Log Production of Major Commercial Species for Sawtimber in Hongcheon Region of South Korea

This study was carried out to figure out the number of logs for sawtimber by DBH and height class and to compare merchantable volume ratio by categorizing into sawtimber, lagging board and pulpwood, and others for Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, and Larix kaempferi. Logs for sawtimber were hardly produced in small DBH class of three species, but produced evidently from medium DBH class. In large DBH class, the number of logs for sawtimber were noticeably different among species: 4.3 logs for L. kaempferi, 2.6 logs for P. densiflora, and 1.0 logs for P. koraiensis on average. Similarly, merchantable volume ratio for sawtimber were largely different among species in large DBH class with higher than 15 m: 82% logs for L. kaempferi, 60% logs for P. densiflora, and 44% logs for P. koraiensis. When compared to the upper diameter and upper height by species with regard to the last log of a tree produced for sawtimber, upper diameter was smallest with 14.1 cm and upper height was highest with 12.2 m in L. kaempferi. Overall, L. kaempferi was considered as the more commercial species for sawtimber production than P. densiflora and P. koraiensis.