Journal of Forest Economics > Vol 19 > Issue 1

Optimal harvest age considering multiple carbon pools – A comment

Bjart Holtsmark, bjart.holtsmark@ssb.no , Michael Hoel, m.o.hoel@econ.uio.no , Katinka Holtsmark, k.k.holtsmark@econ.uio.no
 
Suggested Citation
Bjart Holtsmark, Michael Hoel and Katinka Holtsmark (2013), "Optimal harvest age considering multiple carbon pools – A comment", Journal of Forest Economics: Vol. 19: No. 1, pp 87-95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfe.2012.09.002

Publication Date: 0/1/2013
© 0 2013 Bjart Holtsmark, Michael Hoel, Katinka Holtsmark
 
Subjects
 
Keywords
JEL Codes:Q23Q54Q42
Dead organic matterForestryFaustmannCarbon
 

Share

Download article
In this article:
Introduction 
Theoretical framework and result 
Numerical simulations 
Conclusion 

Abstract

In two recent papers, Asante and Armstrong (2012) and Asante et al. (2011) considered the question of optimal harvest ages. They found that the larger are the initial pools of dead organic matter (DOM) and wood products, the shorter is the optimal rotation period. In this note, it is found that this conclusion follows from the fact that the authors ignored all release of carbon from decomposition of DOM and wood products after the time of the first harvest. When this is corrected for, the sizes of the initial stocks of DOM and wood products do not influence the optimal rotation period. Moreover, in contrast to the conclusions in the two mentioned papers, our numerical analysis indicates that inclusion of DOM in the model leads to longer, not shorter, rotation periods.

DOI:10.1016/j.jfe.2012.09.002