Lars Lönnstedt

Non‐industrial private forest owners' decision process: A qualitative study about goals, time perspective, opportunities and alternatives

In the Nordic countries, the non‐industrial private forest (NIPF) owners play an important role in the roundwood market, and are essential to the successful implementation of environmental policies. We know little about the owners as managers, however; about their goals, procedures for identifying cutting opportunities, or the selection of buyers and price options. To study these issues, I have used a qualitative method, based on personal interviews with 35 owners. The results show that an overriding objective, influencing the cutting patterns of the owners, is to preserve and develop the property. A variety of formal and informal economic, production and environmental, and intangible goals are influenced by this overriding objective. In addition to relying on their own observations of price changes and the recommendations of the forest management plan, owners identify cutting opportunities through neighbours, friends, timber buyers, or extension rangers. Usually the owner uses the same selling form from ...

Paper recycling: environmental and economic impact

Abstract The Optimal Fibre Flow Model, a combined optimization and simulation model, calculates the optimal combination of energy recovery and recycling of waste paper for paper and board production. In addition, the environmental impact is estimated by using an environment load unit-index (ELU-index). The ELU-index assigns an environmental load value to emissions and to the use of non-renewable resources such as oil and coal. Given a ‘forced’ utilization rate for the Scandinavian forest industry, optimization of marginal revenue shows environmental impact to be at a minimum with a utilization rate of about 30% in Scandinavia and 73% (an assumed upper limit) for the rest of Europe. If instead environmental impact is minimized, the utilization rate for Scandinavia is almost the same, while the utilization rate for the rest of Europe is 53% (a lower assumed level). Given a fixed use of virgin fibres for the rest of Western Europe, a comparison of the environmental load at different ‘forced’ utilization rates for the Scandinavian forest industry shows no significant differences between the economic and environmental optimizations.

From the small woodland problem to ecosocial systems: the evolution of social research on small-scale forestry in Sweden and the USA

Abstract This review article deals with the evolution of academic small-scale forestry research in Sweden and the USA from its early focus on timber supply to present-day interest in stewardship objectives, characteristics and attitudes. Aiming at identifying fresh opportunities for research on small-scale forestry, it reflects on the questions that have dominated the literature over the past quarter of a century, the socioeconomic conditions under which those questions arose, and their influence on the evolution of the field. The goal was to explore key drivers for research over the past 25 years and identify emerging research themes, and by that provide insight into what developments may make the research enterprise more fruitful. With some exceptions, it is based on articles in refereed journals and to academic theses covering the time span 1985–2010. It reflects a reappraisal of the subject of the research and corresponding policies. Similar research tendencies are evident in both countries. Research historically focused on the practical problem of efficient production using a weak theoretical foundation. More recently, researchers have focused on understanding diverse motivations and roles that can be played. It is argued that the field of small-scale forestry research is ripe for new multidisciplinary approaches.

Paper recycling: a discussion of methodological approaches

Abstract Over the last decades increased use of waste paper as a source of fibre for the pulp and paper production process has meant that the industry has undergone significant changes in material and energy use. However, this means use of technologies that do not generate a significant amount of biomass for energy recovery, and thus requires that more energy is purchased by the industry. If waste paper is incinerated instead of repulped, energy purchases by society can be reduced, which will have a positive effect on CO 2 emissions. In this article, we argue that an analysis of these effects requires a systems analytical approach including the different production lines, fibre flows and alternative uses of the fibre rather than a life cycle analysis with allocation methods. In the latter case, one often looks at just one production process and uses allocation methods for in- and outflow from or to other processes. We show that allocation methods sometimes used in life cycle analyses do not give a good approximation. Thus, it is recommended that allocation be avoided by, for example, expanding the system. If allocation cannot be avoided, the allocation should be based on the way in which the inputs and outputs are changed by quantitative changes in the products or functions delivered by the system.

Affective commitment in industrial customer‐supplier relations: a psychological contract approach

PurposeThe purpose of this conceptual paper is to develop the construct of affective commitment in business-to-business relationships between customers and suppliers, as well as to introduce the ps ...

Waste paper usage and fiber flow in Western Europe

Abstract Using a unique data set, the flow of waste paper and wood fiber in Western Europe in 1990 is presented. The data have been collected from national trade statistics and international sources. We calculate the flow of waste paper and wood fiber in Western Europe in 2000 based on the flow in 1990 and using a set of assumptions about increased consumption, recovery rates and utilization rates. The result shows that the capacity for the Central European and English forest industry to absorb increasing amounts of waste paper is limited. To avoid an increase in the deposits of waste paper, the surplus must be exported to Scandinavia and/or used as energy.

Small Scale Forest Owners’ Responsibilities: Results from a Swedish Case Study

Requirements on businesses made by society, public and customers for taking different responsibilities have increased, i.e., balancing economic, environmental and social concerns. Based on literature about corporate responsibility and small scale forest owners this article presents a case study of small scale forest owners’ responsibilities in achieving sustainable forest management and Swedish Forest Agency’s local office holders’ expectations. Interviews have been made with ten small scale forest owners. The results show that no obvious conflict exists between economic and environmental responsibilities. The financial benefits for the owners for taking more environmental and social responsibility are small. The two office holders that were interviewed expect forest owners to take responsibilities. The weight that the interviewed owners give to their wishes is low.

Calculating non‐industrial private forest owners’ cuttings

In Sweden, the government regularly assesses the development of the state of the forest, for example the annual yield and the standing timber volume. One principle, maximum sustainable yield, is used for all owner categories, from government and the forest industry to the non‐industrial private forest (NIPF) owners. The purpose of this study was to present an alternative method of assessing the development of Swedish NIPF owners’ timber inventory and growth during the next 20–30 yrs. The calculations were based on estimates of the NIPF owners’ cutting intensities, defined as actual or planned cuttings relative to the sustainable yield. A distinction was made between farmers and non‐farmers. The study relied on an extensive database comprising tens of thousands of stands on some 1400 private woodlots, and is unique in that it took its data from individual cases and considered different cutting intensities. The results showed that, everything else being equal, the harvesting level of the private forest owne...

Accounting as a management tool for non-industrial private forestry

Non-industrial private forest owners (NIPF owners) supply most of the roundwood in Scandinavia. For these owners, it is the supply of timber that provides income and return on invested capital. Owners have to decide whether to invest more in their property, or to disinvest. They have to find ways to increase revenue and cut costs. By applying business accounting practices to traditional forest accounting we propose principles for profit and loss accounts and balance sheets for NIPF owners. We argue that it is important for the forest owner to complement the strictly regulated accounting with contingent adjustments. An economic analysis of a medium-sized forest holding illustrates the importance of this type of adjustment. Research on this question can help to increase economic awareness among private owners and to support the harmonization of forestry accounting in the EU.

Development of economic forest tree breeding objectives: review of existing methodology and discussion of its application in Swedish conditions

Abstract Genetic selection in forest tree breeding requires multiple traits to be considered simultaneously. Based on an economic breeding objective, traits are weighted according to their economic importance to create an index used for selection. Economic breeding objectives have mainly been developed in animal breeding and have only recently been applied to forest tree breeding. A review of the general methodology highlights the decisions associated with developing economic breeding objectives and their effects. Furthermore, studies concerning economic forest tree breeding objectives provide a bulk of knowledge and practical experience for fast growing, short rotation species. We have identified and discussed challenges when applying this methodology in Swedish tree breeding. Major challenges are: (1) managing the uncertainty of future industrial uses of wood and industrial processing, originating from long rotations; (2) various issues associated with having a production system describing an entire nation; (3) the size and effects of the discount rate; (4) developing models capable of representing genetic changes in the complex and dynamic system of growing and harvesting trees. We believe that these challenges must be tackled by a joint multi-disciplinary effort, involving stakeholders and researchers in several areas (e.g. forest genetics, economics, wood engineering), to make significant progress.