ROTATION

New Syllabus

4.1 Concepts and Types of Rotation

4.1.1 Biological Rotation / Rotation of Maximum Volume Production
4.1.2 Financial Rotation
4.1.3 Technical Rotation
4.1.4 Silvicultural Rotation
4.1.5 Rotation of Highest Income
4.1.6 Physical Rotation
4.2 Choice of Rotation
4.3 Conversion Period
 ROTATION
Old Syllabus

6.1. Definition and Concept

6.2. Rotation in Regular and Irregular forest
6.3. Types of Rotation
6.3.1 Physical and Silvicultural
6.3.2 Rotation of max. Volume Production
6.3.3 Rotation of highest income
6.4 Choice of Rotation
6.5 Conversion Period
6.6 Rotation Determination Methods
6.6.1 Biological Criteria
6.6.2 Financial/ Economic Criteria
6.6.3 Social and Environmental Criteria
 Concept and Definition

• Unlike Ag crops, the exact time of maturity of forest

crops is difficult to determine (there could be variable
criteria such as: Size, Age, Vigor of growth, or
combination of these)
• Rotation: An important factor in the Regulation of
Yield and proper Management of the forest as a whole
• Rotation: mainly depends on the Objects of management
 Concept of Rotation

 Determination of the best age at which forests should be

harvested is among the oldest problems in forestry
 One of the most important single decision in
management plans
 The optimum rotation has been the subject of periodic
investigation for > 150 years, and in spite of the efforts of
many highly competent economists, there remains little
agreement on the correct answer (Smith and Haley 1964)
 Concept and Definition
• The period which a forest crop takes between its formation and
final felling is known as Rotation or production period
• Rotation or production period is the interval of time between the
formation of a young crop by seeding, planting or other means and
its final harvesting (Osmaston)
• Rotation is the period which elapses between the formation of a
wood and the time when it is finally cut over (Jerram)
• The Planned number of years between formation or regeneration
of a crop and its final felling. In the case of Selection Forest, the
average age at which a tree is considered mature for felling
(Glossary)
• The number of years fixed by the Working Plan between the
formation or regeneration and the final felling of a crop (Brasnett)
• Rotation Age is the age of trees or crops at which when they are
felled, objects of management for the time being are best served
(Knuchel)
 Rotation in Regular Crops
• The term rotation is correctly applicable to regular crop
only
• Generally, in regular forests, entire crops of trees of a
sizeable are felled at a time (regeneration period in
regular Shelter wood system)
• There is more or less, a clear production period which
can be planned in advance to produce timber, which
satisfies the objects of management
• In shelter wood system, rotation is fixed for the whole
working circle as a unit, as the average length of time
between the establishment of crops and their harvesting
 Rotation in Irregular Crops
• In uneven aged (irregular) selection forest, trees are selected individually on
their merit for felling depending on:
 Qualities of size, vigor and suitability for markets
 Adjustment of proportion of different sizes
 Silvicultural principles, e.g. removals of inferior stems in favor of better
ones
 With variation in site, species, market etc, there will be greater flexibility
for felling/Rotation
 As the trees in the forest will be of different and unknown ages
 When age is not known, Size will be criterion for felling
 There being no final harvesting, there is no rotation for the Forest as
a whole
 One could say that its rotation period is equal to that of the average age of
the exploitable size of trees; the exploitable age, at which they attain the
size required to fulfill the objects of management
 Rotation period will be equal to that of the average age of the exploitable
size of trees
 Maturity in selection forests is related to size (and the exploitable size is
fixed for removal of individual trees)
 Size (not age) is used as a standard for exploitability
 6.3 Types of Rotation

1. Physical Rotation
2. Silvicultural Rotation
3. Technical Rotation
4. Rotation of Maximum Volume Production
5. Rotation of Highest Income/Revenue (or Forest
Rental)
6. Financial (or Economic) Rotation
 1. Physical Rotation
• It is the rotation, which coincide with the natural
lease of life of a species on given site
• The natural life span of trees varies greatly with
species and site factors. This rotation is applicable
only in case of protection and amenity forest, park
lands and roadside avenues
• It is very variable, fairly long and also indefinite
• It is also interpreted as the rotation in which the age
up to which the trees remain sound, or produce
viable seed in high forest and in coppice crops can
put forth reliable coppice shoots
• This rotation is not of any relevance to economic
forestry
 2. Silvicultural Rotation
It is the rotation through which a species retains
satisfactory vigor of growth and reproduction on a given
site
• In can neither be lower than the age at which trees
start producing fertile seed in sufficient quantity, nor
beyond the age when they stop doing so
• It is not only long but has also very wide range of
limits (so, somewhat Vague)
• It is useful in forest managed primarily for aesthetic
and recreational purpose, where large old trees with
accompanying regeneration provide scenic beauty
• It is similar to physical rotation
 3. Technical Rotation
It is the rotation under which a species yields the Max. material
of a specified size or suitability for economic conversions of for
special use
a. Aims at producing the Max. material of specific
dimension/quality for specific purpose (… Railway
slippers; Saw logs, Mines props, Transmission poles,
Match wood, Paper wood etc)
b. Since one and the same tree may yield different assortments
of material, and the trees in a crop may attain given size at
different times, this rotation offers no point for fixing the
rotation (तोिकएको साइजको बढी भ ा बढी सं ा/गुणा र (Quantity &
Quality को) काठ उ ादन ने उमेरको िनि त िसमा तो म त गछ)
c. Particularly adopted by Industrial Firms
 4. Rotation of Maximum Volume Production

a. Yields the Max. annual Quantity of material (i.e. the age at

which the MAI culminates)
b. MAI = Point where CAI intersect with MAI
c. Max annual Quantity of Material = All thinning + Final Felling
d. Particularly suitable where the Total Quantity of Woody material
is important (not the size and specifications) (eg Firewood, Raw
material for paper industries etc)
e. Yields Largest Volume per unit area, per anum
 Rotation of Maximum Volume Production
If,
Rotation = r
Final yield = Yr
Volumes of thinning at various ages V = Va, Vb, Vc ….. etc,
Then, the age when,
MAI = Yr + ∑v is the maximum, is the desired Rotation
r
(Age when MAI is Maximum, is the desired Rotation)

Rotation
CAI

Volume (cft/ha)
MAI

Rotation age
 Rotation of Max Volume Production

Rotation
CAI
Volume (cft/ha)

MAI

Rotation age
Rotation of Max Volume Production
Year CAI MAI
1 5 5
2 15 10
3 35 18
4 55 27
5 50 32
6 35 32.5
7 15 30
8 10 27
9 5 25
10 2 22
 5. Rotation of Highest Income/Revenue (or Forest Rental)

• It is the rotation which yields the highest average annual

gross or net income irrespective of the capital values of
the forests.
• The rotation, at which the net revenue as calculated is
maximum
• This rotation is important from the overall national point
of view
 5. Rotation of Highest Income/Revenue (or Forest Rental)
• It is calculated without interest and irrespective of the
time when the items of income or expenditure occurs
Mean Annual Net Revenue per Unit Area =

Where,
Yr = Value of final felling (final yield) per unit area
Tr = Value of thinning during Rotation period R, per unit area
C= Cost of formation of stand, per unit area
e = Annual cost of admin/maintenance, per unit area
r = Rotation (year)
 6. Financial (Economic) Rotation
 Yields the highest Net Return on the invested capital
 It differs from the rotation of highest net income in that
all items of revenue and expenditure are calculated with
compound interest at an assumed rate, usually the rate at
which the Government is able to borrow money
 Rotation which gives the highest discounted profit,
usually at its commencement
 Rotation which is most profitable
 It is rotation which gives the net return on capital value
4.2 Choice of Rotation
 4.2 Choice of Rotation
The choice of the type of Rotation depends on the
• Deciding factor (1) Financial, or (2) General usefulness of forest
– Ecological service; Aesthetic; Specific wood production;
Quality and Quantity of wood etc (The Wider Social/Political
Plan; Private and Public forest)
Or
• (1) Objective of Management (2) Owner of the Forest –
Individual or State (3) Political Ideology (Socialism or
Capitalism. {Individual prefer Shorter Rotations; State – Longer
• Protection Forest – Longer Rotation
• When Small dimension are needed: Shorter Rotation may be
adopted
• When land is scarce: Rotation of highest volume production
 4.2 Choice of Rotation

• Object of Management
 Rotation controlling the supply of certain services
(Silvicultural, Physical Rotation)
 Rotation controlling the output of material forest
products in form or quantity (Technical; Maximum
Volume Production)
 Rotation controlling the Financial Returns (Rotation
of Maximum Net Income; Financial Rotation)
 Length of Rotation
Length of Rotation will depend on the interaction of several Physical,
Biological, Management, Technology used, and Economic factors.

A. Clear-felling system: Generally applied to Short Rotation species

B. Shelter wood system: Long Rotation species
C. Coppice System: Generally Short Rotation, with species having
coppicing ability
D. Use of Hybrid variety
 Rotation Determination Methods

The general procedure in fixing the Rotation:

1. Define the Objective; define what kind/class of timber your
want to produce. Then indicate the rotation under which these
objects can be realized in the most economic manner
2. Calculate the financial results of that rotation, and also that of
Financial Rotation. The difference gives the financial loss
involved in deviating from the Financial Rotation
3. Special attention should be given about the impact on
environment, in case of clear-cutting system
4. Consideration for Sustained Yield
 Rotation Determination Methods

4.2.1 Biological criteria

 Rate of Growth (Seedlings, Root shoot cutting, Hybrid, etc…)
 Silvicultural Characteristics
4.2.2 Financial/economic criteria
 Economic Considerations
 Marketable size
 Industrial Demand
4.2.3 Social/environmental criteria
 Social Factors
 Object of Management
 Response of the Soil
 Climate/Topography
 Site Quality (eg Good Site quality 80 years; Poor site quality
100 years)
4.3 Conversion Period
 4.3 Conversion Period
• Conversion = ‘A change from on Silvicultural system or one (set
of) species to another’
• Conversion period (CP) = ‘The period during which a change
from one Silvicultural system to another is effected’
• Conversion Period is indicated where a change in Silvicultural
system is contemplated, or where a forest is brought under scientific
management for the first time, and no rotation can be calculated or
applied straight away for various reasons
• Rotation: It is necessary to fix a Rotation in case of Regular forests,
it is not so with Conversion Period (Management; Yield Control)
• CP is fixed (where it is considered necessary to minimize the
Sacrifice)
• CP < Rotation (Usually) (s.t. may be CP > Rotation)
• When, CP = Rotation (then CP and Rotation is not distinguishable)
 4.3 Conversion Period
Objectives of Conversion:

 Change in the Mode of Regeneration

(System based on Regeneration from Seed to one based
on Regeneration by Coppice or vice versa)

 Change in the Character of Crop

(Irregular forest to Regular one)
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