Determination of Rotation Period and Scheduling Harvesting and Replanting

Abstract of a presentation conducted by

Gimhani Danushika

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science

University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

The objectives in forest management are often achieved by controlling the characteristics of a forest stand or set of forest stands in to influence the growth and yield of those stands. Further according to the objective of the land owner, it will change optimal rotation period of the plantations rotation. Most government owned plantations are following biological rotation to determine harvesting age of the plantation while commercial plantations are managed with economic rotation to get maximum economic benefit.

Harvest scheduling is a traditional exercise carried out by forest land managers on public and private lands. Public land management has characteristically balanced timber and non-commodity forest production while private land is going for optimal timber production. Therefore, industrial plantation establishment has been dominated by profit maximization and cost reduction by various strategies like economies of scale. Forest harvest practices in Sri Lanka are conducted by two ways called thinning and final harvesting. Final harvesting can be done in different ways such as clear cutting where all trees are felled, while selective cutting, shelterwood cutting and seed tree cutting are also possible. Thinning generate additional intermediate income from plantation while improving site quality for plant grooving by reducing competition.

Replanting of a harvested site is an important managerial activity which depends on social, cultural, economic and environmental considerations. According to management decision, it can use the same species as before or different species appropriate to the land. When replanting is carrying out, proper silvicultural practices should be maintained to gain the final harvest as expected levels. e:g: nursery establishment and maintaining, establishment of pits for planting, spacing, block wise replanting, weeding, fertilizing, irrigation, thinning and pruning etc. All these action should be conducted in proper way to maintain good replanting practice in harvested land.

Market Demand and Export of Non-Timber Products

Presented by

Sumudu Marasinghe

All the biological material except industrial round wood, derived sawn timber, wood chips, wood-based panel and pulp are generally considered as non- timber forest products. They may be extracted from natural ecosystems, managed plantations and other resources and be utilised within the household, social, cultural or religious significance. The non- timber forest products are defined as goods of biological origin other than wood, derived from forests, other wooded lands and trees outside the forests. Non- timber products which are exported from Si Lanka are mainly tea, natural rubber, coffee, coconut and coconut based products, cocoa, spices, cashew, ayurvedic & herbal products, bamboo, rattan and cane, essential oils and resins

Sri Lanka has acquired a good demand and reputation for tea and cinnamon in the world market.  Pure Ceylon tea satisfies 19% of global tea demand and Sri Lanka has become the world's third largest tea exporter to the world market. About 96% of the total tea production in our country is exported to about 40 countries. Among those countries United Arab Emirates, Russian Federation and Jordan are the major buyers for Ceylon Tea. When it comes to Cinnamon, Sri Lanka is the world's largest producer and exporter of pure cinnamon and satisfies almost 90% of demand of the world market. Sri Lankan Cinnamon has been established in the international market under the global brand name of Pure Ceylon Cinnamon and it satisfies almost 90% of demand of the world market. USA & Mexico are the main markets and it also exported to countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Guatemala, Chile and Bolivia. Not only raw cinnamon but also value-added Cinnamon products such as oil, powder and tablets are produced and exported. And our country is in the sixth position among the global natural rubber producers. Different types of natural rubber such as ribbed smoked sheet rubber, latex crepe rubber, scrap crepe rubber and centrifuged latex are exported and rubber sector is the third largest export earner of the country. USA, Belgium, Germany, Italy and UK are the main export markets for natural rubber. And Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Japan, Germany are the main export markets for semi-processed Sri Lankan rubber. Another important category is essential oils such as Eucalyptus oil, Cinnamon leaf oil, Cinnamon bark oil and Citronella oil. Pepper, nutmeg and mace, cardamom and clove are some of the main spices which are exported from our country.

According to the Annual report of 2014 produced by Sri Lanka Export Development Board, a considerable success was achieved by all the tea products. The exports were increased in terms of both value and volume by 5.43 % and 2.35% respectively. 48.54% of total tea export earnings were gained by exporting Tea Packets and 49.10 % from exporting bulk tea. But export earnings from all categories of natural rubber were declined during the last year. Overall negative performance of natural rubber exports was -36.32%. Export earnings from coconut oil, fresh coconut nuts, coconut fibre based products and coconut shell products were increased but earnings from export of coconut powder was declined. When considering about the spices, only the exports of cardamom were increased and the exports of other spices such as pepper, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg were declined. 

Several issues in the exporting sector can be identified which inhibit the performances of the exports. Lack of policy objectives on extraction of non – timber products, lack of modern technology on extraction, lack of knowledge and attention to maintain the product quality, lack of experience and knowledge about the opportunities in the international market and competition from the other countries which have more resources and technology than our country are some of those issues. Therefore to overcome those barriers solutions should be designed and adopted such as awareness programmes for farmers to meet the international standards of the products, introducing more efficient technologies to extract the products, research and development programmes to increase the quality and purity of the products and establishing a proper database on the demand and supply of the exporting products.

Harvest Scheduling and Replanting in Comjmercial Forestry

Presented by

Arundathi Koliyabandara

Harvest scheduling is a traditional exercise that has been carried out by forest land managers on public and private lands alike. Industrial forest management has generally been distinguished by a much higher rate of intensification than has been the case on public lands. Whereas public land management has characteristically balanced timber and non-commodity forest production. Industrial plantation establishment has been dominated by profit maximization and cost reduction through economies of scale. Forest companies are now facing the challenge of scheduling spatially specific timber management activities over time to achieve their traditional objectives and the new environmental goals.

A good operational harvest schedule will satisfy the customers’ orders from areas of forest while minimising transportation costs. Also, areas of the forest with high quality trees will be used to provide high quality (high value) logs while lower quality areas will fulfil low quality (low-value) demands, minimising the conversion of high quality trees into low-value logs. Operational harvest scheduling can be very difficult. Good operational harvest scheduling is an activity where large immediate financial gains can be found. This is in contrast to tactical planning where gains will be seen in two to three years, or strategic planning with gains realised thirty or more years in the future. The immediate gains of a good harvest schedule are listed below. Harvesting costs are reduced, harvesting productivity is increased, larger volumes of high quality logs are produced and transport costs are lowered. Harvesting is done by two means as thinning and clear cutting. The conducting silvicultural system and the economics and demand are important factors when scheduling the harvest. There are commonly using harvesting systems as clear cutting, shelter wood, selection and coppicing. Clear cutting is where all of the trees in a stand are removed. Clear cutting diseased or insect-infested area  is often necessary to protect healthy trees. Shelter wood System is designed to remove certain trees and establish new growth under the protection of an over story of foliage. Sufficient mature trees are left standing to shelter the site until new growth is well established. The using silvicultural system depends on the objective.If a site is maintained to get timber and to maintain aesthetics selection is used. Coppicing is used when fuel wood is gained. If the prime objective is to get timber, clear cut is the method which will be practised.

The rotation is also an important consideration in harvest scheduling. It helps in deciding when to harvest the stand. There are main rotations used in commercial forestry which can be stated as technical rotation, biological rotation, income generation rotation and etc. Technical rotation is suitable for providing timber, wood with specific dimensions. In biological rotation the maximum volume production is expected. The stand is harvested when maximum mean annual increment is reached. Income generation rotation is a monetary rotation where the harvesting is scheduled at the time where highest average income is gained.

Replanting of a harvested site is an important managerial activity which depends on on social, cultural, economic and environmental reasons. Use of the same species or different species is a choice made by the management. When replanting is carrying out proper silvicultural practices should be maintained to gain the final harvest such as nursery establishment and maintaining, establishment of pits for planting, spacing, block wise replanting ,weeding , fertilising, irrigation, thinning and pruning. Intercropping can be practised based on the objectives.

In Sri Lanka some upcountry Eucalyptus plantations are clear-felled and replanted with more suitable Eucalyptus species. Some selected mature Pinus plantations too are clear-felled and replaced with, Khaya, Hora, Eucalyptus and Mix species. Dry Zone Teak plantations are re established mainly with Teak in the second rotation. However in the areas where elephant damaged is high, Khaya was planted instead of Teak.

Carbon sequestration potential of a plantation will be an added benefit and when scheduling harvest the area leaving for conservation and proper practices of harvesting should be planned.