Harvesting conditions of young thinning stands with neglected management identified in the Finnish National Forest Inventories

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) results indicate that the proportion of young thinning stands with neglected management has remained substantial in Finland despite policy efforts and rising demand for domestic wood. However, the harvesting conditions of these stands have scarcely been analysed. In this study, 52 stands selected from the 13th NFI and located within 80 km of Tampere and Jyväskylä were measured. Three thinning-from-below harvesting alternatives were examined for each stand: delimbed stemwood for energy with a 3 cm minimum top diameter and two pulpwood alternatives with 5 cm and 8 cm minimum top diameters, each with a 3-meter minimum bolt length. The roadside costs (€ m−3, from stump to roadside) were calculated and compared with average delivery sale prices in 2025. Roadside costs varied from €13.30 m−3 to €101.80 m−3 across stands and scenarios. At a price of €42.50 m−3 for delimbed stemwood, all stands were cost-competitive for energy wood harvesting. At a price of €49.60 m−3 for pulpwood, 92% were economically viable with a 5 cm top diameter requirement, and 77% with an 8 cm requirement. Only 6% of the stands met the criteria for young stand management subsidies, providing information for evaluating the impacts of the subsidy scheme.