Project
Matrix model for wood origins
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A matrix model for tracing the origin of wood-based products
Worldwide, the trade in wood has increased in recent years. Environmental impacts such as forest loss are inextricably linked to the origin of the roundwood. But where does the wood come from?
Background and Objective
Bilateral trade statistics are only partially suitable for determining the environmental impacts in the country of origin that the use of wood products entails in other countries. This is mainly due to the fact that in the increasingly globalized world, wood-based products are often imported as semi-finished or finished products. Our study presents a method that, using matrix algebra, makes it possible to relate the consumption of wood-based products to the original origin of raw wood. Thus, the method can help provide information on consumption-related remote environmental impacts of wood consumption.
Target Group
Policy, Science
Approach
To empirically clarify the research question, we created a matrix model. This model can make statements about the actual origin of the wood and paper products consumed in a country.
Data and Methods
Data for 2018 are taken from publicly available databases (FAOSTAT, UN Comtrade).
Our Research Questions
-Where does the raw wood consumed as finished wood and paper products in a given country originally come from?
-Do the main importing countries listed by the countries in their bilateral trade statistics match or differ from the main source countries determined by our method?
Results
Our results show the "actual" origin of wood in finished wood and paper products for more than 200 countries in the world. For important consumer countries such as Germany, China and the USA, some significant differences are shown between the most important import countries of wood products according to bilateral trade statistics and the most important countries of origin of raw wood determined with our method.
- A model to trace the origin of wood contained in finished wood and paper products
Project brief 2023/16a Matthias Bösch
DOI:10.3220/PB1673880300000
Thünen-Contact
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Involved Thünen-Partners
Duration
1.2020 - 12.2022
More Information
Project status:
finished
List of Publications
- 0
Bösch M, Englert H, Weimar H, Dieter M (2023) A model to trace the origin of wood contained in finished wood and paper products. Hamburg: Thünen Institute of Forestry, 1 p, Project Brief Thünen Inst 2023/16a, DOI:10.3220/PB1673880300000
- 1
Bösch M, Englert H, Weimar H, Dieter M (2023) Ein Modell zur Bestimmung der Herkunft des Holzes in Holz- und Papierfertigprodukten. Hamburg: Thünen-Institut für Waldwirtschaft, 1 p, Project Brief Thünen Inst 2023/16, DOI:10.3220/PB1673879904000
- 2
Bösch M, Englert H, Weimar H, Dieter M (2023) Where does the wood come from? A physical accounting model to trace the origin of wood-based products. J Cleaner Prod 384:135604, DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135604
- 3
Bösch M, Englert H, Weimar H, Dieter M (2023) Wo kommt das Holz ursprünglich her? : Ergebnisse eines neuen mathematischen Modells auf Basis von Handelsdaten. Holz Zentralbl 149(11):155-156