T. Eric McConnell

Annual Change in Ohio Hardwood Stumpage Prices, 1960 to 2011

Abstract Timber price trends provide economic information for forest management and wood utilization decision making, yet to our knowledge, no comprehensive examination of Ohio timber price data ha...

Segmentation of Ohio's Logging Industry Based on Productivity and Cost Variables

The objective of this research was to develop baseline information regarding the structure and performance of Ohio’s logging industry. Questionnaires were distributed on-site at logger chapter meetings across the state. Multivariate clustering was used to group similar types of firms based on responses to 15 productivity and cost variables. Three clusters were identified: Local Mill Suppliers, Product Merchandisers, and Volume-Dependent Producers. The clusters were largely homogeneous as far as the overall makeup and administration of their companies. Clusters did differ regarding haul distance, pieces of equipment owned, and equipment age. Volume-Dependent Producers, while not significantly larger in size statistically, viewed the productivity, present, and future cost variables more pessimistically than the other clusters. The key variable of concern across clusters was the cost of consumables, primarily fuel, paralleling more recent findings in other states.

Effects of a partial hydrolysis on the stiffness and mass loss of three southern hardwoods.

Red oak, sweetgum, and yellow-poplar lumber was machined into 3 by 15 by 150-mm (tangential by radial by longitudinal) miniature beams. Moisture content was determined from a subset for calculating...

Quality Indexes for Oak Sawlogs Based on Green Lumber Grade Yields

Abstract Quality Indexes for red oak (Quercus rubra) and white oak (Quercus alba) logs were established using multivariate regression models developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service that predicted green 4/4 lumber grade yields from hardwood sawlogs. Past Quality Indexes were based on air-dried lumber grade yields, but these yields can be affected by mill-specific factors. Considering green lumber as the finished product isolated the drying process and any subsequent changes in lumber product value from the analysis. Lumber grades were consistent with National Hardwood Lumber Association specifications, while log grades were based on the USDA Forest Service grading rules. Input data into the models included log scaling diameter, log length, and percent scaling defect. Green lumber grade yields were then used along with price relatives developed from 5-year lumber grade price averages (nominal) to develop Quality Indexes for each species. Two applications of the Quality Index are ...

Estimating the Economic Impacts Generated by Small-Scale Wood Pellet Manufacturing in Western North Carolina

Abstract In an effort to identify opportunities for regional economic development for western North Carolina, this study investigated the economic impacts generated by collocating a 10,500-ton/yr wood pellet mill alongside a 10-million board foot hardwood sawmill in the Asheville–Brevard combined metropolitan statistical area. Using the analysis-by-parts methodology within the input–output analysis framework, a custom production function was built to describe a small-scale pellet manufacturing facility operating alongside a hardwood sawmill. The additional economic effects generated by a pellet mill collocation are described, along with upper and lower bounds that represent potential variability in the estimates caused by raw material price fluctuation. Last, the impacts generated by the collocated mills are compared with a similar increase in demand distributed among all forest products manufacturing sectors existing within the study area. The study found that wood product firms existing within the regio...

History of Northeastern US Maple Syrup Price Trends

Abstract Average annual percentage rates of change (APR) in maple syrup prices (average gallon equivalent price in the United States) in seven northeastern United States and their aggregated region...

Technical Note: Wettability of Hydrothermally-Treated Hardwood Surfaces in PMDI Adhesive at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract. Hydrothermally treating the wood obtained from hardwood trees at relatively mild temperatures could add value to lignocellulosic ethanol conversion by providing a raw material for manufacturing wood composite products. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of increased ambient adhesive temperatures, more representative of the manufacturing process, on the dynamic contact angle (DCA) of red oak, sweetgum, and yellow-poplar wood hydrothermally treated at 175°C for 30 min. The DCAs were obtained via the Wilhelmy plate technique. Polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate resin was investigated at three temperatures: 20°C, 50°C, and 80°C. The species and adhesive temperature independently and significantly affected the DCA. Wood wetting increased as the adhesive temperature increased. The temperature main effect was nonlinear, with the high ambient temperature producing the least contact angle. Yellow-poplar’s DCA was significantly lower than the other species. An improved network of interpenetration may be possible using modified hardwoods, although potential issues with over-penetration of the adhesive should be monitored during the manufacturing process.

Learning through Service: Wood in Design and Engineering

‘‘Wood in Design and Engineering’’ is a new course at Mississippi State University that is specifically designed to demonstrate how the philosophies and functions of all three departments in the College of Forest Resources interact with regard to the resource, material, and utilization of wood and forest products, while making a tangible contribution to both the university and the community. The course brings together undergraduate and graduate students from all three departments and uses hands-on methods of teaching concepts and interrelationships, ideas often discussed but rarely encountered in the overall context of forestry, wood science, and wildlife biology. A recent group project was to design and construct a cutaway of a 19th century joiner shop and two display cases based upon variations of the trestle table to showcase antique woodworking tools for the ‘‘Treasures from the Vault’’ exhibition at Mississippi State. Personal projects included tables, bows, settles, desks, memorial crosses, and turkey calls, among others. The students gained a greater appreciation about forestry, forest products, markets, wood, woodworking, teamwork, safety, and themselves.

Partially Hydrolyzing Southern Hardwoods: Possibilities for Biofuels and Wood Composite Manufacturing

Conversion of lignocellulosic materials, including wood, to fuel is currently cost prohibitive due to the expenses involved and the lack of value addition, even though small-diameter hardwoods are readily available. Alternative processes therefore need to be investigated. Partially hydrolyzing wood may offer an opportunity to add value to the conversion process by producing a modified woody by-product that can be used as a wood composite raw material. Experiments were conducted on the effects of a partial hydrolysis on the mass loss, specific modulus, and surface free energy of modified southern hardwoods, and this article reports the changes in holocellulose content of water-saturated yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), and red oak (Quercus spp.) heated at 150°C for 30 minutes in three solutions: 1 percent sulfuric acid, deionized water, and 1 percent sodium hydroxide. The treated woods were compared with untreated controls. The previously tested wood sample...