Background

IThe optimal use of available resources requires that the wood production chain is considered as a whole in a customer-oriented framework. Methods are needed to select the appropriate raw material for each end use, such as diagnostics for assessing the potential quality distribution of wood from different sources, and methods of optimal bucking and sorting. A more thorough understanding of the mechanisms of the roundwood market that affect the forest owner’s decisions about management options could help improve the quality of the raw material if considered cost-effective. Large economic gains can be expected if the industrial raw material conversion is optimized to meet the customers’ needs.

Longer-term policy decisions require information about the possibilities to manipulate the available resources through forest management, species selection and genetic improvement. Some key issues are the distribution of wood properties in different species and how they are affected by the environment. In order to predict the development of wood properties in different environments and under different management regimes, it is crucial to understand the connection between wood properties and tree growth . This would allow us to utilise models developed for stand growth and yield for projections of wood quality as well. Linking the results with the whole wood conversion chain would allow us to consider the costs and benefits of different policy options.

A large body of knowledge has accumulated recently in different subject areas related to the wood production and conversion chain. Added value could be gained by developing a common platform integrating the different areas. This would both provide new insights into research problems, as well as enable the study of integrated problems defined for the entire chain.