Canadian Forest Service Publications
Economics in the management of mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine in British Columbia: a synthesis. 2006. Wagner, W.L.; Wilson, W.R.; Peter, B.; Wang, S.; Stennes, B. Pages 277-299 (Chapter 11) in L. Safranyik and W.R. Wilson, editors. The mountain pine beetle: a synthesis of biology, management, and impacts on lodgepole pine. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia. 304 p.
Year: 2006
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 26049
Language: English
Availability: PDF (download)
Abstract
Economic theory has played only a minor role in developing British Columbia’s forest strategy for managing the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]). Forest economics literature addresses the forest management problem caused by the beetle in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) from a number of perspectives. The standard methods are concerned with maximizing the value of harvesting a single forest site under the risk of bark beetle. The second viewpoint extends this value-maximizing approach to incorporate multiple uses of, and benefits from, a larger forest system. In this second approach, management policy suggests systems that reduce risk and reduce impact, rather than increase physical product. This chapter discusses literature from these two viewpoints and identifies issues, opportunities and concerns of applying forest economic theory to the mountain pine beetle problem in British Columbia.