2016 Volume 50 Issue 1 Pages 27-39
We investigated profit differences among privately owned sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) plantations with different cross-cutting strategies and management conditions in Sampoku District, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. First,we simulated cross cutting to maximize gross monetary yield for two cross-cutting strategies reflecting demand, and four forest management conditions reflecting the frequency of pruning. Second, we calculated profit, subtracting total cost depending on location. For a cross-cutting strategy in which primarily sizes of cheaper logs were produced and supplied stably, the effect of management conditions on profit was small and the risks were easy to manage. However, a strategy in which expensive large logs were produced in addition to cheaper logs was more profitable for stands of better site classes and management conditions. Therefore, forest owners must understand demand accurately to choose an appropriate cross-cutting strategy and keep future forests in good condition by required pruning.
