Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Forest Supply Chain in Austria in the Year 2018

Wood is a renewable product, but for the supply of wood non-renewable materials are also necessary, which can have negative environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to analyze the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by the forest supply chain in Austria using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods. The forest supply chain consists of several processes like site preparation and tending, harvesting, and transport. In total, 30 relevant forest processes from seedling production until delivery of wood to the plant gate were considered. Results show that in the year 2018, a total of 492,096 t of CO2 eq. were emitted in Austria for harvesting and transportation of 19.2 hm³ of timber. This corresponds to 25.63 kg CO2 eq. per m³. At 77%, transport accounts for the largest share of emissions within the supply chain. Extraction causes 14% of emissions, felling and processing cause 5%, and chipping causes 4%. GHG emissions for felling, delimbing, and crosscutting are much lower when using a chainsaw compared to harvester. The high numbers for the transport can be explained by the high transportation distances. Especially for the transportation of wood, it is necessary to find more climate-friendly solutions from a technical and organizational point of view. The provision of wood is climate-friendly, and its use enables the substitution of fossil fuels or materials with higher negative effects on climate change such as aluminum, steel, or concrete.

A Systematic Review on Technologies and Industry 4.0 in the Forest Supply Chain: A Framework Identifying Challenges and Opportunities

Background: Forestry products and forestry organizations play an essential role in our lives and significantly contribute to the global economy. They are also being impacted by the rapid development of advanced technologies and Industry 4.0. More specifically, several technologies associated with Industry 4.0 have been identified for their potential to optimize traditional forest supply chains. However, to date, there has been limited research that has systematically investigated these technologies and the scientific evidence on their impact on forest supply chains. This research systematically reviews the state-of-the-art technologies applied in the forest supply chain and reports on the current (and/or potential) impacts of technologies on the transformation of the forest supply chain towards ‘Forest Industry 4.0′. Methods: The systematic literature review methodology identified 45 peer-reviewed studies for inclusion that are analyzed, interpreted and discussed in this paper. Results: This study developed a framework on the forest supply chain in Industry 4.0. This framework has three components related to forest supply chains: current supportive technologies, improvements and characteristics of the forest supply chain in Industry 4.0, and the strategic outcomes in economic, environmental and social dimensions. The reported impacts of technologies in different phases of the forest supply chain are interpreted and discussed. Conclusion: The study results confirm that most technologies in Industry 4.0 have real or perceived positive impacts on the forest supply chain and reported obstacles and challenges are identified. The results of this study also contribute insights on the wide range of options in terms of technologies available to decision-makers to optimize the forest supply chain towards ‘Forest Industry 4.0′.

Modeling and Optimization Sustainable Forest Supply Chain Considering Discount in Transportation System and Supplier Selection under Uncertainty

In recent decades, the forest industry has been growingly expanded due to economic conditions, climate changes, environmental and energy policies, and intense demand changes. Thus, appropriate planning is required to improve this industry. To achieve economic, social and environmental goals, a supply chain network is designed based on a multi-period and multi-product Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) model in which the objective is to maximize the profit, minimize detrimental environmental effects, improve social effects, and minimize the number of lost demands. In addition, to improve forest industry planning, strategic and tactical decisions have been implemented throughout the supply chain for all facilities, suppliers and machinery. These decisions significantly help to improve processes and product flows and to meet customers’ needs. In addition, because of the presence of uncertainty in some parameters, the proposed model was formulated and optimized under uncertainty using the hybrid robust possibilistic programming (HRPP-II) approach. The -constraint technique was used to solve the multi-objective model, and the Lagrangian relaxation (LR) method was utilized to solve the model of more complex dimensions. A case study in Northern Iran was conducted to assess the efficiency of the suggested approach. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the impact of important parameters on objective functions. The results of this study show that increasing the working hours of machines instead of increasing their number, increasing the capacity of some facilities instead of establishing new facilities and expanding the transport fleet has a significant impact on achieving predetermined goals.

Performance Comparison for Two Cable Extraction Machines in a Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. Plantation

Forests in Korea are mainly located in steep mountainous areas, where small-shovel-based extraction technology is widely used, with the level of mechanization undoubtedly low due to financial limitations. On this steep terrain, a better approach may be to use cable yarders, which can offer high revenues through cable-based extraction. Therefore, improving the efficiency of cable yarding activities in good-quality timber forests is necessary. The main objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the productivity and cost of a cable yarder operation for tree-length clearcut treatment of a Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. stand and (2) compare the productivity efficiency of two yarder (K301-4 and HAM300) types. The productivity rates of the K301-4 ranged from 10.2 to 12.5 m3/productive machine hours, with corresponding costs of US $12.6–15.4 /m3. The productivity of the HAM300 was 26% lower than that of the K301-4 for a 30% lower cycle log volume while yarding and a comparable lateral distance. This study provides insights to support production and management decisions in the forest supply chain associated with planning cable-yarding operations.

Using harvester data from on-board computers: a review of key findings, opportunities and challenges

Single-grip harvesters are equipped with an on-board computer that can normally collect standardized data. In times of increased mechanization, digitalization and climate change, use of this extensive data could provide a solution for better managing calamities-outbreaks and gaining competitiveness. Because it remains unclear in which way harvester data can contribute to this and optimization of the forest supply chain, the focus of this review was to provide a synopsis of how harvester data can be used and present the main challenges and opportunities associated with their use. The systematic literature review was performed with Scopus and Web of Science in the period from 1993 to 2019. Harvester data in form of length and diameter measurements, time, position and fuel data were used in the fields of bucking, time study, inventory and forest operation management. Specifically, harvester data can be used for predicting stand, tree and stem parameters or improving and evaluating the bucking. Another field of application is to evaluate their performance and precision in comparison to other time study methods. Harvester data has a broad range of application, which offers great possibilities for research and practice. Despite these advantages, a lack of precision for certain data types (length and diameter), particularly for trees exhibiting complex architecture where the contact of the measuring wheel on the harvesting head to the wooden body cannot be maintained, and position data, due to signal deflection, should be kept in mind.

Game—The Transportation Game

This paper presents an online educational game focusing on hierarchical procurement planning in a simulated forest supply chain with multiple companies. The purpose is to provide an understanding of the importance of individual decisions and their medium- to long-term impacts on the entire supply chain. The transportation game comprises three phases, each simulating hierarchical decision making when three competing companies (i.e., the game players) are making simultaneous decisions on the available resources. Each game phase also requires concurrent collaboration and competition. The phases represent different planning levels from long-term to short-term planning, considering the collaboration concept within the supply chain. The simulated supply chain objective is to minimize resource purchasing and transportation costs. The purchasing cost will be fixed after the first phase. The chance of decreasing transportation costs, however, is available until the end of the game. We develop three optimization models for each game phase. Once the game is finished, it compares the players’ results with optimal solutions prepared upfront. Finally, we present some comments about the game experience in various classrooms.