Environmental Benefits of Timber and By-product Utilization Strategies in South Korea’s Domestic Supply Chains

抄録

The environmental contribution of South Korea’s domestic timber supply chains is gaining increasing attention amid efforts toward sustainable forest management and a low-carbon economy. Although undisturbed forests store more carbon in the short term, the long-term climate mitigation potential of timber utilization, especially through product substitution and carbon storage, can surpass that of preservation of forests. This study assessed how different timber utilization scenarios and by-product strategies affect environmental benefits, focusing on carbon storage and substitution effects. Using sawing simulation models and empirical stand data for larch (Larix kaempferi), the study compared environmental outcomes across scenarios involving the production of temporary construction lumber, general lumber, and structural lumber. The analysis revealed that producing high-value products such as structural lumber resulted in environmental benefits approximately 3 to 7 times greater than those of temporary construction lumber. This enhancement was primarily driven by significantly higher substitution effect of structural-grade products. Furthermore, utilizing by-products for bioplastic production enhanced environmental benefits by up to 17 to 20 times compared to conventional applications. These findings underscore the importance of integrating both primary timber and byproduct utilization strategies to maximize the environmental benefits of domestic timber resources. The results will contribute to designing sustainable timber utilization strategies that support South Korea’s transition to a renewable and low-carbon bioeconomy.