ABSTRACT

Harvesting woody biomass, often considered a by-product, poses a major challenge in terms of low operational productivity and revenue. However, woody biomass (branches, treetops, and small-diameter trees or SDT) is gaining global attention for its multifaceted uses in soil reclamation, renewable energy production, and carbon offsetting. The operational cost of harvesting woody biomass is a crucial factor influencing the economic feasibility of harvesting and can fluctuate substantially depending on the cost apportioning method used. The objectives of this study were 1) to estimate the cost of producing pulpwood chips from SDT; 2) to examine the factors influencing cost and productivity of whole-tree (WT) and hybrid cut-to-length (Hyb-CTL) treatments; and 3) to compare and estimate the cost of producing sawlog and chips from hardwood pulp with two cost apportioning methods. The total harvesting cost was 53% higher in Hyb-CTL (US$ 17.30 m⁻³) than that of WT (US$ 11.30 m⁻³). The cost of producing wood chips from hardwood pulp as a by-product (US$ 3.07 m⁻³) was half of the cost calculated using the joint-products allocation method (US$ 7.65 m⁻³). The cost of producing wood chips utilizing exclusive product allocation (US$ 47.53 m⁻³) was four times the cost of producing sawlogs (US$ 11.23 m⁻³). This study provides working values that can enable timberland managers and operational foresters to evaluate the cost of harvesting woody biomass under different market conditions (i.e., demand for woody biomass). This study can also aid managerial decisions regarding silvicultural prescriptions and to help efficiently manage stands that have large proportions of SDT.

摘要

收获木质生物质（通常被认为是副产品）对低运营生产力和收入构成了重大挑战。然而，木质生物质（树枝、树梢和小直径树木或 SDT）因其在土壤复垦、可再生能源生产和碳抵消方面的多方面用途而受到全球关注。收获木质生物质的运营成本是影响收获的经济可行性的关键因素，并且会根据所使用的成本分摊方法而大幅波动。本研究的目标是 1) 估算从 SDT 生产纸浆木片的成本；2) 检查影响全树 (WT) 和杂交定长切割 (Hyb-CTL) 处理成本和生产力的因素；3) 比较和估算使用两种成本分摊方法从阔叶木浆中生产锯木和木片的成本。Hyb-CTL 的总收获成本高出 53%（1730 万美元）^-3 ) 比 WT (US$ 11.30 m ^-3 )。从作为副产品的阔叶浆生产木片的成本（3.07 m ^-3美元）是使用联合产品分配方法计算的成本（7.65 m ^-3美元）的一半。使用独家产品分配生产木片的成本（4753 万美元^-3）是生产锯木成本（1123 万美元^-3美元）的四倍）。这项研究提供了工作价值，可以使林地管理者和经营林务员评估在不同市场条件下收获木质生物质的成本（即对木质生物质的需求）。这项研究还可以帮助制定有关造林处方的管理决策，并帮助有效管理 SDT 比例较大的林分。