MS Student SUNY - ESF Syracuse, New York, United States
Eastern white pine is the dominant softwood species of the Northeast U.S., however the majority of the region’s harvest produces low grade lumber. Through a log-based sawmill study, we aim to identify factors contributing to lumber grades of eastern white pine and to develop management recommendations to improve grade recovery.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to determine how a sawmill study can help those in the forest products industry understand questions relating to forest management and lumber grade and yield recovery, as well as be able to assess the potential benefits of conducting a sawmill study to address other research questions. Participants will gain an understanding of the resources and steps required to develop, conduct and interpret results from a sawmill study, as well as understanding the types of questions a sawmill study may help to answer.
Participants will be able to list and explain factors contributing to lumber grade recovery of eastern white pine, and to extrapolate how similar factors may relate to lumber grade recovery for other softwood species. Participants will gain an understanding of how identifiable stem and log attributes can contribute to a product’s final lumber grade and yield. Participants working in regions within eastern white pine’s range will be able to use the results of this study to identify which standing trees in the forest may deliver higher lumber grades at the mill.
