The economics of timber sales - studies of the Norwegian roundwood market

The principal objective of this thesis is to provide a basis for improvement of timber sales practices by adding new knowledge of the Norwegian roundwood market with emphasis on sawlogs. The thesis aims to extend previous studies of roundwood markets by tying traditional analyses more closely up to analyses of how contracts may be used in order to secure an efficient timber supply. In addition to an introductory report, the thesis contains of five self-contained studies focusing on different aspects of the Norwegian roundwood market. The first three papers are empirical analyses of the Norwegian roundwood market, while the other two papers consider the heterogeneity of forest owners and how to utilize contracts in order to improve the efficiency. The last few years the market has been found to function adequately, although the demand side has become even more highly concentrated. Improvements seem to lie in the use of contracts to ensure an efficient supply of timber. The advances in the economics of incentives are put forward as possible tools to improve the efficiency.