Soil Compaction after Increasing the Number of Wheeled Tractors Passes on Forest Soils in West Carpathians

Soil disturbance and compaction are inherent in ground-based harvesting operations. These changes are affected by numerous factors, related mainly to the technical parameters of the machines, soil conditions, and the technology used. This study aimed to analyze the changes of surface layers of soil caused by skidder traffic without loads on the Cambisols of Western Carpathians. We observed changes in the soil bulk density and penetration resistance. The results showed that only machine traffic caused a 0.32 to 0.35 (g cm−3) increase in soil bulk density. Besides machine traffic, bulk density was affected by soil moisture content. Penetration resistance of soil increased by 0.15 to 1.04 (MPa) after traffic of 40 machines. Penetration resistance showed a lower increase after traffic, and regression and correlation analysis proved a relationship between penetration resistance, skeleton content, and penetration depth, besides the number of machine passes (r = 0.33–0.55). Observing the changes in the physical properties of soils caused by machine traffic allows for a more detailed view of the effects of forest harvesting machinery on forest soils.

Quantifying the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Mechanized Shelterwood Harvest Producing Both Sawtimber and Woodchips

Forests are used to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through carbon offset programs, and forest management is generally accepted as “carbon neutral”. However, forest harvesting operations depend heavily on fossil fuels, so it would be remiss to broadly paint all forms of management as carbon neutral without empirical verification of this claim. Biomass feedstock, as a means to supplant fossil fuel consumption, has received the bulk of investigative efforts, as the carbon benefit of biomass is one of the most contentious among wood products, because it does not create long-term carbon storage. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on a winter shelterwood harvest occurring in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. Primary data were collected daily throughout the operation and used to model the impact attributed to producing clean chips and logs for delivery to a pulp mill and sawmill, respectively. This harvest produced 4894 Mg of clean chips and 527 Mg of sawtimber. We calculated that 39.77 and 25.16 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted per Mg of clean chips and sawtimber, respectively, with a total observed flow of GHG into the atmosphere between 206 and 210 thousand kilograms. The results contribute to our understanding of the global warming potential of implementing a forest harvest to produce raw materials for medium- and long-term carbon storage products such as paper and dimensional hardwood lumber.

HAND-ARM VIBRATION IN DIFFERENT OPERATING CONDITIONS WITH A CHAINSAW

The mechanization of forest harvesting is a trend in Brazil. However, small and medium-sized companies in the forestry sector, even today, opt for semi-mechanized harvesting, using chainsaws for the harvesting and sectioning of trees. Despite technological advances, when operated continuously, chainsaws may cause damage to the operator’s body, acting as a stressor, and vibration excess is responsible for numerous health disorders, among them the Raynaud syndrome. In this sense, this study aimed to determine the vibration levels to which a chainsaw operator is subjected, during the transversal cut (tracing) of the wood, in different forest species and cutting sets. The treatments consisted of three forest species (Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus dunnii and Acacia mearnsii De Wild) and two cutting sets, consisting of square tooth chains of the semi-chisel and chisel types. The vibration assessment was based on the criteria established by the Regulatory Standards NR15, NHO10 and ISO 2631-4. The results of vibration levels were higher than the reference limits established by ISO 2631-4, and, for both cutting sets, the highest vibration levels occurred on the “x” axis. After the data processing, the acceleration values resulting from the normalized exposure to hand-arm vibrations showed significant differences for the “y” and “z” axes. Therefore, it can be inferred that the chainsaw operation is a stressor, potentially capable of causing damage to workers' health.

Smart Harvest Operations and Timber Processing for Improved Forest Management

Climate-smart forestry can be regarded as the evolution of traditional silviculture. As such, it must rely on smart harvesting equipment and techniques for a reliable and effective application. The introduction of sensors and digital information technologies in forest inventories, operation planning, and work execution enables the achievement of the desired results and provides a range of additional opportunities and data. The latter may help to better understand the results of management options on forest health, timber quality, and many other applications. The introduction of intelligent forest machines may multiply the beneficial effect of digital data gathered for forest monitoring and management, resulting in forest harvesting operations being more sustainable in terms of costs and environment. The interaction can be pushed even further by including the timber processing industry, which assesses physical and chemical characteristics of wood with sensors to optimize the transformation process. With the support of an item-level traceability system, the same data could provide a formidable contribution to CSF. The “memory” of wood could support scientists to understand the response of trees to climate-induced stresses and to design accordingly an adaptive silviculture, contributing to forest resilience in the face of future changes due to human-induced climate alteration.

Does forest tree species composition impact modelled soil recovery from acidic deposition?

Acidic deposition depleted soil base cation pools throughout central Ontario, particularly during the second half of the twentieth century. While sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition have declined in recent decades, forest harvesting may continue to remove base cations from soils, highlighting the need for reliable soil chemistry forecasts. This study investigated whether differences in soil chemistry among forest stands dominated by different tree species affected predictions using a dynamic biogeochemical model (VSD). Soil base saturation was modelled from 1850–2100 in stands dominated by balsam fir (<i>Abies balsamea</i> (L.) Mill.), eastern hemlock (<i>Tsuga canadensis</i> (L.) Carr.), white pine (<i>Pinus strobus</i> L.), sugar maple (<i>Acer saccharum</i> Marsh.), or yellow birch (<i>Betula alleghaniensis</i> Britt.). Three scenarios that manipulated future atmospheric S and N deposition and forest harvesting (2020–2100) were applied. When future atmospheric S and N deposition remained at 2020 levels and harvesting continued, base saturation increased marginally (2.0–4.5%) in all plots. Further increases in base saturation were minor (~1%) by 2100 when deposition reductions were implemented. When future forest harvesting was excluded, soil base saturation increased 3.4–8.5% from 2020–2100. These results suggest that tree species composition has minimal influence on modelled soil chemistry forecasts in response to changes in acidic deposition, and such models can be broadly applied for regional predictions.

Trial performance of the zero waste harvesting method in three forest concession companies, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Currently, natural forest management companies (concession permit of timber forest products utilization-natural forest/IUPHHK-HA) have implemented Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) technology but timber harvesting is still carried out using the conventional method. Tree length logging is an alternative method of harvesting wood in an effort to reduced waste and increases the efficiency of the utilization of timber forest products and the preservation of natural production forests. The potential for wood harvesting waste is estimated at 2.21 million m3year−1 and has remained left in the cutting compartment for decades. The purpose of this paper is to obtain technical and financial information about forest harvesting on a zero waste basis. Data collection was carried out by experimental methods. Productivity, efficiency, cost, and stand damage data were collected. The results of the research in three IUPHHK-HA in Central Kalimantan show that the zero waste logging method can reduced harvesting waste by 5.1% and increase the efficiency of wood utilization from 87.7-92.8%. Another advantage of the zero waste logging method is that the additional waste from the trunk above the first branch is about 5.8%. The productivity of the conventional method averaged 26.333 m3hour−1 at a cost of IDR 33,941 m−3 while the tree length logging method was 27.320 m3hour−1 at a cost of IDR 35,251 m−3. It is suggested that the tree length logging method be implemented in natural production forest harvesting.

Reduced impact logging in the dried land natural production forests in Indonesia

Timber harvesting in natural production forests in Indonesia is still carried out to his day in the form of a bussines license for the utilization of timber forest products-natural forests (IUPHHK-HA). IUPHHK-HA holders have not fully implemented Reduced Impact Logging (RIL). Forest harvesting activities consisting of felling, skidding, bucking, loading, unloading, and transportation of logs are aimed at without significantly disturbing log production and its environment. The purpose of this review is to provide information on RIL in Indonesia. The collection of data was done by using a desk study. Data on productivity, efficiency, costs, damage to the residual stands, and the impact of RIL on emissions were collected. Several research results showed that: (1) logging productivities generally decreased when compared to Conventional Logging (CL), (2) logging efficiency generally increased when compared to CL, (3) logging costs generally increased in the short term, (4) residual stand damages generally reduced when compared to CL, and (5) RIL has potential to reduce emissions compared to CL. It is necessary to do the following: harvest planning such as mapping and distribution of trees, skid trail alignment, design of landings; harvest preparation such as the opening of skid trails, opening of landing places; harvesting such as determining felling direction, felling, skidding, and closure of harvesting such as closure of skid trails and landings.