Productivity and energy balance of forest plantation harvesting in Uganda

The study evaluated the productivity and energy balance of the harvesting and the extraction of wood in plantation of exotic tree species, i.e., Pinus patula (Schiede ex Schlectendahl et Chamisso) and Cupressus lusitanica (Mill.). The harvesting and extraction operations concerned clear-cut felling on two different types of terrain (gentle and steep terrain) and two levels of pruning. The results show that cutting is not affected by the terrain gradient whereas the pruning condition shows a significant effect on the delimbing operation. The productivity of cutting is evaluated at 28.1 m3·d-1 for unpruned trees and at 30.2 m3·d-1 for pruned trees. For the extraction phase, rolling was significantly affected by terrain conditions. On steep terrain, the gross productivity can be evaluated at 22.5 m3·d-1 for an extraction distance of 40 m, while for the same distance on gentle terrain the productivity decreases to 14.1 m3·d-1 . As a result, the steep terrain condition showed higher energy efficiency, suggesting that it is the more efficient system of extraction. The productivity model and the energy balance resulting from the study provide a better understanding of the variables affecting motor-manual cutting and rolling extraction in exotic plantations in Uganda.     

Possibilities for energy wood procurement in north-west Russia: Assessment of energy wood resources in the Leningrad region

Abstract

Methodology to assess the potential for energy wood procurement in Russia is described in this article and applied to the Leningrad region. Wood from thinnings, logging residues, non-industrial roundwood and residues from sawmilling are considered as sources for energy production. Energy wood available in the region, based on the 2004 actual cut, is approximately 4 million m³. Nearly 86% of this is non-industrial roundwood and felling residues, and 14% is by-products from sawmilling. Almost two-thirds of the non-industrial roundwood and felling residues are in cutting areas and one-third is in central processing yards. Deciduous tree species (birch and aspen) dominate in energy wood, representing about 65% of the total amount of felling residues and non-industrial wood. It is possible to intensify utilization of forest resources and thereby also to increase the use of wood in energy production. The total amount could be 54% higher if the allowable cut was fully utilized and 124% higher if thinnings were also utilized completely. There are, however, significant intraregional differences, as the current rate of utilization of forest resources varies in the region.     

Impact of number of stems per stool on mechanical harvesting of a Eucalyptus globulus coppiced plantation in south-west Western Australia

Coppice regeneration of eucalypt plantations is increasingly being used in Australia to reduce re-establishment costs. However, little is known about the impact of early coppice reduction regimes on harvester performance during clearfelling. The trial compared the productivity, time consumption, cost and fuel use of a single-grip harvester (Hyundai 210LC-9 base and SP 591LX harvesting head) clearfelling a 10.5-year-old, second-rotation coppiced Eucalyptus globulus stand in south-west Western Australia for chip logs. Coppice stems had been reduced to one stem or two stems per stool or left untreated. Time and piece counts were used to determine harvester productivity. Harvester cycle and elemental times and the number of logs and harvester head passes per stem were obtained from video recordings. Harvester fuel use was determined by refilling the fuel tank to the same point each day. Stem size was the major factor influencing harvester productivity (20.8 m3 per productive machine hour without delays [PMH₀], 11.8 m³ PMH₀^?1 and 8.6 m³ PMH₀^?1 in the single-stem (mean stem volume [MSV] 0.21 m³), two-stem (MSV 0.09 m³) and untreated trial areas (MSV 0.06 m³), respectively. Estimated harvester cost (AU$ m^–3) was considerably greater for the two-stem and untreated trial areas, which reflected the lower harvester productivity in these areas. Processing time represented over 60% of the total cycle time for all trial areas. Coppice characteristics resulted in significantly different moving/positioning times between trial areas. However, this difference had no impact on cycle times. Number of logs per stem was a significant variable in cycle and processing time regressions for all trial areas and felling time for the single-stem trial area. Number of harvester head passes was a significant variable in cycle and processing time regressions for the single-stem trial area and processing times for the two-stem trial area, although its effect was less than that of the number of logs per stem. Fuel consumption (L PMH₀^?1) was relatively constant between the trial areas, hence harvester energy intensity (L m^?3) reflected the harvester productivity in each trial area.     

Management tools for optimal allocation of wood fibre to conventional log and bio-energy markets in Ireland: a case study

A set of tools are described for optimal allocation of wood fibre at an operational planning level. These were applied to a case study in Ireland. Allocation was based on optimising net value recovery (delivered price minus harvesting and transportation costs) while meeting market demands and operational constraints (mainly crew capability and productivity limits). Two new models were developed to predict harvesting costs and transportation costs for Irish forest conditions. A new model was developed to link Sitka spruce biomass expansion factors to optimal log-making algorithms so that log and bio-energy product yields could be estimated for individual harvest areas. An existing operational allocation model based on a tabu search heuristic procedure was used. The case study included 16 forest harvest areas and 12 processing plants (saw logs, pallet logs, stakes, pulp, bio-energy slash bundles, etc.). New terrestrial lidar scanning procedures were used to obtain representative stem profiles from over 4,000 trees for the 16 forests. We demonstrated that optimal allocation of bio-energy and log products, while complex, can be achieved through the use of appropriate management tools.     

Stand,stem and log segregation based on wood properties: a review

There are many log and wood properties of interest to wood processors. There is also high variability in important attributes between and within growing regions and between and within individual stems which influence financial returns to wood processors. This review summarises recent studies of segregation technologies and techniques which have shown that:

• regional or stand level attribute models will facilitate a coarse level of segregation but not account well for the between and within stem variation;

• many tools and techniques are available for segregating wood based on internal properties but few have been implemented commercially. Some are better suited for application in mills than in forests;

• the benefits of segregating stands, stems and logs based on wood properties are not clear due to high variability in wood properties, poor market signals (in terms of price) for wood with superior properties, and poor understanding of the costs across the value chain; and

• most of the existing economic models tend to look at the economics of segregation from the perspective of a single participant in the value chain, e.g. a structural mill or a central processing yard. Only a few models look across the value chain and these have limitations often poorly representing some participants in the value chain.

     

Basic handling characteristics of wood fuels: Angle of repose,friction against surfaces and tendency to bridge for different assortments

Basic handling characteristics were measured for sawdust, fuel pellets, fuel chips, hog fuel and chunkwood. The aim was to find relations between the basic handling characteristics and easily measurable fuel properties to facilitate the design of feeding systems in heating plants. The angle of repose was 25–55° and increased with the increasing ratio of particle length to thickness and with the increasing content of hooked or long particles. The angle of static friction, 10–40°, was affected more by the kind of surface than the fuel and followed the ascending order: coated plywood, urethane rubber, particle board, stainless steel, concrete and rubber belt conveyor. The tendency to bridge varied considerably and increased with greater content of hooked or long particles, a deeper fuel bed depth over the opening and a higher moisture content. The results indicate that more attention should be paid to the particle shape.     

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics under windrowed residues during the establishment phase of a second-rotation hoop pine plantation in subtropical Australia

The dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), derived from the decomposition of windrowed harvest residues, was examined in the establishment phase of a second rotation (2R) hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex A. Cunn) plantation in subtropical Queensland, Australia. Following harvesting and site preparation, when residues were formed into windrows, in situ N mineralisation was measured in positions along the three tree-planting rows formed between the windrows. The position above the windrow had a higher nitrification rate than the other positions, averaging about 18 kg N ha⁻¹/month compared with 12 and 9 Kg N ha⁻¹ for the positions between and below the windrow positions, respectively. This position also had consistently greater soil moisture.

Macroplots were formed extending 5 m above and 10 m below a windrow. Windrowed residues within the macroplots were replaced by ¹⁵N-labelled material comprising hoop pine foliage, branch and stem. Hoop pine trees were planted within each macroplot with foliar samples taken at 12 and 24 months. Differences in foliar ¹⁵N enrichment between positions within macroplots were <1‰. Soil samples were taken from positions along the macroplots at 6-monthly intervals. Samples revealed an initial release of labile C and N but soil δ¹⁵N showed that residue-derived N was largely immobilised within the windrows for the 30-month sampling period. Whilst the use of windrows may act as a barrier to the down-slope movement of water, the residue N within the windrows may not be available to the trees of the following rotation for a considerable period following planting. Trees closest to the windrows may be able to introduce roots under the windrows thereby gaining access to the available N, but trees in the central tree planting row are unlikely to derive any significant benefit from the decomposition of windrowed residues.     

Machine productivity and residual harvesting residues associated with a cut-to-length harvest system in southern Tasmania

The cut-to-length method is a preferred method for harvest of pine plantations in Australia. The cut-to-length method studied in southern Tasmania consists of a feller-buncher, processor, forwarder, grapple loader and tractortrailers that were producing only pulp logs for the plantation owner Norske Skog. An elemental time study method was applied to evaluate the productivity of the machines within the flat terrain, Pinus radiata plantation. Multiple regression was used in SPSS to develop the productivity prediction models. The productivity of the feller-buncher and processor averaged 122.20 m³ per productive machine hours excluding all delays (PMH₀) and 84.32 m³ PMH₀ ^?1, respectively. The average productivity for the forwarder, grapple loader and truck were 80.90 m³ PMH₀ ^?1, 100.80 m³ PMH₀ ^?1 and 27.40 m³ PMH₀ ^?1, respectively. The average fuel consumption of the feller-buncher, forwarder and processor were also documented. The trial assessed harvest residue left on the site and found 238.7 GMt ha^?1 (31% of total biomass above the stump) was left of which 46% was stemwood. These research findings can be used for harvesting planning and improving logging efficiency.     

Toward sustainable harvesting of Africa's largest medicinal plant export (Prunus africana): a case study in Tanzania

Global demand for treating prostate disorders with Prunus africana bark extract has made P. africana Africa's largest medicinal plant export. Unsustainable harvesting practices can lead to local extirpations of this multipurpose tree. Survey research targeting P. africana harvesters in a Tanzania forest reserve revealed that 78% of them used unsustainable harvesting practices. This research focused on establishing a socioeconomic profile of the harvesters, the profitability of their business operations, and identifying the factors that influence their selection of harvesting practices. Results indicate that harvesters have above-national-average education, double the average family size, and generate income exceeding government's minimum wages. Large family size and high earning potential imply increased future harvesting activity. Logistic regression results indicate that education and training level could predict the likelihood that a harvester would use unsustainable harvesting practices. Local- and district-level government organisations could implement a resource assessment as a basis to design and implement harvesting schedules and ensure that the harvesters receive appropriate training, regardless of their education level.     

Cost, energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) effectiveness of a harvesting and transporting system for residual forest biomass

The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of a system to harvest logging residues (or slashes) as a new resource for energy in Japan. A harvesting and transporting system for residual forest biomass was constructed with reference to some European countries where the utilization of bioenergy is making steady progress and examined on the basis of field experiments in Japanese forestry. The feasibility of the system is discussed from the standpoints of cost and energy, and the system is compared with those of the European countries. With respect to the system proposed in this study, it is desirable that the process of chipper comminuting is incorporated into the system as early as possible, considering the trends of harvesting cost and fuel consumption per unit weight of residual forest biomass. Such a system is not particularly feasible in Japan from the standpoint of the harvesting cost per MWh of bioenergy. However, no specific problems are found from the point of view of the energy input rate, and it is clarified that it is possible for Japan to reduce domestic carbon dioxide emissions by utilizing biomass as an energy resource. A comparison with the European countries and a preliminary sensitivity analysis of the system demonstrate that the technical development to reduce the harvesting cost,e.g., improving the forwarding and transporting efficiency, and support from the government are essential for realizing bioenergy utilization in Japan. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society (2000). JSPS Research Fellow. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (No. 10460061).     

Replacement of wildfire by whole-tree harvesting in jack pine forests: Effects on soil fertility and tree nutrition

Large areas of northern coniferous forests once naturally maintained by stand-replacing wildfires have shifted to an anthropogenic disturbance regime of clearcut harvesting followed by natural or artificial regeneration, with unknown consequences for soil biogeochemical processes. We used a comparative approach to investigate the effects of whole-tree harvesting (WTH) vs. stand-replacing wildfire (WF) on soil C and nutrient availability, and nutrition and growth of the succeeding stand, in jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests of northern Lower Michigan. We compared total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), potential N mineralization, and extractable phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) among stands regenerated via WTH or WF in two age classes (4–7 years and 12–18 years). We also measured jack pine foliar nutrition and height growth in these same stands, as well as estimating the contribution of legacy dead wood to ecosystem nutrient capital in young stands. We found some evidence in support of our hypothesis that WTH would leave behind greater pools of soil C and N, but lower pools of P and base cations. However, the differences we observed were confined entirely to surface organic horizons, with the two disturbance regimes indistinguishable when viewed cumulatively to our maximum sampling depth of 30 cm. Estimates of nutrient pools in legacy wood inherited by young jack pine stands were also small in comparison to total soil pools (ranging from 1 to 9% depending on the element), suggesting that decomposition and nutrient release from this material is not likely to result in noticeable differences in soil fertility later in stand development. Similar levels of soil nutrients between WTH- and WF-origin stands were reflected in our measures of jack pine foliar nutrition and height growth, which were both unaffected by mode of stand origin. Results from this study suggest that soil nutrient levels following WTH fall within the natural range of variation produced by WF in these jack pine forests; however, comparison with a similar study on boreal jack pine suggests that latitudinal effects on O-horizon nutrient capital may influence the degree to which WTH matches the effects of WF on soil nutrient availability.     

Corewood in South African pine: necessity and opportunities for improvement

South Africa has made excellent progress in breeding plantation trees fulfilling the primary demands of improved volume growth, stem and branching characteristics, tolerance to pests and diseases, and general adaptability. This has had marked positive impacts on wood quality, as straight stems normally contain no or very little reaction wood, while problems associated with pith eccentricity and wandering pith are kept to a minimum. The breeding of trees with small, well-distributed branches, forming large angles with the vertical axis of the tree stem, reduced performance problems associated with knots and knot-associated features. However, tree breeding and intensive silviculture are causing the average corewood diameter to increase, creating a wood resource that is increasing in variability, especially when combined with earlier harvesting. Reducing the size and improving the properties of the corewood zone have therefore become of utmost importance to ensure that the South African pine timber resource continues to meet quality demands related to strength, stiffness and stability. Breeding programmes to date have created sound bases for further wood quality improvement of the various pine species, especially of the corewood zone. Opportunities for success are excellent as large variation in corewood properties still exists within the current breeding populations, combined with operationally important wood properties, such as wood density, microfibril angle, spiral grain and transitional age, all being under moderate to strong genetic control. Corewood properties seem to be inherited largely independently of tree and growth characteristics, making it possible to combine improvement in these characteristics with desirable wood properties. This paper discusses results from several young field trials, which have shown marked family, species and site differences in wood stiffness. This suggests that there is good opportunity to increase the dynamic modulus of elasticity of corewood by early selection and breeding, using highly reliable non-destructive acoustic technology. The results also proved that vegetative propagation through cuttings has no detrimental effect on corewood stiffness. The latter may even increase with increasing physiological age of the cutting.     

Forestry operations in the European mountains: a study of current practices and efficiency gaps

Timber production is an important ecosystem service of European mountain forests. This paper aimed to assess the current practices in logging operations and to identify the efficiency gaps in timber production. The study was located in 7 case study areas from representative European mountain ranges, where 632 logging operations were analysed. The focus was on road infrastructure, transport systems, harvesting methods and extraction technologies. Often inappropriate technology was used in steep terrain; there was no correlation between the average slope and the selection of harvesting systems (HS). Skidding was the most common extraction method (75%), while cable yarding and forwarding had shares of 15% and 8%. The mean road density was 18.5?m?ha^?1. The mean extraction distance was 501?m. The mean harvesting and extraction productivity were 9.0 and 10.2?m³?h^?1; the mean costs were 11.1 and 11.7?€?m^?³, respectively. Non-mechanized and obsolete HS reported the lowest efficiency and the highest environmental footprint, while fully mechanized systems reported the highest efficiency, the lowest number of accidents and the lowest stand damage. Cable yarders are the appropriate extraction technology in steep terrain, but they require a well-developed road network. Higher mechanization degree, improved quality of the road networks, knowledge transfer to practice and training of forest workers are some of the necessary measures to overcome the efficiency gaps in timber production in European mountain forests.     

Reconstructing the size of individual trees using log data from cut-to-length harvesters in Pinus radiata plantations: a case study in NSW,Australia

With their widespread utilization, cut-to-length harvesters have become a major source of ‘‘big data' for forest management as they constantly capture, and provide a daily flow of, information on log production and assortment over large operational areas. Harvester data afford the calculation of the total log length between the stump and the last cut but not the total height of trees. They also contain the length and end diameters of individual logs but not always the diameter at breast height overbark(DBHOB) of harvested stems largely because of time lapse, operating and processing issues and other system deficiencies. Even when DBHOB is extracted from harvester data, errors and/or bias of the machine measurements due to the variation in the stump height of harvested stems from that specified for the harvester head prior to harvesting and diameter measurement errors may need to be corrected. This study developed(1) a system of equations for estimating DBHOB of trees from diameter overbark(DOB) measured by a harvester head at any height up to 3 m above ground level and(2) an equation to predict the total height of harvested stems in P. radiata plantations from harvester data. To generate the data required for this purpose, cut-to-length simulations of more than 3000 trees with detailed taper measurements were carried out in the computer using the cutting patterns extracted from the harvester data and stump height survey data from clearfall operations. The equation predicted total tree height from DBHOB, total log length and the small end diameter of the top log. Prediction accuracy for total tree height was evaluated both globally over the entire data space and locally within partitioned subspaces through benchmarking statistics. These statistics were better than that of the conventional height-diameter equations for P. radiata found in the literature, even when they incorporated stand age and the average height and diameter of dominant trees in the stand as predictors. So this equation when used with harvester data would outperform the conventional equations in tree height prediction. Tree and stand reconstructions of the harvested forest is the necessary first step to provide the essential link of harvester data to conventional inventory, remote sensing imagery and Li DAR data. The equations developed in this study will provide such a linkage for the most effective combined use of harvester data in predicting the attributes of individual trees, stands and forests, and product recovery for the management and planning of P. radiata plantations in New South Wales, Australia.     

Effect of intervention and type of forest management on quality and quantity characteristics of dead wood in managed and reserve forests: A case study

We compared the dead wood (DW) conditions of Cheshmeh-sar forest and Sardab forest with different management history,including reserve forest and harvested forest. The First forest took 100% inventory from all the available DW. Also dead trees were compared interms of species, shape, location and quality of fracture in both forests.Volumes of dead wood in Cheshmeh-sar and Sardab forests were 207.47and 142.74 m3, respectively. Due to this significant difference, impact onthe management level was determined. In Cheshmeh-sar forest, 42% ofdead trees were standing and 58% were fallen type while in Sardab forest 38.6% were standing and 61.4% fallen. But the difference was not statistically significant between them (p = 0.0587). In terms of quality, dead trees of hard, soft and hollow had the highest frequency, respectively.However, 71.5% of DW was seen as hard dead in Cheshmeh-sar forestwhile hard dead trees in Sardab forests were 54.2%. Soft quality degree ofdead trees which formed in Cheshmeh-sar and Sardab forest were calculated as 26.6% and 43.4% respectively. Also 30% of the dead trees of Sardab forest were eradicated while in Cheshmeh-sar this amount was reduced to 12%. Due to this significant difference ((Р=0/018), it is concluded that the type of management and human interference are affecting the quality of dead trees and makes us to think the human interferences could effect on the ecosystem of touched forests.     

Incidence and new records of Mycosphaerella species within a Eucalyptus globulus plantation in Western Australia

Eucalyptus globulus is the predominant exotic hardwood plantation species in Western Australian (WA), and is often planted adjacent to native eucalypt forests. The increase in number of Mycosphaerella species associated with Mycosphaerella leaf disease (MLD) in E. globulus plantations in WA in the past decade has raised concern about the possible movement of pathogens between the native forests and plantations. In order to determine whether the introduction of new E. globulus genetics into WA may have further exacerbated this situation, juvenile and adult foliage were taken from a genetics trial near Albany, WA consisting of 60 full-sib families and Mycosphaerella species identified using morphological and molecular tools. Eleven species of Mycosphaerella were identified from one plantation: Mycosphaerella fori (Pseudocercospora fori) and Mycosphaerella ellipsoidea are new records for Australia; Mycosphaerella tasmaniensis (Passalora tasmaniensis) and Mycosphaerella suttoniae (Kirramyces epicoccoides) are new records for WA; and Mycosphaerella nubilosa, Mycosphaerella cryptica, Mycosphaerella marksii, Mycosphaerella molleriana, Mycosphaerella lateralis, Mycosphaerella aurantia and Mycosphaerella parva, previously recorded for WA. The most frequently isolated species from juvenile foliage was M. marksii (77%) followed by M. nubilosa (33%). M. nubilosa was most frequently isolated from adult leaves (88%) followed by M. parva (7.5%). Three species, M. molleriana, M. lateralis and M. cryptica, were only isolated from adult leaves while M. ellipsoidea was only isolated from juvenile leaves. These records increase the number of known Mycosphaerella species from eucalypts in WA from 10 to 13. The increase in the number, distribution and impact of Mycosphaerella species contributing to MLD in WA is of concern both to the potential productivity of the plantations and the biosecurity of native WA Eucalyptus species. Continued monitoring of the plantation estate is required to understand the dynamics of the host–pathogen interactions.     

Reorganisation of wood production for improved performance: a swiss forest district case study

An extremely fragmented timber supply, high harvesting costs, low profitability, high subsidies and insufficient competitiveness characterise forest enterprises in Switzerland. In a case study using a forest district in the state of Solothurn as an example, it was sought to identify strengths and weaknesses of wood production and to formulate possible improvement opportunities. The results indicate that there is considerable potential for industry rationalisation. The greatest handicaps are the small sized forest holdings, excessive numbers of staff, insufficient use of modern harvesting technology and costly business administration. The most eminent of the proposed improvement measures are those which aim to increase concentration of timber supplies and reduce production costs. These include greater centralising of timber sales as well as planning and steering of production, making full use of modern harvesting systems, reducing transaction costs, supporting administration, planning and steering of wood production with modern information technology and reducing input on stand tending. In principle, amelioration can be best achieved by close cooperation with neighbours or even merger of enterprises. Consequently, there is a need for related business tasks to be combined in functions. The paramount prerequisite for success is the willingness and readiness of all affected stakeholders to make changes. The situation described is typical for Swiss forestry and the proposed solutions could well be used as models for a wide range of Swiss forest districts.     

Genetic variation and relationships to growth traits for microfibril angle,wood density and modulus of elasticity in a Picea abies clonal trial in southern Sweden

Abstract

Genetic variation in wood density, microfibril angle (MFA), wood stiffness (MOE), height, diameter and volume was investigated in a 26-year-old Norway spruce [(Picea abies (L.) Karst.] clonal trial in southern Sweden. Wood quality measurements were performed on 10 mm increment cores using SilviScan. For MFA, mean values of annual rings showed the highest value (30°) at ring 2 counting from the pith, followed by a steep decrease and a gradual stabilization around ring 12 at approximately 14°. MOE showed a monotonic increase from 5 GPa to 14 GPa when moving from pith to bark. High broad-sense heritability values were found for wood density (0.48), MFA (0.41) and MOE (0.50). All growth traits displayed heritability values of similar magnitudes as reported in earlier studies. The generally high age–age correlations between different sections of the wood cores suggested that early selection for wood quality traits would be successful. Owing to unfavorable genetic correlations between volume and MOE, the correlated response indicated that selection for volume only at age 10 would result in a 0.27% decrease in weighted MOE at age 26 for every 1% increase in volume.     

三通道刨花干燥机刨花干燥过程自动控制系统初探

文中对三通道刨花干燥机刨花干燥中被控对象的特性、过程控制的方法、检测仪表、调节控制器与调速系统进行了探索与研究。干燥机的热效率高、刨花终含水率均匀、形态好。     

Species substitution for carbon storage: Sessile oak versus Corsican pine in France as a case study

Species choice is potentially an important management decision for increasing carbon stocks in forest ecosystems. The substitution of a slow-growing hardwood species (Quercus petraea) by a fast-growing conifer plantation (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio) was studied in central France. Simulations of carbon stocks in tree biomass were conducted using stand growth models Fagacées for sessile oak and PNL for Corsican pine. The changes in soil carbon were assessed using the Century model and data from two European soil monitoring networks: 16 km × 16 km grid and RENECOFOR. Carbon in wood products was assessed with life cycle analysis and lifespan of final products. However, only carbon stocks and their variation were accounted for: effects of energy-consuming materials or fossil fuel substitution are excluded from the analysis. To compare the growth of these two types of forest stands, an important part of the study was to assess the productivity of both species at the same site, using National Forest Inventory data.