Profitability of silvicultural treatments in logging gaps in the Brazilian Amazon

Many harvested timber species of tropical forests have not been regenerating sufficiently for future cutting cycles, which can demand the application of post-harvesting silvicultural treatments. This study analyzed the profitability of sawnwood produced through four treatments applied on seedlings and saplings naturally present or planted in logging gaps as follows: (1) the standard procedures of reduced-impact logging or control; (2) the tending of the naturally established regeneration; (3) enrichment planting 1 (EP-1); and (4) enrichment planting 2 (EP-2). In EP-1 commercial species were planted in 2-year-old gaps with no logging residuals removal from the gap while in EP-2 seedlings were planted in 1-year-old gaps with logging residuals removal from the gap. The planted timber species in EP-2 had higher financial value and higher growth rates than the timber species planted in EP-1. The experiment was carried out in a certified managed forest in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The growth rates of the treated seedlings and saplings were projected in 30 and 60 years from the treatment establishment to simulate sawnwood production. The simulations indicated that, increases of 25 and 50% in growth rates and increases up to 500% in timber prices under annual interest rates of 4 and 6%, the treatments of tending and enrichment planting can be profitable at year 60. These silvicultural treatments, under technological improvements, tend to become financially more profitable, meaning higher financial returns to forest managers and investors.