Abstract

Wood production has been among the most important objectives in forest resource management for a long time. Therefore, quality and quantity losses, especially caused by bark beetles in growing stock and wood based products, have been a prominent problem. In recent years, Artvin State Forest Enterprise in Northeastern Turkey has been affected by bark beetles, which caused serious destruction in forests. This study aims to estimate the parameters of sales prices of insect-damaged industrial roundwood of spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) species in Artvin State Forest Enterprise. To this end, a linear price model is constructed in which the sales price is deemed to be a function of: 1) number of bidders in an auction, 2) year after harvest, 3) appraised value and 4) insect damage level.The model explained, statistically significantly, almost 80% of the variation in sales prices of insect-damaged timber in the region.

Key words: Auction sale, spruce log, sales price, Artvin State Forest Enterprise.