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What is a typical pulpwood yield per acre in your area?

Started by Okrafarmer, August 21, 2016, 02:51:40 PM

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Okrafarmer

I am having a heated discussion with my brother, and I needed figures for pulpwood production. How many tons per acre are typically harvested when pulpwood is clear-cut? And in your area, how frequently could pulpwood be harvested if it were the only forestry consideration on a particular property?

???
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

wannaergo

What type of timber are you discussing? Different species have different average yields, and it can depend a lot on the stand. What is your average tree diameter at chest height? How far apart are they spread? How tall are they? These will all make a difference
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Okrafarmer

I'm just looking for typical numbers, since this is a discussion in theory and not an actual specific woodlot.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

SwampDonkey

Typical for fir that was thinned to 1000 st/acre on the better ground, which is on farms, 28 cords/acre every 40 years. It goes down hill from there on less fertile sites and stands not thinned.

But you have to realize that soil fertility, tree spacing, light, water all influence growth. 28 isn't going to be consistent across all sites.

Up here 0.7 cord/acre a year is very good growth.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ken

The market availability has a great deal to do with merchantable volume/acre.  We could merchandize softwood to 3" (inside diameter) or less just a few years ago and now we leave all softwood less than 4.5" in the bush as it is not feasible to harvest. 
Lots of toys for working in the bush

Okrafarmer

Thanks, that makes sense. Swamp Donkey, how many tons per cord again?
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

wannaergo

Well in general, a hardwood clearcut will yield 30cd/60tons per acre. You can clearcut every 100 years, or if you thin it, our average yield on a hardwood thinning is 10-15cd per acre, or 20-30 tons. With aspen, you could see 40 cords an acre if it's phenomenal stuff, and I have heard of pine clearcuts with 60cd/120tons per acre. Those would be ideal stands. They could also be around 5cd/10 tons per acre if it's junk. Hope this helps
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

Okrafarmer

Yes it does, thanks!

Around here we can grow pulp a lot faster than that. Of course there are differing soil types, but with our climate, 20 years could work in some situations.

But the tonnage was what I was lacking.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

SwampDonkey

2.2 ton (not metric) a cord for balsam fir, which is heavier than spruce because of water.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

WDH

For southern pine on a 20 year pulpwood rotation, no thinning, clearcut at age 20, you can expect about 80 tons/acre.  That is about 30 cords per acre.

On a conventional sawtimber rotation of 30 years in southern pine, you thin at about age 15, then again at about age 22, then clearcut at age 30.  Two thins then a clearcut.  7 - 8 year intervals between thinning.You will get about 25 - 30 tons/acre at each thinning, and you will get about 80 - 90 tons/acre at clearcut.  The first thinning will be all pulpwood, the second thinning will be a mix of pulpwood and chip-n-saw (small sawtimber). 

Usually the economics are better for growing sawtimber with two intermediate thinnings, but at current pulpwood prices in much of the Southeast and Gulf regions, it is about equal, so it all has to do with your expectation of price in the future when the wood will be harvested.

Right now, there is more sawtimber growing stock in Georgia because of lower demand during the economic crisis a few years back and because many landowners deferred harvest because of low prices.  Prices will stay on the lower side for a good while yet. 
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Wudman

I cut a 16 year old loblolly pine stand here in Southern Virginia back during the winter.  It was planted at a rate of 622 trees per acre, but the site prep was poor and it had a very heavy wildling pine component.  The site was highly overstocked with a lot of trees in the 4-5 inch DBH class.  It was on operable ground and I caught a good premium in the market during a period of very wet weather.  It was harvested by an in woods chipping crew.  The stand produced 78 tons / acre of clean chips (run through a flail debarker) and 50 tons / acre of fuelwood (flail debris, limbs, bark, brush, submerch).  The fuel was run through a grinder.  If log markets don't improve significantly here, clear cutting 15 year old stands will become the norm.

Wudman
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July 4, 2020 (2 days before his death)

Okrafarmer

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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