Sensitivity Of Allowable Cuts To Intensive Management

A sensitivity analysis of allowable cuts on two BLM master units shows that even-flow allowable cuts depend primarily on: (1) assumed long-term growth potential, (2) period that growth increases must be cumulated before they can be removed from the stands on which they occur, and (3) amount and age-class distribution of the initial inventory. Current allowable cut levels respond relatively more to changes in long-term growth where: (1) the initial inventory is higher, (2) the age classes are more evenly distributed, (3) the growth increases can be cut sooner from the stands on which they occur, and (4) growth increases are smaller in proportion to the allowable cut. Current allowable cut levels respond relatively more to changes in inventory or short-term growth where: (1) the initial inventory is lower, and (2) the inventory is less evenly distributed. Although these results apply to even-flow allowable cuts, they should be regarded as rough approximations when applied to allowable cuts with less restrictive periodic flow constraints.