Document Type
Working Paper
Date of This Version
1-1-2007
Keywords
forestry, dynamic programing, tree cutting problem
Abstract
The traditional question of optimally deciding when to cut down a tree is among the most commonly posed questions asked of students learning the technique of dynamic programming. This paper shows that the traditional tree-cutting example is improperly formulated when the question of replanting is addressed, derives the proper method of finding optimal harvest length, and applies this method to an empirical forest growth function.
Working Paper Number
0701
Recommended Citation
Matheson, Victor, "Alternative Methods of Calculating Optimal Timber Rotations: A Critique of the Stokey/Lucas/Prescott Tree-Cutting Problem" (2007). Economics Department Working Papers. Paper 66.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/econ_working_papers/66
Published Version
This article was published as: Matheson, V. (2009). Alternative Methods of Calculating Optimal Timber Rotations: A Critique of the Stokey/Lucas/Prescott Tree-Cutting Problem. Applied Economics Letters, 16(10), pp.1079-1081.