The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Observation Programme Board has today given the go-ahead for a new €400-million Earth-observation mission that will measure global forest biomass in unparalleled detail.reports  Harriet Jarlett Plane Earth Online.

Biomass measuring concept.

The mission, called BIOMASS, is scheduled to launch in 2020 and will produce the first accurate maps of tropical, temperate and boreal forest biomass from space. These maps will help scientists address fundamental questions about changes in biodiversity, especially in tropical regions, where ground data is scant. They’ll also help put a figure on the carbon emissions resulting from deforestation and land-use change.

‘Understanding how the amount of living material - biomass - in our global forests changes over time is necessary for improving present and future assessments of our climate,’ says Professor Shaun Quegan of the University of Sheffield, who is one of the principle investigators now supporting it.

Currently, estimates of biomass used in climate models come from ground-based measurements. But because these measurements are scarce, the models give radically different projections of future climate.

The BIOMASS mission will help overcome this problem, by providing a database of accurate, calibrated biomass measurements, bringing current climate models into line with each other. It will do this by using a 70-centimetre-wavelength radar sensor to probe both the height of trees, and the size of their trunks and canopies, in minute detail.

Understanding how the amount of living material - biomass - in our global forests changes over time is necessary for improving present and future assessments of our climate
Shaun Quegan - University of Sheffield

Professor Mathew Williams of the University of Edinburgh is a member of the BIOMASS Mission Advisory Group. He hopes this will be one of the first satellites to provide data which will be useful to several groups, not just researchers.

BIOMASS will bring accessible information to climate researchers but it will also help forest managers in the Congo or southern Australia so they can see the impact of that big storm which blew down lots of trees, or the damage caused by a drought. This instrument would track those sorts of things, and then measure the impact they have on releasing carbon,’ he says.

As well as giving us an unparalleled insight into forest biomass, this mission could provide information on ice-sheet thickness, permafrost levels, soil moisture and subsurface geology in arid regions.

The concept for BIOMASS has only been possible in the last five years after the international telecommunications union allotted a wavelength frequency to remote sensing.

Earth Explorer 7.

Right now, the wavelength required for BIOMASS interferes with the United States Space Object Tracking Radar, which has sites across the US and Europe. If negotiations between ESA and the US government cannot resolve this conflict, the mission may be unable to operate across North America and Europe.

‘Even if we cannot measure across the areas of the tracking system we don’t foresee it being detrimental to the mission. We can still focus on the tropical regions where over half of our global forest, and half of our carbon-storing biomass, grows,’ says Williams.

The Biomass mission is also hoping to contribute to the United Nations REDD Programme – an international effort to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation in developing countries.

‘The purpose of REDD is to get tropical and developing countries to manage their forests better so we can manage emissions from deforestation. But a major problem for this is monitoring the forest and knowing what biomass there is. Without something like the BIOMASS mission, our chances of getting an international agreement are non-existent, as no one will be able to check the numbers.’ says Quegan.

While exports from most ports have been on the rise lately with more logs going to China, the most rapid increase has been from Whangarei where the share of exports from New Zealand has increased from around 17% in the quarter to March 2012 to 28% in the quarter to March 2013.

China

China’s imports are continuing at high prices and high volumes. The economy has slowed slightly in the first quarter of 2013, though how this affects exports to China is unclear. There has not been much sign of slowing of exports to the country so far. China’s importers have been following the US lumber market in anticipation of short supplies though this is yet to kick in with imports from the Pacific North West ticking along steadily.

China’s total rolling quarter log imports have increased 6% year-on-year and most of this has come from a 40% increase of imports from New Zealand. There has been a large increase from the US, though imports from Canada have remained steady over the year. However, imports from Russia have decreased 22% year-on-year, which is a very significant drop from the number one log supplier, and as this trend continues China will still make up volume from New Zealand and the Pacific North West.

south Korea South Korean imports have been relatively steady for the past year, in which New Zealand has had over 50% share of the log market for the 9 months from July through to March. In this time, the average price of logs from the Pacific North West going to South Korea has risen by 36%. This is due to the decreasing supply of cheap hemlock logs from Canada and the United States.

In the first quarter of this year the South Korean economy grew by its fastest rate in two years, though its government continue to be worried by sluggish exports. The Japanese aggressive currency devaluing is giving them a competitive advantage for exports, which is a concern for the Korean economy which is heavily based on exports. The central bank has lowered interest rates in an attempt to boost exports. This means that margins on input costs for construction, such as logs from New Zealand, will become tighter and may hurt log imports in the short term.

Source: www.nzxagri.co.nz/agrifax

The world’s largest international forestry convention ElmiaWood becomes wider than ever. The industry is gearing up for a real human and machine party when manufacturers and suppliers to showcase their new products and innovations in the forests south of Jönköping 5 to 8 Jun 2013. It’s still tough times in the forest industry, but the pressure and interest in the show is bigger than ever. We have never had such a big exhibition stand space in terms, says Torbjörn Johnsen from ElmiaWood.

In the forests south of Jönköping the leading manufacturers and suppliers are gathered to show their innovations. ElmiaWood is an extremely important exhibition, says Jörgen Ivarsson at Rottne Industri.

 Participation in the world’s largest forestry fair involves a lot of work and in Rottne we’re now working hard to finish the last details. . – It is important to be visible and show the market that despite the downturn, product development continues the improve . We will show our customers a new generation of COMFORT LINE. The new engine tier IIIB  is in place and the new extensions as well. -More than that I will not reveal, says Jörgen, but welcome all customers and interested parties to booth 808.

We also take the opportunity to meet and welcome our dealers from different parts of the world.

ElmiaWood has nearly 500 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors over 4 days and is held every four years.The fairground is located in Brattorp 30 kilometers south of Jönköping.
www.elmiawood.se

The Iseli RZ-1 is a fully automatic CNC controlled leveling and tensioning center.  Two CNC-controlled pairs of rollers, concave and convex, level the deformities with proportional pressure, depending on the unevenness of the band.  The two working cycles are executed utilizing the two separate pairs of rolls. The saw blade is tensioned and the back is put in automatically. The machine allows the ability to level, tension and straighten band saw blades in a single clamping operation. 

Not only is the Iseli RZ-1 highly precise, the machine is very user-friendly.  The control unit is easily programmable with a touch-screen that provides a clear display of all elements.  The order of leveling, tensioning and putting the back in can be selected and programmed through a graphical interface of the control unit.  Programs can be recalled with the same values for effortless duplication of saw blades of the same specification.

The Iseli RZ-1 bench center allows the accurate leveling, tensioning, and putting the back in which leads to a more consistent band saw blade.  The benching center operates with such a degree of precision that optimum cutting performance has been proven every time. The automation of the Iseli RZ-1 allows consistent quality along with increased output rates of lumber, saving mills both time and money. 

Oleson Saw Technology is the exclusive stocking distributor for all Iseli Precision Saw Filing Equipment.  For more information, please contact Oleson Saw Technology.

About Oleson Saw Technology

Oleson Saw Technology (OST), a division of York Saw and Knife, is a precision manufacturer of saw mill band saw blades and circular saw blades.  OST also sells, services, and installs saws, saw maintenance equipment and supplies for the filing room for the timber processing and saw mill industry. 

Contact: Mat Harris mharris@olesonsaw.com

Oleson Saw Technology, a division of York Saw & Knife Co., Inc.

295 Emig Road York, PA  17406 Phone: 717-767-6402 x238 Toll Free: 1-800-233-1969 Fax: 717-764-2768

www.olesonsaw.com

Net income attributable to Deere & Company was $1.084 billion, or $2.76 per share, for the second quarter ended April 30, compared with $1.056 billion, or $2.61 per share, for the same period last year.

For the first six months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $1.734 billion, or $4.41 per share, compared with $1.589 billion, or $3.91 per share, last year.

Worldwide net sales and revenues increased 9 percent, to $10.914 billion, for the second quarter and rose 9 percent to $18.335 billion for six months. Net sales of the equipment operations were $10.265 billion for the quarter and $17.058 billion for six months, compared with $9.405 billion and $15.524 billion for the periods last year.

“After a record-setting second quarter, John Deere is well on its way to another year of strong performance,” said Samuel R. Allen, chairman and chief executive officer. Second-quarter sales and income were the highest for any quarterly period in company history, he pointed out. “Deere’s results are a reflection of positive conditions in the global farm economy, which continues to show impressive strength. The company’s performance also offers further proof of the adept execution of our operating and marketing plans, which are aimed at expanding our global market presenc

Dongwha Holdings, a South Korean company that previously traded in Australia as TASCO, had formed a joint venture with Wilmott Forests to build the mill. But Wilmott, a Managed Investment Scheme with pine plantations in the Bombala region, went into receivership before the partnership could progress, according to an earlier report by ABC South East NSW on 9 May.

The project to expand the site of the old Bombala sawmill and construct a new mill and timber processing plant subsequently received assistance from the Korean Australian governments. Dongwha has also secured a 20-year timber supply agreement from Forests NSW

FOR BROCHURE USE LINK BELOW

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Namibia is the ultimate land of big vistas, changing colours and remarkable wildlife surprises in an immensely varied desert setting, all rounded off with impossibly spectacular lodge locations.It presents clients with an opportunity to really tailor their itinerary in hugely varied terrain and often requires more than one visit to fully appreciate the expansiveness of the country.

 Fly over the empty beauty of the Skeleton Coast. Track the world’s last free- roaming black rhino population on foot. Walk through the boulder-strewn backdrop of the Namibrand wilderness.

 Head into one of Africa’s last frontiers and boat along the remarkable Kunene River, which divides Angola from Namibia.

17 day Namibia Safari to include:

Sossusvlei, Namibrand, Skeleton Coast, Kunene, Desert Rhinos & Ongava

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jonathan.peach@jpsluxurysafaris.com

Potlatch Corporation (Nasdaq:PCH) has announced that Eric Cremers, president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer, will be providing a company overview to investors at the REITWeek conference in Chicago, June 6, 2013 at 9:30 AM Central Time.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available via the Investor Resources page of Potlatch’s website at www.potlatchcorp.com. An archived version of the Company’s presentation will also be available on this site following the webcast for approximately 30 days.

ABOUT POTLATCH

Potlatch is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) with approximately 1.42 million acres of timberland in Arkansas, Idaho and Minnesota. Potlatch, a verified forest practices leader, is committed to providing superior returns to stockholders through long-term stewardship of its forest resources. The company also conducts a land sales and development business and operates wood products manufacturing facilities through its taxable REIT subsidiary. More information about Potlatch can be found on the company’s website at www.potlatchcorp.com

Price fixed at CLP 1,480 per share during preferential period

Empresas CMPC SA, a leading Latin American forestry, pulp, paper, tissue and packaging products producer, announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has set the price for CMPC’s forthcoming capital raise.

The capital raise of up to 155, 602, 948 shares will be priced at CLP1, 480, or US$3.1237*, per share during the preferential rights period, when shareholders of record as of May 3, 2013, may subscribe to the offering in a fixed proportion to their holdings.

The preferential rights period will begin on May 9, 2013 and conclude on June 8, 2013. The Matte Group, CMPC’s controlling shareholder, has stated its intention to subscribe to the offering in proportion to its holdings.

The capital raise marks the first steps of the previously announced financing package for CMPC’s planned expansion of the Guaiba pulp facility in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Additional steps in the financing package may include a bond offering, the sale of non-core assets including the Company’s 7.7% stake in Bicecorp S.A., together with some real estate assets, the use of a BRL$2,510 million (approximately US$1.2 billion) credit facility with Brazilian development bank BNDES and, if it is deemed necessary, a potential second capital raise of up to $250 million.

The expansion of the Guaiba mill will increase CMPC’s pulp production capacity by approximately 1.3 million tons to 4.1 million tons per year, helping the Company double its share of the global pulp market. Total investment in the project will be approximately US$2.1 billion.

Shareholders approved the capital increase at an extraordinary shareholders meeting on January 24, 2013. The pricing of the transaction was fixed at a meeting of the Board of Directors on April 19, 2013.

Participants in the WoodEXPO 2013 September series to date include;

Brent Apthorp Director, Forest Industry Engineering Association Level Two, 2 Dowling Street PO Box 904 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand

 Ph: +64 (03) 470 1902, Mob: +64 21 227 5177, Fax: +64 3 470 1906

 www.woodexpo2013.com .