Research Article

Effects of Site Conditions on Costs and Profitability in the Extraction and Use of Dead Trees in Mongolia

Volume: 8 Number: 1 June 30, 2022
Yuta Ikeda , Biligt Battuvshin , Hiroaki Shirasawa , Ganbaatar Chultem , Futoshi Ishiguri , Kazuhiro Aruga *
PDF Download
European Journal of Forest Engineering Cover European Journal of Forest Engineering
EN

Effects of Site Conditions on Costs and Profitability in the Extraction and Use of Dead Trees in Mongolia

Abstract

This study estimates the costs and profits of extracting dead trees from forests to be sold at provincial centers via sub-provincial centers as lumber, to be sold at sub-provincial centers as firewood and unused materials for the production of energy. The effect of site conditions on cost and profit was examined. Forest registration data including subgroup area, tree species, and forest stocks; polygonal data describing province/sub-province, protected/nonprotected, and subgroup boundaries (shape file); point data of provincial/sub-provincial center (shape file); and linear data about roads (shape file) were acquired from the Mongolian government. Subgroups comprising Siberian larch, Scotch pine, and Asian white birch trees were analyzed. A positive correlation was found between off-road/primary transportation distance and harvesting/total cost; the total cost and ratio of lumber yield in each subgroup, resulting from the additional cost of transporting lumber from the sub-provincial center to the provincial center. The strong positive correlation between profitability and the ratio of lumber yield to the total yield of each subgroup means that profits will increase as more lumber is harvested, although lumber costs more than firewood or other unused wood. Therefore, the extent to which lumber can be harvested from each subgroup has a significant influence on profitability.

Keywords

Biomass recovery , circular economy , lumber , firewood , unused materials for energy production

References

  1. Accastello, C., Brun, F., Borgogno-Mondina, E. 2017. A spatial-based decision support system for wood harvesting management in mountain areas. Land Use Policy 67: 277-287.
  2. Altrell, D. 2019. Multipurpose National Forest Inventory in Mongolia, 2014-2017 -A tool to support sustainable forest management. Geogr. Environ. Sustain. 12(3): 167-183.
  3. Aruga, K. 2016. Analyses on strip road networks and profitability of final felling operations considering regeneration expenses at Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Eur. J. For. Eng. 2(2): 74–81.
  4. Aruga, K., Hiyamizu, G., Nakahata, C., Saito, M. 2013a. Effects of aggregating forests, establishing forest road networks, and mechanization on operational efficiency and costs in a mountainous region in Japan. J. For. Res. 24(4): 747–754.
  5. Aruga, K., Murakami, A., Nakahata, C., Yamaguchi, R., Saito, M., Yoshioka, T. 2014. Estimating annual available amounts of forest biomass resources with total revenues and costs during the 60-year rotation in a mountainous region in Japan. Cro. J. For. Eng. 35: 125-138.
  6. Aruga, K., Murakami, A., Nakahata, C., Yamaguchi, R., Yoshioka, T. 2011. Discussion on economic and energy balances of forest biomass utilization for small-scale power generation in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Cro. J. For. Eng. 32: 571-586.
  7. Aruga, K., Murakami, A., Yamaguchi, R., Nakahata, C., Saito, M., Tasaka, T. 2013b. Development of a model to estimate the annual available amount of forest biomass resources under profitable forest management - Case study of Nasushiobara City and Kanuma Area in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Formath 12: 103–132.
  8. Aruga, K., Uemura, R. 2015. Estimating availability of logging residue using forest management data at aggregated stands of the Takahara area of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Eur. J. For. Eng. 1: 69-83.
  9. Baasan, B., Mohns, B. 2019. Sustainable Forest Management to Improve the Livelihood of Local Communities (SFM). Final Completion Report on ADB Project, Mongolian University for Science and Technology (MUST), Ulaanbaatar.
  10. Battuvshin, B., Ikeda, Y., Shirasawa, H., Cultem, G., Ishiguri, F., Aruga, K. 2022. Estimating available unused dead wood materials for heat generation in Mongolia: how much coal can unused dead wood materials substitute? Environ. Monit. Assess. 194: 291.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

June 30, 2022

Submission Date

March 14, 2022

Acceptance Date

June 15, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 8 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33904/ejfe.1087059

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA26HN72BK

Cite

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Ikeda, Y., Battuvshin, B., Shirasawa, H., Chultem, G., Ishiguri, F., & Aruga, K. (2022). Effects of Site Conditions on Costs and Profitability in the Extraction and Use of Dead Trees in Mongolia. European Journal of Forest Engineering, 8(1), 11-25. https://doi.org/10.33904/ejfe.1087059

Creative Commons License

The works published in European Journal of Forest Engineering (EJFE) are licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.