Strategic and tactical options for managing the quality and value of eucalypt plantation resources

The paper outlines options for managing the quality and value of eucalypt plantation resources. It begins with the hypothesis that variation is the largest single issue with regard to wood quality and that the extent of variation creates both the biggest problems and the greatest opportunities for maximizing the value of plantation resources. It is argued that we need to understand the essential characteristics of the resource, the extent of quality variation and what drives it. The paper considers the primary factors defining quality and value for pulp fibre and solid wood industries and appropriate screening technologies designed to rapidly and efficiently characterize the quality of commercial forest resources. An option for deployment of the knowledge gained from resource characterization is also considered. It is proposed that the use of optimisaton systems that integrate information on resource quality and volume, process constraints and end product requirements can offer a quantum leap in realizing the true value of the forest resource at strategic, tactical and operational levels. 1 The Forestry and Forest Products Research Centre is a joint venture between the CSIR and the University of Natal, South