I know that forest rotation age varies widely. For example from as few as 8 years in some parts of the Neotropics to more than 65 years in BC.
Right now I would like to cite this information in my thesis so references would be appreciated.
Also, if you think mean rotation age is not a good measure then I would be pleased to here what is better.
For several reasons I do not think you will be able to get a well-supported answer to this question. First, the "sampling universe" is not really clear: one must presume you are referring to managed forests, but then a defined rotation age only makes sense in an even-aged system - which excludes large areas particularly in the tropics and temperate zone managed under uneven-aged forestry. Moreover, many "production" forests, particularly in the tropics, are essentially high-graded for whatever is most profitable, so there is not a defined rotation length. Second, even among even-aged managed forests with a management plan, a large proportion globally are privately owned and details, including rotation lengths, are often proprietary information, or at least not widely shared. Third, there will be a large difference between the rotation length that pertains to wood production vs. land area. Many areas of low productivity (boreal forests generally) have long rotation lengths (say 80+ years), whereas Eucalyptus or loblolly pine plantations can produce great amounts of wood on short rotations (
Hi!
In Russia we have adopted the following felling age:
Scots pine, spruce, larch - minimum age 81 years,
birch, linden (Tilia cordata) - 61 years
aspen, alder, poplar - 41 years
Oak - 101 years.
Hi
Trees have different uses or purposes and according to their uses, vary the ages of rotation. And you have to consider that rotation age also depends on species. What you can do is give examples of types of forests/plantations and species.
Please have a look at the yield tables. There are many of them in every country. You can find a list of yield tables for European countries at http://www.efi.int/portal/. The best rotation period to maximize yield is given at the time where the maximum of mean average increament is achieved.
I agree with Hendrik. Look for volume or yield tables for forest species. Plenty of such tables are available for most countries. If you get these tables for tree species found in your area, it can be referred properly then.
The rotation age of a forest is defined by the rotation of the dominant tree species. In Indian tropical forest Sal (Shorea robusta ) dominates in the northern and north-eastern part of the country. This species has a rotation of about 70 years. Teak (Tectona grandis) dominates in central and southern part of the country. This tree has a rotation of about 75 years.
In general, rotation age of a species is defined as the age at which photosynthesis equals to respiration. It means that no more addition to the standing biomass.
Thank you everyone for your answers, which mainly conclude that this is a complex question and that answering it requires at least to specify the type of management (ie. even aged or not). Also, to obtain accuracy requires specifying the region as well.
My intention was to find a source to cite a wide age range to give a general reader a wide range of estimates. My paper is within coastal temperate forests, but I've gone with the following two papers, which give a general range of forest rotations:
Bauhus et al. (2009) provide a wide range of 25-150 years for general silvicultural practices aimed at wood production: Bauhus J, Puettmann K, & Messier C (2009) Silviculture for old-growth attributes. Forest Ecology and Management 258(4):525-537.
Gibbons et al. (2010) use the same definition (general silvicultural practices aimed at wood production:) but suggest 50-150 years, and cite several other sources Gibbons P, McElhinny C, & Lindenmayer DB (2010) What strategies are effective for perpetuating structures provided by old trees in harvested forests? A case study on trees with hollows in south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 260(6):975-982.
To add subjective commentary: I think that Dr. Bauhus is a good source for this, as they have a well-rounded book on many aspects of plantation forestry ecosystem services (Bauhus et al. 2010). However, they also point out in that book that even aged tropical forest plantations can be as short as 12 years.
Bauhus J, Van der Meer P, & Kanninen M (2010) Ecosystem goods and services from plantation forests (Routledge).
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