Comparing model-based approaches with bucking simulation-based approach in the prediction of timber assortment recovery

The aim of the study was to compare model-based approaches inthe prediction of timber assortment recovery with bucking simulationbased on detailed stem data. A correction function for the totallength of saw log fragments and two optional saw log reductionmodels, that is, the MELA96 version and MELA05 version, wereapplied. In the bucking simulation, the volumes by timber assortmentswere calculated using a bucking-to-value simulator. The predictionof saw log recoveries varied between the bucking simulationand different versions of saw log reduction models. The levelof the reduction from the MELA96 version was at the same levelas from the bucking simulation where defects were taken intoaccount, but the saw log reduction had a very low variance dueto a small amount of independent variables. The saw log reductionof the MELA05 version included more variation although the levelof the reductions was higher and the variation did not meetwith the bucking simulation. As a conclusion, the model-basedapproaches seem applicable at least for the prediction of sawlog recovery in the large area forest inventories where thevariance of the standwise timber assortment recoveries neednot be predicted.