{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/63997"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/63997","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Not All Biomass is Created Equal: An Assessment of Social and Biophysical Factors Constraining Wood Availability in Virginia","abstract":"Most estimates of wood supply do not reflect the true availability of wood resources. The availability of wood resources ultimately depends on collective wood harvesting decisions across the landscape. Both social and biophysical constraints impact harvesting decisions and thus the availability of wood resources. While most constraints do not completely inhibit harvesting, they may significantly reduce the probability of harvest. Realistic assessments of woody availability and distribution are needed for effective forest management and planning. This study focuses on predicting the probability of harvest at forested FIA plot locations in Virginia. Classification and regression trees, conditional inferences trees, random forest, balanced random forest, conditional random forest, and logistic regression models were built to predict harvest as a function of social and biophysical availability constraints. All of the models were evaluated and compared to identify important variables constraining harvest, predict future harvests, and estimate the available wood supply. Variables related to population and resource quality seem to be the best predictors of future harvest. The balanced random forest and logistic regressions models are recommended for predicting future harvests. The balanced random forest model is the best predictor, while the logistic regression model can be most easily shared and replicated. Both models were applied to predict harvest at recently measured FIA plots. Based on the probability of harvest, we estimate that between 2012 and 2017, 10 – 21 percent of total wood volume on timberland will be available for harvesting.","abstract_html":"Most estimates of wood supply do not reflect the true availability of wood resources. The availability of wood resources ultimately depends on collective wood harvesting decisions across the landscape. Both social and biophysical constraints impact harvesting decisions and thus the availability of wood resources. While most constraints do not completely inhibit harvesting, they may significantly reduce the probability of harvest. Realistic assessments of woody availability and distribution are needed for effective forest management and planning. This study focuses on predicting the probability of harvest at forested FIA plot locations in Virginia. Classification and regression trees, conditional inferences trees, random forest, balanced random forest, conditional random forest, and logistic regression models were built to predict harvest as a function of social and biophysical availability constraints. All of the models were evaluated and compared to identify important variables constraining harvest, predict future harvests, and estimate the available wood supply. Variables related to population and resource quality seem to be the best predictors of future harvest. The balanced random forest and logistic regressions models are recommended for predicting future harvests. The balanced random forest model is the best predictor, while the logistic regression model can be most easily shared and replicated. Both models were applied to predict harvest at recently measured FIA plots. Based on the probability of harvest, we estimate that between 2012 and 2017, 10 – 21 percent of total wood volume on timberland will be available for harvesting.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Braff, Pamela Hope"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Forestry","degree_department":"Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Prisley, Stephen P."],"committee_members":["Coulston, John W.","Radtke, Philip J."],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-05-19","date_published":"2014-05-19","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z","subjects":["wood availability","forest inventory and analysis (FIA)","classification and regression trees","random forest","logistic regression"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:3001"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:3001","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/63997","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Prisley, Stephen P."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Coulston, John W.","Radtke, Philip J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Braff, Pamela Hope"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-11-11T07:00:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-11-11T07:00:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014-05-19"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["wood availability","forest inventory and analysis (FIA)","classification and regression trees","random forest","logistic regression"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:3001"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/63997"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Most estimates of wood supply do not reflect the true availability of wood resources. The availability of wood resources ultimately depends on collective wood harvesting decisions across the landscape. Both social and biophysical constraints impact harvesting decisions and thus the availability of wood resources. While most constraints do not completely inhibit harvesting, they may significantly reduce the probability of harvest. Realistic assessments of woody availability and distribution are needed for effective forest management and planning. This study focuses on predicting the probability of harvest at forested FIA plot locations in Virginia. Classification and regression trees, conditional inferences trees, random forest, balanced random forest, conditional random forest, and logistic regression models were built to predict harvest as a function of social and biophysical availability constraints. All of the models were evaluated and compared to identify important variables constraining harvest, predict future harvests, and estimate the available wood supply. Variables related to population and resource quality seem to be the best predictors of future harvest. The balanced random forest and logistic regressions models are recommended for predicting future harvests. The balanced random forest model is the best predictor, while the logistic regression model can be most easily shared and replicated. Both models were applied to predict harvest at recently measured FIA plots. Based on the probability of harvest, we estimate that between 2012 and 2017, 10 – 21 percent of total wood volume on timberland will be available for harvesting."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Not All Biomass is Created Equal: An Assessment of Social and Biophysical Factors Constraining Wood Availability in Virginia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Prisley, Stephen P."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Coulston, John W.","Radtke, Philip J."],"dc:contributor.department":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"],"dc:creator":["Braff, Pamela Hope"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-11-11T07:00:10Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-11-11T07:00:10Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014-05-19"],"dc:description.abstract":["Most estimates of wood supply do not reflect the true availability of wood resources. The availability of wood resources ultimately depends on collective wood harvesting decisions across the landscape. Both social and biophysical constraints impact harvesting decisions and thus the availability of wood resources. While most constraints do not completely inhibit harvesting, they may significantly reduce the probability of harvest. Realistic assessments of woody availability and distribution are needed for effective forest management and planning. This study focuses on predicting the probability of harvest at forested FIA plot locations in Virginia. Classification and regression trees, conditional inferences trees, random forest, balanced random forest, conditional random forest, and logistic regression models were built to predict harvest as a function of social and biophysical availability constraints. All of the models were evaluated and compared to identify important variables constraining harvest, predict future harvests, and estimate the available wood supply. Variables related to population and resource quality seem to be the best predictors of future harvest. The balanced random forest and logistic regressions models are recommended for predicting future harvests. The balanced random forest model is the best predictor, while the logistic regression model can be most easily shared and replicated. Both models were applied to predict harvest at recently measured FIA plots. Based on the probability of harvest, we estimate that between 2012 and 2017, 10 – 21 percent of total wood volume on timberland will be available for harvesting."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:3001"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/63997"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["wood availability","forest inventory and analysis (FIA)","classification and regression trees","random forest","logistic regression"],"dc:title":["Not All Biomass is Created Equal: An Assessment of Social and Biophysical Factors Constraining Wood Availability in Virginia"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forestry"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z"}