate organic matter (CPOM, i.e. particles such as leaves, wood fragments, twigs, branches, flowers, seeds and fruits) in aquatic systems influences the flow, provides an important food source, and at the catchment scale, may significantly contribute to total carbon export. CPOM exports have rarely been quantified in subtropical, broadleaf forest streams. We captured CPOM in Bunte traps in the rainfall‐dominated Vuelta de Zorra stream in southern Chile to (a) propose a novel classification to characterize the different CPOM components, (b) analyze the frequency of each matter class (i.e. leaves, wood fragments, and ‘others’) and its seasonal variability, (c) quantify the CPOM transported, (d) derive a model to quantify CPOM transport rates, and (e) compare the transported CPOM data with those from a unique long‐term (> seven years) large wood monitoring dataset. Results showed that leaves were significantly more abundant than other types of CPOM in all seasons. The dry CPOM transport rate ranged over three orders of magnitude, and there was a significant relationship with mean discharge. Mean dry CPOM yield for the study period 2015–2017 was 4.6 kg/ha/yr when normalizing to the total forested catchment area. The 2009–2018 decadal average yield was 6.8 kg/ha/yr when normalizing to the total forested catchment area. These values are similar to measurements from deciduous and coniferous forests in streams in the United States and the Brazilian Mato Grosso and ~1/10 of the yields obtained in a Swiss torrent. Over a three‐year period, the CPOM exports in Vuelta de Zorra ranged between 13 and 36% of the exported large wood (particles with diameters ≥ 100 mm and length ≥ 1 m) exports. Our data collected from an underrepresented area improve the understanding of global carbon budgets and cycling. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How much does leaf leaching matter during the pre-drying period in a whole-tree harvesting system?

In European temperate forests, whole-tree harvesting increases nutrient exports and could compromise soil fertility in long term, especially when leaves, nutrient-rich compartments (leaves, fine and small wood) are exported. Pre-drying felled trees may allow leaves, twigs and branches to fall down or break during skidding, thereby remaining in the stand. However, the recommended pre-drying time is often based on expert estimates, and currently ranges from two to three months.In this study, we developed an experimental device to quantify nutrient leaching via rainfall (pH: 6.8 ± 0.4) from fully developed leaves (collected in summer period) of four broadleaf species. We first set up an outdoor experiment under natural rainfall conditions to monitor the kinetics of nutrient leaching over around two and a half months. Second, we set up two controlled experiments under simulated rainfall conditions to investigate the effect of rainfall intensity and frequency on nutrient leaching.Foliar K was highly leached 60–79%, followed by Mg: 19–50%, P: 22–30% and only small proportions for Ca and N, <16%. Nutrient leaching was positively correlated with rainfall amounts of <30 mm but small rainfall amounts <4 mm were more effective in leaching per unit (mm) than heavier rainfalls. More nutrients were leached out when the same rainfall amount was fractioned into small rainy events over several days.However, leaf leaching remains unsatisfactory because a large part of nutrients is still exported by foliage. Total nutrient exports by whole-tree harvest including foliage increased nutrient exports by 1.2–1.6 times compared to conventional harvesting. The exports by foliage are of equal importance as fine and small wood exports and thus leaving the foliage on the forest would increase significantly nutrient saving. We therefore recommend harvesting during the leafless period when possible and otherwise, letting all the leaves fall to the ground before skidding not only for nutrient returns but also because easily degradable organic matter is very important for soil biological activity.

Long‐term large wood load fluctuations in two low‐order streams in Southern Chile

AbstractThe eco‐hydrogeomorphic significance of large wood (LW) and its potential for increasing downstream hazards during extreme floods have been widely recognized. We used LW data collected for a 10‐year period from the two low‐order streams of Pichún (Pi) and Vuelta de Zorra (VZ) in Southern Chile to (a) determine if the abundance and dimensions of individual LW pieces change with time, (b) quantify wood load fluctuations during the 10‐year period, and (c) assess the role of LW recruitment from the riparian forests to explain wood load fluctuations during the study period. Nine years after the first survey, the number of LW pieces in Pi and VZ diminished by 60 and 40%, respectively. Despite the reduction in these numbers, in Pi, the LW dimensions did not change significantly during the study. In VZ, the dimensions exhibited statistically significant differences, despite being within the same class. In both catchments, the LW load fluctuated during a 10‐year period, but the drivers of change differed. Although tree toppling was the recruitment mechanism responsible for LW in both stream cases, the high wood load measured in Pi at the beginning of the study suggested massive tree recruitments before the first survey, followed by wood exports which were higher than inputs in the subsequent 10‐year period. In VZ, LW load decreased during the first 9 years (mean annual rate of ~9.2 m3 year−1) and then increased by ~12.1 m3 year−1 in year 10. At VZ, the inputs consisted of single trees that were recruited from the riparian area and by upstream flotation, while exports occurred by downstream fluvial transport. Wood inputs and exports occurred asynchronously and led to LW load fluctuations at decadal and annual intervals. Land management and tree species thus exert a major influence on wood inventory and budget in streams. © 2020 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Boscos i deveses a la Corona catalano-aragonesa (segles XIV-XV)

Au Moyen Âge, la forêt fournissait des éléments essentiels pour la vie de l'homme: du bois à brûler et du charbon pour se chauffer, pour cuisiner et pour développer differentes activités artisanales et industrielles; du bois pour construire des maisons, bateaux, meubles et d’autres utensiles de ménage; des fruits pour la nourriture des hommes et des animaux. La forêt offrait, aussi, de l'herbe pour les troupeaux et un habitat pour la chasse. C’était à cause de tout ça que les autorités ne permettaient pas que la forêt fût ruinée, soit par les incendies provoqués par les pasteurs, soit par les cultivateurs ou les spéculateurs des cendres, soit par le progrès des cultures et la surexploitation. D'ailleurs, cet article, écrit sur la base d'une documentation inédite provenante des Archives, explique les différentes modalités d’exploitation de la forêt: l’obtention du charbon, du bois à brûler pour l'usage domestique et pour les différentes sortes de fours, du bois pour la construction des maisons et des bateaux. L'auteur y étudie aussi le control sur l'exploitation du bois et son transport à travers les voies terrestres et fluviales. L'article étudie, finalement, l'usufruit controlé de la nature au moyen des terrains réservés qui assuraient les besoins de bois, charbon, pâtures etc. des habitants des villages, lesquels n'obtinrent la concession en evitant ainsi la surexploitation de la forêt en y restreignant l’accès. Du point de vue géographique, l'étude comprend la Catalogne, la Valence et l'Aragon.

Economic Performance of Forest Plantations in Vietnam: Eucalyptus, Acacia mangium, and Manglietia conifera

Forest plantations have expanded rapidly in response to financial support from the state and local governments and have had significant positive impacts on rural livelihoods and development in Vietnam, since the late 1980s. This study used net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) to examine the economic performance of plantations for three species, Acacia mangium Willd, Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake × Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn), and Manglietia conifera Dandy, in Bac Kan province. On the basis of an annual discount rate of 6%, the results showed that rural households earned positive financial returns from forest plantations with seven-year rotations. Eucalyptus generated the highest NPV but A. mangium generated the greatest IRR. The plantations were facilitated by financial support from the state, land tenure reforms, and wood exports. The results provide valuable business information and policy implications for both local farmers and policy makers. Since the farmers consider more of the short term and economic return of the plantations, the results provide valuable information for policy makers to apply subsidies and other support to promote plantations with significant ecological and environmental benefits for sustainable development of rural economies.

Некоторые проблемы декриминализации лесной отрасли РФ при экспорте древесины и пути их решения

Некоторые проблемы декриминализации лесной отрасли РФ при экспорте древесины и пути их решения

Efforts for the export of wood in Miyazaki prefecture

Efforts for the export of wood in Miyazaki prefecture

ANALYSIS OF EXPORT POLICY OF TIMBER TRADE IN THE CONDITIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

The position of Ukraine and the EU regarding the moratorium which is introduced on the export of rough wood was considered in the paper. The preconditions for introducing a ban of the exports of timber are analyzed. The analysis and generalization of domestic normative legal acts and international commitments of the WTO and Ukraine, including the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), in the field of forestry regulation, is conducted. The actual problems in the forest product industry of Ukraine are found out. The main objective of the article is to propose recommendations for the development of the export policy of timber trade in conditions of European integration that will not contradict the international obligations of Ukraine. Investigations have shown that in the provisions of the GATT and the Association Agreement there are exceptions, which allow non-compliance of commitments in certain extreme cases. However, in adopted bills there is no ample evidence regarding the necessity of applying or restricting exports. Based on international experience, the impact of the export ban on the timber industry as a whole has been determined. It has been established that the wood-based industry receives positive effects only in the short-term period. However, all sectors of forest product industry will be negatively affected in the long-term period. Recommendations on the development of export policy for timber trade by abolishing import duties and value added tax for equipment for forest-based processing enterprises, the analogues of which are not made in Ukraine, for the purpose of modernization of equipment and further development of the forest-based industry, have been given. Based on the experience of European countries, it is proposed to export timber using the “residual method”, that is, primarily to provide raw materials to domestic producers, and to introduce export duties on roundwood production. After analyzing alternative ways of developing Ukraine’s export policy regarding timber trade in conditions of European integration, based on the escalation of tariff and tariff barriers, optimal rates of ad valorem and specific export duties have been proposed. With the justified introduction of export duties, the restriction of domestic consumption of timber, the abolition of import duties on the necessary equipment for wood processing, which are not analogous to those produced in Ukraine, all prerequisites for the development of domestic forestry are created.