Productivity estimates
A submission from the forest industry acknowledges that improvements in timber supply analysis methodology have occurred in this Timber Supply Review, but agrees with the licensees' review that a better definition of site index is needed. This submission questions the fact that regenerated stand yields used in the analysis are lower than existing stand yields for immature stands. No data is offered to support an alternative estimate.
In contrast, another respondent declares it is ecologically impossible for future productivity to be as great as the original forest growth. This individual asserts that structures such as mushrooms, birds and lichen that feed and protect the forest from pests are removed and destroyed by clearcutting. Another respondent questions the wisdom of basing decisions on extrapolation of values many decades into the future.
A few submissions maintain better timber inventory data is needed before decisions about long-term timber supply are made.
