When to harvest? The effect of disease on optimal forest rotation

Morag F. Macpherson, Adam AKleczkowski, John Healey () and Nick Hanley
Additional contact information
Morag F. Macpherson: Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling
Adam AKleczkowski: Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling
John Healey: School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University

No 2015-19, Discussion Papers in Environment and Development Economics from University of St. Andrews, School of Geography and Sustainable Development

Abstract: Effective forest management is crucial to maximising the economic benefits obtained from forests. However, the arrival of novel pests and pathogens may have a negative effect on timber values. We argue that management strategies should be calibrated to consider the effect of disease and in this paper explore the optimal rotation length of a single rotation, even-aged, plantation forest under varying disease conditions. We show that the optimal rotation length, which maximises the net present value of the forest, is reduced when disease decreases the timber value. Moreover, an increase in the rate of disease progression or the effect of disease on timber has a negative effect on the optimal rotation length. More generally, the effect of forest disease on optimal management depends in a complex way on the interaction of economic, ecological and epidemiological parameters

Keywords: harvest; forestry disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q20 Q23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2015-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/dept-of-geograph ... herson%20et%20al.pdf
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 404 Not Found (http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/dept-of-geography-and-sustainable-development/pdf-s/DP%202015%2019.Macpherson%20et%20al.pdf [302 Found]--> https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/dept-of-geography-and-sustainable-development/pdf-s/DP%202015%2019.Macpherson%20et%20al.pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sss:wpaper:2015-19

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Discussion Papers in Environment and Development Economics from University of St. Andrews, School of Geography and Sustainable Development Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Laure Kuhfuss ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).