The Pan Siberian Forest Industry Model (PSFIM): A theoretical concept for forest industry analysis

Interim Reports on work of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis receive only limited review. Views or opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Institute, its National Member Organizations, or other organizations supporting the work. carry out a large-scale study on the Siberian forest sector. The overall objective of the study is to focus on policy options that would encourage sustainable development of the sector. The goals are to assess Siberia's forest resources, forest industries, and infrastructure; to examine the forests' economic, social, and biospheric functions; with these functions in mind, to identify possible pathways for their sustainable development; and to translate these pathways into policy options for Russian and international agencies. The first phase of the study concentrated on the generation of extensive and consistent databases for the total forest sector of Siberia and Russia. In its second phase, the study has encompassed assessment studies of the greenhouse gas balances, forest resources and forest utilization, biodiversity and landscapes , non-wood products and functions, environmental status, transportation infrastructure , forest industry and markets, and socioeconomics. This work, carried out by Dr. Michael Obersteiner at the International Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna and IIASA deals with the development of the sawmilling industry in Siberia. Acknowledgment It is a pleasure to express my appreciation to those who have influenced this work. Most influential in shaping my ideas was the close collaboration with IIASA and there I would like to add my name to the list of scientists who have thanked Sten Nilsson for his contribution to their work and education. I truly want to thank Sten Nilsson for his persistent questioning and encouragement which strongly influenced my entire career during the last four years. This work is the result of the configuration of knowledge, effort and information spread over mainly four institutes. All started with a conversation with Wolfgang Schopfhauser who inspired me to start as a Young Summer Scientist at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). There I should go through a brisk conversion from a convinced eco-physiologist to an industrial economist for the Russian forest sector. all the others who contributed to the Forest Resources Project at IIASA. It was clear to me that without the knowledge of the Russian language and lifestyle I would not be able to do a decent job in this new area. As a research fellow at the Institute …