Economic guidelines for establishing loblolly pine plantations in Virginia

Abstract

Economic guidelines for regenerating loblolly pine were developed for Virginia forest landowners. The general procedure used was the structured personal interview.

The basic economic guidelines are expected regeneration costs calculated using the actual total regeneration cost and an associated probability of achieving an acceptable stand of loblolly pine. Average expected costs are calculated for the most frequently used regeneration technique-opportunity combinations in Virginia.

Results indicate the use of expert opinion is an acceptable procedure for developing economic guidelines. The guidelines appear to be useful in determining which regeneration method to use, as well as aids in determining the future financial yield necessary to justify the initial expected regeneration cost and in computing rate of return on the regeneration investment.