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Published on: June 30, 2020
Optimal harvesting in forestry: steady-state analysis and climate change impact
Natali Hritonenko1, Yuri Yatsenko, Renan-Ulrich Goetz
1Department of Mathematics, Prairie View A&M University, Box 519, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA. nahritonenko@pvamu.edu
Abstract:
We perform the steady-state analysis of a nonlinear partial differential equation model that describes the dynamics of a managed size-structured forest. The harvesting policy is to maximize the net benefits from timber production over an infinite planning horizon. The existence and uniqueness of the steady-state trajectories are analysed. Closed-form steady states are obtained in meaningful special cases and are used to estimate how climate change affects the optimal harvesting regime, diameter of cut trees, number of logged trees, and net benefits in the long run.
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