Willmott Forests

About the Softwood Industry

Softwood Overview

The Australian softwood plantation sector is a sustainable resource for the supply of timber for production of sawnwood, other wood products and pulp. The advantages of softwood sawnwood to the building industry are, but not limited to, lower density, a good strength to weight ratio and ease of use. As a consequence, softwood is now the timber of choice used for the overwhelming majority of new homes and renovations. Future demand from the building sector is assured by continued growth in both the population base and gross domestic product (GDP).

Over the last decade, for every 1% growth in GDP, apparent consumption of sawn softwood has increased by 0.6%. Softwood pulpwood demand in south-eastern Australia has grown significantly over the last decade. However, continued investments, specifically in the manufacturing of paper and paperboard, are dependent on further expanding the current softwood estate to meet increasing demand for pulplogs. Domestic markets for all grades of softwood logs are well established. However, while there is not a perfect balance between supply and demand in all growing regions, qualified estimates show there will be an impending shortfall in the supply of sufficient sawlogs and pulplogs in selected major wood baskets of south-eastern Australia unless forest growers and investors undertake continued planting.

Source: Industry Edge 2006 - The Australian Softwood Market in Perspective.

Radiata pine

Radiata pine was first introduced into Australia, as well as into New Zealand and South Africa, about one hundred years ago, and has become one of the most important softwood species. The history of Radiata pine in cultivation is believed to have begun in England in 1833, but the species probably arrived in Australia direct from Monterey Peninsula in southern California USA, where it is of negligible importance. When it was introduced to countries overseas it frequently showed a far superior rate of growth and attained much greater dimensions that in its native habitat, with the result that one of its common names is ‘remarkable pine'. Heights at twenty years of age may vary from sixty feet* to over one hundred feet*, and at maturity attain 130-140 feet*. In Australia its planting is mainly restricted to winter rainfall regions where the summers are dry and warm.

Successful plantations have been established in south-eastern Australia, southern Victoria, Tasmania, on the southern and central tablelands and the south western foothills of New South Wales, and in the Australian Capital Territory. The mean annual increment of timber per acre* varies from about 4.67 to 8.5 cubic metres* in the round, true volume. Expressed in terms of a forty-year rotation, an average acre* can be expected to produce a total voume of about 283 cubic metres* including approximately 259 cubic metres* of sawlogs and about 24 cubic metres* of pulpwood or small case logs. The timber, like that of most species, needs to be mature, and requires careful milling and seasoning. Under these conditions it is at least equal in quality to red deal (the timber of Pinus sylvestris) which is one of the main building timbers of northern Europe.

AusStats: Special Article - Softwood Plantations (http://www.abs.gov.au/ or http://www.privateforests.tas.gov.au/forestry_facts/info_sheets_species/radiata_pine)

* For conversions to Australian classifications please see below:
Feet to Metres : Feet x .3048 = Metres
Acres to Hectares : Acres x .404687 = Hectares

The Myths Associated with pines

Do pines damage soils?

One of the most common myths associated with growing pines is that they greatly acidify soils. Research undertaken by State Forests of NSW during a 20 year period has shown this is not so. In fact, in some instances it can be demonstrated that pine trees have less of an acidifying effect on soils than either eucalypts or improved pasture.

Pine plantations do not significantly deplete soil nutrient reserves, even after several rotations (crops), because pine trees are deep feeders and they recycle nutrients after the tree crowns interlock (crown closure) at about age eight. However, changes in the nature of surface soil organic matter is likely with pines because of the high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio found in the needle litter under pine plantations.

By comparison, agricultural practices such as pasture improvement, greatly modify soil properties. Soil organic matter and nutrient levels increase through the application of fertiliser. In particular, the level of available phosphorus increases as a result of regular applications of super phosphate.

In some circumstances, long-term pasture improvement with legumes produces a substantial increase in nitrogen levels and an increase in the acidity of the soil, through the accumulation and rapid turnover of organic matter and high rates of nitrogen mineralisation and nitrate production.

These processes also promote leaching of exchangeable ‘cations' and therefore reduce the fertility of the surface soil. Generally, soluble aluminium and manganese quantities also increase as a consequence of regular pasture fertilization and may even reach levels harmful to plant growth.

By comparison, the effect of pine trees on the soil is relatively uncomplicated. Pine trees go through two distinct phases in their nutrient use development:

1. The establishment phase (0-8 years), when crowns rapidly expand and trees accumulate nutrients at rates comparable with pastures;
2. The closed canopy phase (8-30 years), when tree crowns interlock and stabilize, and nutrient cycling commences.
   

In the long term, this results in Radiata pine plantations accumulating less nutrients than agricultural crops. Nutrient cycling under Radiata pine may also slowly reverse the trend in nitrogen mineralisation and nitrate production caused by pasture improvement, and even reverse soil acidification.

The location of nutrients within a pine tree is also an important factor to consider. In pines the component which is harvested (the trunk) typically constitutes around 70 per cent of the above-ground biomass, yet it contains only a small proportion of the nutrients.

On the other hand, the crown and litter components of pine trees, which are not usually removed from the site, contain between 50-70 per cent of the total nutrients in the biomass. By contract, the bulk of the nutrients in pastures and crop is removed when they are grazed or harvested. While some changes in soil nutrient status will occur under pines, the soils will remain suitable for alternative forms of land use, such as pasture, after the trees are harvested. This point has been demonstrated at Mannus Correctional Centre where 325 hectares (825 acres) of land formerly under mature pine plantation have been returned to highly productive pasture (State Forests of NSW).

Why Softwood - Radiata pine?

Australia's forest plantations now exceed 1.7 million hectares of plantations (as at December 2004). This consists of around 1 million hectares of softwood species and 0.7 hectares of hardwood. (URS Market Report for Willmott Forests Limited 2007 Project)

The Australian timber industry has been growing Radiata pine plantations on mass since the early 1920's. This trend continues today and currently there are a broad range of product markets, supported by an ever increasing range of individual products. This weight of product provides a good level of comfort for investors as the end log can be used for different end products and grown to suit specific markets and demand.

Compared to native hardwoods, plantation softwood timber is less variable and therefore, more predictable as a "raw material". This is extremely important as it provides larger yields of usable timber in a shorter time than many native species which have a relatively low recovery rate (rate of usable timber compared to timber cut) at the same age and require lengthy drying periods from the time it is cut (eg. 12 months). Softwood dries quickly, is readily machine-processed, forms strong gluing bonds and is easy to treat with preservatives for uses where durability is important.

Softwood timber (Radiata pine) is extremely versatile and can be grown to marketable maturity over a 25 year period producing solid wood products, such as:

• Structural sawn timber;
• Engineered timber - laminated beams and veneer lumber;
• Pine poles, piles and fence posts;
• Landscaping products - retaining walls, edgings, garden structures;
• Furniture;
• Clearwood - appearance grade products.

Its light colour, even texture and low resin content also make it suitable for wood panels, such as:

• Medium density fibreboard (MDF);
• Oriented strandboard (OSB), and;
• A wide range of Pulp and Paper products.

Residues of wood chips, shavings and sawdust from the production of solid wood products are also an excellent source for these products.

Versatility

Radiata pine produces versatile timber that can be converted to a wide range of timber products. It can be readily sawn, sliced, peeled or converted to pulp, has good nail holding power, is easily worked, can be easily stained and, when treated with preservatives, is suitable for long-life applications in the ground.

The versatility of Radiata pine has never been more evident

Australian hardwood sawmillers face major market challenges as expanding softwood supplies rapidly take market share away from hardwood in traditional structural markets. Relatively new products such as LVL are gaining wide acceptance and with the lower cost of production. Softwood is predicted to increase this market share into the future.

In general the future of the softwood industry is very encouraging. Diversification of products together with an ever increasing world wide demand for softwood products suggests future investment in the softwood industry is a sound choice.

Given that Radiata pine is an introduced species it has a great advantage over native hardwood plantation species in that it is relatively free of competing pests and diseases. Of the known pests which can adversely affect Radiata pine a long history of Radiata pine establishment and management in Australia has meant controls have been developed to minimize risk of infestation. It is widely agreed that good management practices inclusive of thinning on time and good site selection significantly negates any possible risk.

Multitude of uses

Residues of wood chips, shavings and sawdust from the production of softwood products are an excellent source of pulp, wood panels or reconstituted fibre such as Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), Oriented Strand Board (OSB), and a wide range of pulp and paper products.

Radiata pine has all the quality attributes needed to penetrate the high value appearance grade market but it also has the versatility for a large number of structural and functional end uses, including:-

• Structural timber - studs, joists, trusses;
• Engineered timber - laminated beams and veneer lumber;
• Poles, piles and fence posts;
• Landscaping products - retaining walls, edgings, garden structures; and
• Structural plywoods.

In brief... Why Softwood - Radiata pine?

The advantages of Softwood over other timber products are numerous!

Further reading - Soils references:

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