Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) and Pulp and Lumber Production :: Economic Analysis

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) and pulp and Lumber ProductionIntroductionShortleaf waste (Pinus echinata) is commercially one of the quatern most important conifers in the southeastern United States. In fact, shortleaf hanker has the widest range of all southern wastes, spreading from Florida to New Jersey and from brotherhood Carolina to Oklahoma Sidney Investments, a firm based in Dallas, Texas, is considering the corrupt of a 360 acre parcel of forested impose located in the Quachita Mountains of eastern Oklahoma. This land has been under shade production through one rotation to this point. Sidney Investments would desire to be advised on the possibilities of keeping that land in timber production and the operations necessary for the management of shortleaf pine. Sidney has come to Hall-Tree Silvicultural Consultants for a verbal description of the silvicultural procedures involved, and the firm depart then perform an economic analysis, checking the current marketpl ace prices for the implementation of those procedures before making a decision on the purchase of this property. The 360 acre tract that Sidney Investments is considering is located in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. The elevation of the site does not set forth much, ranging from 400 to 460 feet above mean sea level. The soil, being primarily unruffled of sand and silt, is quite mesic and highly drained. The annual precipitation in McCurtain County averages 48 inches. The average annual temperature is near 66F and on that point are around 260 days in the growing season. Though shortleaf pine prefers a site with a little more moisture, it will, nonetheless, grow tumesce on this site. Because of its characteristic valuation reserve of varying site conditions, shortleaf pine will outperform any of the other southern pines on this site. Shortleaf Pine interpretationShortleaf pine tends to grow rather slowly in the early stages of its spirit when compared to its closest competitor, lo blolly pine. Therefore it cannot compete for the best sites under natural regeneration, but, because of its tolerance of a wide range of site conditions, shortleaf pine is found of course in areas where loblolly pine will not grow effectively. It is for this reason that shortleaf pine was chosen for this site instead of loblolly. When planted artificially, it was found that after the firstly few years of development, shortleaf pine will match loblolly in crown growth on the better sites and will surpass loblolly on the poorer sites (Harrington, 1987). Because of this, shortleaf pine is the most commonly regenerated pine in the northern and western separate of its range where the site conditions are not as ideal as in the southern part of its range.