The Standard Output of Forest Index ‒ an Indicator of Site Quality

Abstract

The Standard Output of Forest Index (SOFI) describes the ability of forests to produce financial value from wood production based on the standardized monetary value of the mean annual increment of the potential final harvest relative to a reference forest type. It can be applied on regions where the forests can be classified into major tree species or species groups and into site classes. The potential volume of final wood harvest is estimated through yield tables. Using the share of lowquality and high-quality wood product groups in the final harvest, and their respective standardized price, the output value of the final harvest is expressed and then divided by the rotation age. This standardized output is compared to a reference forest type identified by its tree species and site class, and multiplied by 10 points. The SOFI of the reference forest, therefore, is 10, while higher values represent higher potential output and smaller values represent smaller potential output. With the necessary modifications, the SOFI can be applied to uneven-age forests as well. It can primarily be used to describe and compare the financial output potential of larger forest areas.