New RESONATE study provides a spatial analysis using the European Forest Industry Database
As demand for wood products grows, it’s important to understand if local resources can meet this need. In the EU, about 550 million cubic meters of wood are harvested yearly, mostly processed by the wood industry. The recent RESONATE study Preliminary evidence of softwood shortage and hardwood availability in EU regions: A spatial analysis using the European Forest Industry Database – ScienceDirect led by RESONATE researcher Nicola Bozzolan is based on the European Forest Industry Database (EUFID) with data on 4,000 facilities across sawmills, pulp and paper, and bioenergy. The database developed by Bozzolan and a group of researchers obtains detailed insights into the industry’s specific requirements, including potential spatialized wood consumption per assortment type. Analyzing Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic, they found no overcapacity but shortages of coniferous logs and surpluses of broadleaf logs. Another insight was that pulp mills often need to source wood beyond 100 km. Bozzolan et al. emphasize that models can help predict how climate change and harvesting affect supply, providing insights for policymakers to manage forest resources sustainably.
Reference:
Nicola Bozzolan, Frits Mohren, Giacomo Grassi, Mart-Jan Schelhaas, Igor Staritsky, Tobias Stern, Mikko Peltoniemi, Vladimír Šebeň, Mariana Hassegawa, Pieter Johannes Verkerk, Marco Patacca, Aris Jansons, Martin Jankovský, Petra Palátová, Hanna Blauth, Daniel McInerney, Jan Oldenburger, Eirik Ogner Jåstad, Jaroslav Kubista, Clara Antón-Fernández, Gert-Jan Nabuurs. 2024. Preliminary evidence of softwood shortage and hardwood availability in EU regions: A spatial analysis using the European Forest Industry Database. Forest Policy and Economics, 169, 103358.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103358
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