Trade-offs between wood production and forest grouse habitats in two regions with distinctive landscapes

Background:Forest management affects the viability of forest grouse populations,causing alterations to habitat quality.At the regional level,common targets for wood harvesting and safeguarding of specific habitats are negotiated between various stakeholders.Analysing potential trade-offs between forest grouse habitats and wood production in the region could support resource-smart decision making.Methods:In this paper,we compiled trade-off curves represented as production possibility frontiers demonstrating the relationship between forest grouse habitat area and wood removal,using a Finnish forestry dynamics model and the Finnish Multi-Source National Forest Inventory.For the modelling of forest grouse habitats,a landscape-level occurrence model based on nationwide wildlife triangle census data was used.Five alternative forest scenarios in terms of wood removal were compiled for two study areas in Finland representing two different landscape structures.Results and conclusions:Results showed that impacts on forest grouse habitats were case-specific.In the southern study area,increasing the roundwood harvesting rate affected grouse habitats more strongly as forests were already fragmented for other land uses and became more spruce-dominated over time.If the maximum sustainable removal rate was implemented,predicted grouse habitat area was 55%less than in a no-removal scenario.In the eastern study area,a more heavily forested region,the decrease was far lower at 22%.Scenario results were also compared to levels of recorded(business as usual)wood removal and that envisaged by valid regional forestry programmes,and their sustainability in terms of grouse habitat area was discussed.The production possibility frontiers calculated in this study support the evaluation of the loss of suitable habitat caused by different wood harvesting rates,or vice versa,the economic cost of increasing habitat areas.

Input-Output Production Structure and Non-Linear Production Possibility Frontier

Input-output(Leontief)production function is widely used in economic analysis.And diminishing marginal rate of return is a very well accepted economic fact.Leontief production function normally results in a linear production possibility frontier(PPF)due to its linear feature,whereas diminishing marginal rate of return implies a non-linear PPF.In this paper,the authors aim to fix this problem by considering multiple primary inputs in a simplified two-sector economy.The authors find that it is possible to curve a non-linear PPF by using Leontief production function when the authors add heterogeneous primary inputs.The authors also discuss the PPF using non-linear production function.Furthermore,the authors propose that three commonly used economic presumptions cannot hold in the same framework.These presumptions are"single primary input","fixed-proportion inputs"and"law of diminishing marginal returns".

Sustainability of China＇s Growth Model A Productivity Perspective

In the present paper, the debate on China＇s growth sustainability is first revisited by highlighting the importance of total factor productivity （TFP）. China ＂s TFP performance is then assessed by applying the Jorgensonian aggregate production possibility frontier framework to the latest version of the China lndustry Productivity （CIP） database. We find that of China＇s 8.9-percent annual GDP growth over the period 1980-2012, 7. 0 percentage points （ppts） could be attributed to the growth of labor productivity and 1.9 ppts to the increase in hours worked. Nevertheless, the labor productivity growth is found to be heavily dependent on capital deepening （5.7） rather than TFP growth （0.8）. Notably, the TFP growth turned negative over 2007-2012, which brings into question the sustainability of China＇s growth. Besides, industries that are less prone to state intervention show faster TFP growth than those controlled by the state. Incorporating the Domar aggregation scheme into our model, we further reveal that two-thirds of the TFP growth originates from within industries and the remainder is attributed to a net factor reallocation effect in which labor plays a positive role, whereas capital appears to behave irrationally. Finally, using a revised Maddison-Wu approach to address the potential flaws in official statistics, we arrive at an annual growth rate of 7.2 percent, or 1.7-ppts slower than the 8.9percent obtained based on the CIP data reconstructed using the official national accounts.