Biologically Optimum Rotation Age
Biologists use the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) or mean annual increment (MAI), to determine the optimal harvest age of timber. MSY can be defined as “the largest yield that can be harvested which does not deplete the resource (timber) irreparably and which leaves the resource in good shape for future uses”. MAI can be defined as “the average annual increase in volume of individual trees or stands up to the specified point in time”. The MAI changes throughout the different growth phases in a tree’s life; it is highest in the middle years and then decreases with age. The point at which the MAI peaks is commonly used to identify the biological maturity of the tree, and its readiness for harvesting.
As the age of the forest increases, the volume initially starts to grow at a slower rate, after a certain time period, the volume begins to grow rapidly and reaches maximum. Beyond which the growth in volume begins to decline. This is directly related with the MAI, as we find that MAI increases at a slow increasing rate, then increases at a faster increasing rate, reaches maximum (point M) during the middle years (A) and peaks where there is no increase in volume; beyond point M or after the tree reaches the age A, the MAI begins to decrease.
Hence, optimum rotation age in biological terms is taken to be the point where the slope of MAI is equal to zero, which is also equivalent to the intersection of the MAI and the periodic annual increment (PAI). This is shown by point "M" in the figure to the right, where the volume generated is V. It is interesting to note that beyond the age A, the MAI, starts to decline.
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