Taking Account of Non-Timber Values in Harvest Decisions in the Southern Forest of Tasmania

摘要

This paper examines the optimal use of a site containing standing timber, taking account of both timber and non-timber values. It discusses the range of non-timber values yielded by a typical site in the southern forest of Tasmania. Taking that site for illustrative purposes, it calculates the relationships between age of stand, extent of timber and non-timber values, and optimal cutting age, using a spreadsheet model. It finds that for a stand with moderate potential environmental benefits there is a period of its life during which it is optimal to log. This segment narrows, and eventually disappears, as potential environmental benefits increase.