Potential of Wood Harvesting Residues and Residual Stand Damage due to Timber Harvesting: A Case Study at PT Austral Byna in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

The practice of timber harvesting in natural forests which has been conducted up to now still leaves wood harvesting residue and residual stand damage. Most condition of wood harvesting residue is still good and can be utilized. The objective of this research was to determine the potency of wood harvesting residue and residual stand damage on timber harvesting in natural forests. The data on wood utilization, wood harvesting residue, and residual damage were collected from three sample plots. The sample plots were arranged in a systematic and purposive manner, and the data were processed with tabulation and average analysis. Research results showed that the average volume of wood being utilized was 9.212 m3 tree−1. The average volume of wood harvesting residues was 2.310 m3 tree−1, and the total average volume of wood harvesting residues which were good, defected, and broken was 2.121 m3 (80.952%), with an average volume for good wood harvesting residue condition of 1.038 m3 (34.808%). Proportions of wood harvesting residues were 2.154 m3 (94.444%) consisting of buttress as large as 0.102 m3 (5.159%), stumps as large as 0.375 m3 tree−1 (23.597%), butt as large as 0.855 m3 (35.930%), and end part as large as 0.821 m3 (29.758%). The average number of trees with a diameter of 20 cm which were damaged due to felling and skidding was 5 trees ha−1 (5.40%) and 6 trees ha−1 (6.58%), respectively.

Improving Communications to Increase Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowner (NIPF) Participation in Forest Certification Programs: A Case Study in Arkansas, USA

Despite the socioeconomic and ecological significance of the 10.4 million acres of forestland owned by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners across Arkansas (approximately 58% of forestland in the state), only 5% of this land is certified through the American Tree Farm System. As such, understanding how to improve the reach and content of communications to NIPF landowners is vital for expanding certification participation and subsequent improvement of forest management in Arkansas and throughout the southern United States. To explore current and optimal communications to increase NIPF participation, we employed Berlo’s source–message–channel–receiver (SMCR, 1960) model to analyze survey data collected from Arkansas NIPF landowners regarding their familiarity with, interest in, and information sources for forest certification programs. Our results indicate that NIPF landowners have a relatively low familiarity with certification programs and a low interest in adopting a certification program regardless of personal involvement throughout the certification process, the transparency of on-sight inspections to the public, and the requirements of forest management plans. However, positive correlations were found between self-reported familiarity with certification programs and the perceived usefulness of various information sources, indicating that communications to NIPF landowners have the ability to be influential. Furthermore, the results showed that the greatest perceived benefits to landowners were improved timber growth and health, better management actions, and environmentally-friendly timber harvesting, whereas the most concerning perceived drawbacks were increased record-keeping and paperwork as well as management costs. These findings will offer actionable insights into future messaging campaigns and provide directions for new approaches of reaching NIPF landowners to increase their participation in forest certification.

Factors affecting vegetation dynamics in the south of the Mokolo District in the Far North of Cameroon

Plant dynamics is a natural process that occurs in the ecosystem. This dynamic becomes abnormal in the presence of human pressure. The vegetation of the district of Mokolo (Cameroon) faces many anthropic factors that disturb its steady evolution. This work aims to evaluate the different factors that influence the vegetation dynamics in the south of the Mokolo District. All traces of anthropization were identified on all woody species in a rectangular plot (20 m x 100 m). All individuals with a height ≤1.30 m and a Dhp less than 10 cm were considered regenerating individuals. Among the main plant factors, dynamics identified, regeneration, spread type, phytogeographic type have positive impacts while logging, debarking, pruning, grubbing, trampling and burning have negative impacts. Regeneration is the main positive natural factor with the highest frequency in wooded savannas (321±95%). Timber harvesting is the main negative anthropogenic factor with a higher frequency in the home garden (85.00%) and the shrub savannas (68.66%). To reduce the negative impacts and increase the positive impacts, the government must implement reforestation projects in this ecologically fragile area.

Damage to Residual Trees in Thinning of Broadleaf Stand by Mechanised Harvesting System

This research was conducted to determine the cause, intensity and location of damage (stem, butt end, root collar, root) and the extent of damage to standing trees during felling and processing by an harvester and timber extraction by a forwarder (cut-to-length system). The research was conducted in the central part of the Republic of Croatia in the Management Unit (MU) “Bjelovarska Bilogora” during the thinning of Subcompartment 14b, area of 18.28 ha, in the stand of hornbeam (Carpino betuli—Quercetum roboris fagetosum Rauš 1975), age 70, and of Subcompartment 14c, area of 9.07 ha, in a stand of common beech (Carici pilosae—Fagetum Oberdorfer 1957) aged 79 years. The thinning intensity was 12.13% in Subcompartment 14b and 13.72% in Subcompartment 14c. Field measurements were carried out on sample plots—the first time in 2017 to determine the intensity and characteristics of the damage to standing trees with regard to the cause of the damage (harvester or forwarder), and the second time in 2018 to determine the overall intensity and features of the damage to standing trees after finishing harvesting operations. For all trees remaining in the stand after the harvesting operations, the following were determined: tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), the position of the tree in the stand depending on the forest traffic infrastructure, and—if damaged—cause of damage, type of damage, the position of damage on the tree, and dimensions of damage. The intensity of the damage was expressed by the ratio of damaged and undamaged trees, with a detailed analysis of bark damage (squeezed-bark damage and peeled-bark injuries). The results of the research indicate the highest prevalence of peeled-bark injuries. In relation to the total number of standing trees, trees with peeled-bark injuries were more represented in Subcompartment 14c (39%) than in Subcompartment 14b (33%). In Subcompartment 14b, the harvester and the forwarder damaged an equal number of trees, while in Subcompartment 14c, the harvester damaged 59% of the damaged trees. In both subcompartments, an average of 83% of (peeled bark) injuries were up to 1.3 m above the ground. In both subcompartments, the most common (67%) were injuries up to 100 cm2 in size, for which many authors claim the tree can heal by itself. Given the increasing use of harvester-forwarder systems in deciduous stands and research results that indicate possible damage to standing trees, it is necessary to pay attention to all phases of planning and execution of timber harvesting operations, thus minimising negative effects.

Planning and Professional Assistance as Factors Influencing Private Forest Landowner Best Management Practice Implementation

Virtually all states have developed best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate potential adverse effects associated with timber harvesting. This study examined how BMP implementation on Minnesota’s family forest lands varied according to whether the land had a forest management plan, the timber sale was administered by a forester, or a written timber harvesting contract was used. Analysis of field monitoring data from 174 commercial timber harvesting sites on family forest lands found that BMP implementation is only modestly influenced by a forest management plan, supervising forester, or timber harvesting contract. Supervision of a forester had the greatest influence, with six guidelines implemented differently. In contrast, differences were found for just two BMPs with a forest management plan and only one with a written timber harvesting contract. When timber sales were administered by a forester, forest management guidelines generally related to management of the land-water interface were implemented to a higher standard, with significant increases observed for avoidance of infrastructure in filter strips, use of water diversion and erosion control structures, avoiding unnecessary wetland and waterbody crossings, and slash management. Higher timber utilization efficiency (within leave tree guidelines) was also found when a professional forester supervised the timber sale. Study Implications: We examine how BMP implementation on family forest lands varies with three types of supervisory and planning assistance: a forest management plan for the property, sale administration by a professional forester, and a written timber harvesting contract. Field monitoring data from 174 commercial timber harvests on family forest lands indicate that BMP implementation is only modestly influenced by any single form of assistance. Supervision by a forester had the greatest influence, increasing use of four guidelines related to management of the land-water interface. Results may help to inform best practices for landowner assistance and planning.

The estimation of the impact of anthropogenic and natural factors on state of the forests using remote sensing data in Staritsky forestry of Tver region

Проведена оценка влияния антропогенных и природных факторов на состояние лесов Старицкого лесничества Тверской области на основе серий спутниковых изображений Santinel-2 за период с 2019 по 2021 гг. Использованы распространенные варианты комбинаций каналов для интерпретация основных видов лесоизменений: рубки - комбинация 4,3,2 «естественные цвета»; подтопление - комбинация 5,6,2 - «здоровая растительность» с преобладанием фиолетовых оттенков; ветровалы и буреломы - комбинация 5,4,3 - «искусственные цвета» с преобладанием красного цвета. Выяснено, что общая площадь лесоизменений в лесничестве составила 2246,9 га. Наибольшее воздействие на состояние лесов изученной территории оказывает вырубка лесных насаждений с целью заготовки древесины. Общая площадь вырубленных лесов составила 92% от общей площади всех лесоизменений. An assessment of the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors on the state of the forests of the Staritsa Forestry of the Tver Region was carried out in a series of Santinel-2 satellite images for the period from 2019 to 2021. Common variants of canal combinations were used to interpret the main types of forest changes: felling - a combination of 4,3,2 "natural colors"; flooding - a combination of 5,6,2 - "healthy vegetation" with a predominance of purple tints; windblows and windbreaks - a combination of 5,4,3 - "artificial colors" with a predominance of red. The total area of forest changes in the forestry was 2246.9 hectares. The greatest impact on the state of forests in the studied area are done by the timber-harvesting activities. The total area of deforestation was 92% of the total area of all forest changes.

Evaluation of the method of calculating the planned price of timber harvesting operations

Rad se bavi prikazom metode izračuna planskih cijena pridobivanja drva, koje su predmet javnih nadmetanja u Šumsko gospodarskom društvu »Hercegbosanske šume« d.o.o. Kupres te analizom odstupanja planskih od ugovorenih/ostvarenih cijena usluga pridobivanja drva za 97 grupa odjela, koji su bili predmet javnih natječaja u 2019. i 2020. godini. Deskriptivnom i korelacijskom statističkom analizom obuhvaćeni su i pokazatelji grupa odjela na javnim natječajima: površina, neto obujam doznačenog drva, sječna gustoća, broj doznačenih stabala po ha, obujam srednjeg doznačenog stabla, nagib terena, srednja udaljenost privlačenja drva, stjenovitost terena i privlačenje drva uz nagib terena. Test zavisnih parova podataka je ukazao da postoji statistički značajna razlika između planskih i ugovorenih cijena usluga pridobivanja drva (t = 7,78, p < 0,001), a rezultati korelacijske analize potvrdili povezanost utjecajnih čimbenika izvođenja šumskih radova s ugovorenom i planskom cijenom pridobivanja drva. Uslijed statistički značajne (p < 0,05) i vrlo jake korelacije natječajima ostvarene i prikazanom metodom izračunate planske cijene usluge pridobivanja drva, ovisnost je izjednačena linearnim regresijskim modelom uz koeficijent determinacije od 0,667. Navedenim, prikazana je metoda izračuna planske cijene usluge pridobivanja drva dobar prediktor ostvarenih cijena pridobivanja drva na javnim natječajima, što govori i o samoj dobroti prikazane metode izračuna. Slaba i negativna korelacija (p < 0,05, r = -0,22) razlike ugovorene i planske cijene usluge pridobivanja drva o obujmu srednjeg doznačenog stabla, ukazala je da bi ovu pojavu u budućnosti trebalo pratiti s ciljem utvrđivanja uzroka, koji mogu biti: 1) međusobna konkurencija između izvoditelja usluga pridobivanja drva za grupe odjela sa većim srednjim obujmom doznačenoga stabla ili 2) precjenjivanje obujma srednjeg doznačenog stabla u prikazanome modelu izračuna planske cijene pridobivanja drva. Predložene su i smjernice povećanja točnosti određivanja ulaznih parametara (srednja udaljenost privlačenja drva, nagib i stjenovitost terena te privlačenje drva uz nagib terena) prikazane metode izračuna planskih cijena pridobivanja drva u cilju njenog usavršavanja. S obzirom da je izračun vezan za srednju plansku cijenu na razini šumskog gospodarstva, a koju utvrđuje uprava trgovačkog društva, neophodno je stalno praćenje tržišta, kako bi se na vrijeme moglo reagirati ukoliko bi došlo do većih oscilacija.

Analysis of Terrain and Stand Characteristics as a Basis for Planning Operations of Timber Harvesting and Forest Accessibility

Istraživane su terenske i sastojinske prilike gospodarskih državnih i privatnih šuma iz dostupnih prostornih podataka koje će potom omogućiti stvaranje osnovice za razredbu terena za potrebe pridobivanja drva i otvaranja šuma. S gledišta pridobivanja drva te kao gospodarski najznačajnije šume izdvojena su i prikazana četiri bioklimata: 1) bioklimat jelovih, bukovo-jelovih i smrekovih šuma, 2) bioklimat brdskih bukovih šuma, 3) bioklimat bežuljkastih šuma hrasta kitnjaka te 4) bioklimat nizinskih šuma hrasta lužnjaka i poplavnih šuma. Na tim su područjima određene ove terenske i sastojinske značajke: 1) nagib terena i stjenovitost tla (pokrivenost površine), 2) način vlaženja tla i rizik od erozije tla vodom, 3) drvna zaliha, 4) stupanj razvedenosti šumskih cesta i 5) srednja udaljenost privlačenja drva kao pokazatelj otvorenosti šuma. Provedene analize mreže šumskih cesta pokazale su da postoji statistički značajna razlika između cesta bioklimata nizinskih šuma hrasta lužnjaka i poplavnih šuma te bioklimata brežuljkastih šuma hrasta kitnjaka u odnosu na ostale bioklimate. Analize šumskih cesta po pojedinom bioklimatu treba promatrati u sklopu ostalih terenskih čimbenika, kao što su stjenovitost terena te stvarnoga rizika od erozije tla vodom, koji će svoj utjecaj, uz nagib terena, iskazati pri planiranju budućih trasa šumskih cesta. Povezivanjem značajki terena započeto je stvaranje primjenjive razredbe terena za uvjete hrvatskoga šumarstva kao važnoga logičkoga alatu pri gospodarenju šumama i planiranju radova u šumarstvu, osobito u pridobivanju drva i otvaranju šuma.

Response of vegetation and soil biological properties to deformation in logging trails in drained boreal peatland forests

In the boreal region, peatland forests are a significant resource of timber. Under pressure from a growing bioeconomy and climate change, timber harvesting is increasingly occurring over unfrozen soils. This is likely to cause disturbance in the soil biogeochemistry. We studied the impact of machinery-induced soil disturbance on the vegetation, microbes, and soil biogeochemistry of drained boreal peatland forests caused by machinery traffic during thinning operations. To assess potential recovery, we sampled six sites that ranged in time since thinning from a few months to 15 years. Soil disturbance directly decreased moss biomass and led to an increase in sedge cover and a decrease in root production. Moreover, soil CO2 production potential, and soil CO2 and CH4 concentrations were greater in recently disturbed areas than in the control areas. In contrast, CO2 and CH4 emissions, microbial biomass and structure, and the decomposition rate of cellulose appeared to be uncoupled and did not show signs of impact. While the impacted properties varied in their rate of recovery, they all fully recovered within 15 years covered by our chronosequence study. Conclusively, drained boreal peatlands appeared to have high biological resilience to soil disturbance caused by forest machinery during thinning operations.