Optimized locations of landings in forest operations
In recent years, increasing attention has been drawn to improving productivity in logging operations while reducing negative impact on soil and water. The position of landings and extraction routes is crucial in these efforts having a huge impact on sustainable forwarder passages. We propose a two-phase approach to identify the best possible landing locations integrated with log extraction route design. The first phase identifies potential landing zones adjacent to forest roads. It considers practical restrictions such as slopes, stoniness and more. The second phase uses an optimization model to evaluate the potential impact of aggregated zones, selecting one or two complete landings. This model is a relaxation of a formulation for an extraction route design; it is used to minimise a weighted objective of the total driving distance, avoid steep terrains and impact on soil and water. The proposed approach has been tested on harvest areas in Southern Sweden. The results not only show the potential to identify feasible landing zones but also identify a shorter driving distance and hence lower contractual cost with optimized positioning. The possibility to increase efficiency in forest operations by performing scenario analysis and thus forwarding distances with different landing sites is among the results.