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This paper analyzes the impact of legislative changes in the last 20 years on wood harvesting activities. The forestry legislation and complementary regulations are presented and analyzed, along with a synthesis of the rights and obligations of business agents and all those who extract/harvest wood. Ministerial Order 1540/2011 (with 5 updates) represents an essential document for regulating forestry exploitation activities in Romania, establishing both the rights and obligations of business operators, agents, and harvesting teams. It contains clear instructions regarding the terms, methods, and periods for the collection, removal, and transport of wood material, aiming to reduce environmental impact and maintain ecological balance. The paper presents the main modifications of this order from 2011 to the present. The two previous orders (from 2002 and 2008) are also mentioned and compared in terms of forest harvesting.

This study aims to investigate the impact of forest exploitation methods on monthly discharge and hydrological indices of river flow using graphical methods in a forested watershed in North Iran. To achieve this, 10 hydrological index changes related to river flow regime influenced by the Shelterwood/clear cutting, Femel cutting, and the Near Nature approach forest cutting methods were assessed. According to the results, it can be stated that the Shelterwood/clear cutting method influenced monthly flow indices by increasing the coefficient of variations and intensifying runoff production, while the Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach methods contributed to regulating the flow regime and sustaining river flow. The influence of various tree-cutting techniques on river flow values and fluctuations is more evident during the wettest months compared to low-water months. The period of Shelterwood/clear cutting disrupted the natural correlation between precipitation and runoff production. Furthermore, the shift from Shelterwood/clear cutting to Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach progressively diminished the slope of the curve, indicating a reduction in monthly runoff at both measurement stations. In conclusion, opting for an appropriate method, such as the Near Nature approach, is preferable from both ecological and hydrological perspectives when managing forest areas in the study region and similar conditions involving comparable topography, climate, soil, and forest stands. The index-based coupled with graphical methodology employed appropriately demonstrates the influence of logging techniques on monthly flow patterns, which provides valuable insights into evaluating the repercussions of alternative management interventions on river flow dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of forest exploitation methods on monthly discharge and hydrological indices of river flow using graphical methods in a forested watershed in North Iran. To achieve this, 10 hydrological index changes related to river flow regime influenced by the Shelterwood/clear cutting, Femel cutting, and the Near Nature approach forest cutting methods were assessed. According to the results, it can be stated that the Shelterwood/clear cutting method influenced monthly flow indices by increasing the coefficient of variations and intensifying runoff production, while the Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach methods contributed to regulating the flow regime and sustaining river flow. The influence of various tree-cutting techniques on river flow values and fluctuations is more evident during the wettest months compared to low-water months. The period of Shelterwood/clear cutting disrupted the natural correlation between precipitation and runoff production. Furthermore, the shift from Shelterwood/clear cutting to Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach progressively diminished the slope of the curve, indicating a reduction in monthly runoff at both measurement stations. In conclusion, opting for an appropriate method, such as the Near Nature approach, is preferable from both ecological and hydrological perspectives when managing forest areas in the study region and similar conditions involving comparable topography, climate, soil, and forest stands. The index-based coupled with graphical methodology employed appropriately demonstrates the influence of logging techniques on monthly flow patterns, which provides valuable insights into evaluating the repercussions of alternative management interventions on river flow dynamics.

The sediment formed during erosion processes is acknowledged as one of the important contributors to environmental damage. In forest areas, sediment production occurs as a result of meteorological factors and wood harvesting, as well as forest road construction activities carried out for the continuity of forests. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal the sediment risk in forest areas at the provincial level in Turkey by using entropy-based weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) and fuzzy clustering methods. The results establish that the weights of the factors affecting the sediment risk are the forest road construction rate (0.3721), the wood harvesting rate (0.3463), the average precipitation (0.2227), and the average temperature (0.0587). Seven provinces were found in the highest risk class of the cluster in terms of sediment risk. Two of those (Yalova and Kocaeli) are located in the Marmara Region, while the others (Bartın, Düzce, Giresun, Ordu, and Zonguldak) are located in the Black Sea Region. Four of the provinces in the lowest risk class of the cluster (Bingöl, Bitlis, Erzincan, and Malatya) are located in the Eastern Anatolia Region, while a fifth (Siirt) is located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. As is seen in the study, multi-criteria decision-making methods make it possible to evaluate different scenarios for sedimentation estimation and control and to select the most effective solutions. In conclusion, the use of WASPAS, entropy, and fuzzy clustering methods can provide a comprehensive and effective approach for assessing the sediment risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grapple skidder is a self-propelled forestry machine that is used for the extraction of trees in wood harvesting—commonly used in full tree systems. Moving this machine can expose operators to occupational hazards of physical origin, among which whole body vibration stands out. However, the measurement of this risk agent does not have a standard measurement time, being performed for periods of approximately 30 min—disregarding the time of the daily workday. In view of this, it was analyzed whether occupational exposure to whole body vibration transmitted to grapple skidder operators using different measurement times complies with the guidelines for preventative purposes. Thus, measurements of whole-body vibration were carried out along three orthogonal axes over a period of one hour and over a daily workday of eight hours—by which were measured the daily (8 h) vibration exposure for the l-axis and the vibration value. The acceleration values in the three evaluated axes were higher for the daily working day, denoting the influence of the measurement time. In addition, the vibration dose value resulted in values above the action limit for both evaluations; however, the daily workload was highlighted—indicating the presence of higher vibration peaks over a longer measurement time. Thus, the assertiveness and influence of measurement times over the daily working day for whole-body vibration transmitted to grapple skidder operators is evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the need to implement new operational procedures that provide productivity gains and cost reduction in wood harvesting and logistics, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of wood stacking on productivity and costs of forest extraction and loading operations. The study was carried out in eucalyptus plantations, where the extraction of wood with the forwarder and the loading of vehicles with the forest loader were evaluated. Three log stacking models on the edge of the stand were evaluated: control, inverted and adjacent, with variations in the alignment and distance of the logs concerning the edge of the stand. A study of the times and movements of the operations was carried out, determining the productivity (m³.h-1) and the production cost (R$.m-3) of the forestry operations. The data were compared using the Tukey test (a=5%) for parametric data and the Kruskal-Wallis test (a=5%) for non-parametric data, and the effect of different extraction distances was also verified using equations. The inverted stacking model contributed to the increase in extraction productivity, while the adjacent model in loading, with a reduction in production cost of around 22.1%. Simultaneously analyzing both wood stacking models, the standard model adopted by the forestry company was better with a 6.1% reduction in costs compared to the others. The productivity equations showed that the inverted stacking model contributed to the forwarder's higher performance at distances up to 140 m. The study showed that wood stacking models affect forestry operations and should be considered in operational planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study took place in a mixed deciduous forest located in Northern Iran to investigate the effects of two types of silvicultural methods, specifically the single‐selection method and the group‐selection method. The study also included the observation of skid trails in terms of runoff, sediment yield, and the loss of NO3‐N and PO4‐P. The process of recovery was studied by the assessment of these characteristics after the completion of forest operations for a period of 3 years. Although there is a considerable amount of literature on the topic of soil erosion caused by forest harvesting, there is little information regarding the medium‐term effects of different sizes of gaps in the forest canopy. The attempt to gather data was done by designating hillslope plots on the soil directly affected by machinery passage on skid trails, as well as on the felling gaps in correlation with the two types of silvicultural methods. Plots were also marked on an unharvested area as a control. The results confirmed the suitability of retention forestry within the framework of sustainable forest management. A majority of the data gathered showed no difference between the single selection and the control area. What is more, the values obtained from the felling gaps correlated to the group selection resulted to be the same as the control values 2 years after harvesting. However, the disturbance caused by machinery passage on skid trails showed a significantly higher level of impact, and the recovery time needed was at least 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Optimizing resources is essential for the excellence and competitiveness of a forestry company. In this context, this study evaluated the productivity and quality of eucalyptus wood processing for energy purposes. The study was conducted in a forestry company in Paraná State in stands of Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus saligna clones named stands 1 and 2, respectively, with an age of 7 years old. The trees were processed with a harvester and included the following four stem diameter limits for pulp production and co-products for energy purposes: 8, 10, 12, and 14 cm; and pulp logs with a length of 7.20 m. The technical analysis of the operation determined the average operating cycle times, utilization rate and machine productivity. In addition, a quality analysis determined the stem diameter limits for production of the co-products and the lengths of the pulp logs; the limit diameters were compared by the Tukey’s test, and the stands by the Student’s t-test (α ≤ 0.05). The results showed that the processing time decreased with increasing limit diameter, with the highest values being in stand 1 due to the higher number of branches and forked trees. The processing logs at 10 cm limit diameter provided higher harvester productivity, with 59.5 m³ PMH-¹ and 62.2 m³ PMH-¹ in stands 1 and 2, respectively. Furthermore, the best quality in the limit diameter measurement was obtained at 10 cm. Thus, the effects of forest stand and limit diameters on processing and operation quality were evident.

In mechanized timber harvesting operations, it is possible to verify ergonomic inadequacies, such as poor visibility and inappropriate postures, which can cause risks to the safety and health of workers, with effects on the operational performance of the machines. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the positioning of the coupling crane in harvesters concerning the visibility and postures of forestry operators. For this, the study was carried out in clear-cutting operations in eucalyptus stands, evaluating a harvester with a frontal coupling crane and another with lateral coupling, as well as operators per machine. To determine effective times and typical postures, filming and freezing of images were performed. Then, the Skogforsk and Rapid Upper-Limb Assessment (RULA) methods were used to assess visibility and posture, respectively. Angulation and posture data were compared between machines by the Student's t test. Front and side visibility remained within acceptable limits, but the side crane harvester required operators to have an average head tilt angle of 15°, 50% higher than with the front crane. Consequently, in the postural evaluation, the one with the lateral crane presented score 3 and action level 2 86% of the time, suggesting further investigations, while the other presented score 2 and action level 1 81% of the time, being acceptable if not maintained or repeated for long periods. Therefore, the positioning of the crane coupling on the machine requires a reorganization of the workstation, mainly the machine's display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cable-based yarding technology has had a long tradition on steep slopes in Europe, and the new implementation of yarding functions in recent decades favored operational efficiency and lower extraction costs. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Syncrofalke 3t truck-mounted Processor Tower Yarder (PTY) on steep terrain, in coniferous forests managed with the shelterwood system. In particular, the aim was to determine PTY productivity and costs, with attention to parameters that could increase PTY effectiveness. The study was carried out in the Sredna Gora Mountains, Central Bulgaria, in pure Scots pine stand, with trees of average DBH = 34 cm and height = 22 m. The study was carried out in six corridors with 120 work cycles of tree extraction up the hill, 28° (53%). The mean productivity of PTY was 15.20 m3 per productive machine hour (PMH) and 12.29 m3 per scheduled machine hour (SMH) and was mainly influenced by the productivity of the yarder unit. Under the given conditions, the performance of PTY significantly increased if more than one tree (at least two trees) were attached and extracted per yarder cycle, since the productivity of the processor was approximately twice that of the yarder. The gross costs of the studied PTY were calculated at 297.48 EUR PMH−1 and 16.17 EUR m−3. The variable costs (75%) predominate in the net costs distribution, followed by the fixed costs (15%) and the labor costs (10%). The time, productivity and cost results obtained showed the high efficiency and level of integration of PTY operations in order to achieve economic efficiency of logging in montane pine forest managed in a shelterwood system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational safety is generally known to be low in forestry work. A similar situation may be found in Southeast Asian countries, where health and safety aspects are not commonly taken care of so rigorously. However, there is also a lack of primary data which could be suitable for evaluating such issues. The auditing reports of FCS certification are a source of useful information to evaluate and analyze health and safety concerns in forestry work. This paper addressed the coverage of available information, classified the risk factors uniformly from different certifying body criteria, compared occurrence of risk factors in groups and checked for dependencies in data. The key findings are that the main issues were those related to the organizations' failures to protect the workers and to the lack of awareness of safety. In turn, these may explain the high incidence of forestry-related work accidents in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest road construction projects mainly depend on factors related to terrain physiography, watershed, and wood harvesting. In the whole tree system, wood extraction is the activity most impacted by the density of forest roads, influencing the extraction distance. One of the alternatives is the optimal forest road density approach, which allows for the minimization of wood extraction costs and the optimization of the productive area. Given the above, the objective of this study was to analyze whether the optimal forest road density in areas of forests planted with eucalyptus allows for maximum productivity and the lowest cost of the road-wood extraction binomial in a whole tree system. The technical and economic analysis of wood extraction was based on the study of time, operational efficiency, productivity, and the cost of wood extraction with a grapple skidder. For the optimal forest road density, the cost of the wood extraction activity was considered, as well as the cost of construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of roads. In addition, the cost of a loss of productive area and the cost of excess forest roads were weighted. The optimal forest road density was 30.49 m ha−1 for an average extraction distance of 81.99 m, with the cost of loss of productive area of 0.49 USD m³ and the excess road of 80.19 m, which represented a cost of 978.31 USD ha−1. It is concluded that the optimal forest road density allows for the identification of excess forest roads, allowing for a reduction in the total cost for the implementation of roads. Therefore, it can be considered an essential variable in the planning of the forest road network, providing improvements in productivity and the costs of wood extraction with a grapple skidder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of the mechanized extraction of wood, carried out by means of self-propelled forest machines, consists of moving the wood cut inside the forest stand from the planted forests to the roadside. During displacements, these machines normally travel over forest residues and stumps, which can demand greater motor power from the engine, in addition to the possible increase in occupational noise levels. In this context, we evaluated whether, when operating different self-propelled forest machines in the wood extraction of planted Eucalyptus forests, operators are exposed to different levels of occupational noise, especially to thresholds above those established for prevention purposes. Occupational noise data were collected during the workday, weighing six self-propelled forest machine operators who performed the wood-extraction operation, performed by two forwarders, two self-loading tractors, and two grapple skidders, in three areas with Eucalyptus plantations located in the southeastern region of Brazil. The sound-pressure level was collected using two integrative meters following the strategic measurement criterion recommendation for the whole day in the guidelines of the acoustic determination of occupational noise exposure and analyzed according to the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists. Operators of forest machines for the mechanized extraction of wood were exposed to occupational noise levels above the recommended level, which can affect health and well-being; this occupation also required above-average levels of attention during the execution of work activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproduction of cedar-deciduous forests of the Far East, due to their intensive transformation by logging and fires, is becoming a necessary condition for the preservation of not only valuable tree species, food and medicinal plants, but also a unique animal world-with the Amur tiger Panthera tigris tigris Kitchener and the Far Eastern leopard Panthera pardus orientalis (Schlegel). Along with the preservation of undergrowth and fine-grained wood species, it is necessary to make extensive use of the natural processes of spreading Korean pine Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc. seeds in the areas covered by industrial logging. The most important of them will be the creation of certain environmental conditions, the structure and composition of plantings attractive to animals and birds, contributing to the distribution of nuts over the area of destroyed stands. The formation of a certain composition of trees that favorably affect the renewal of cedar, as well as the preservation of the optimal post-harvest completeness of the stand, allows us to successfully ensure the natural renewal of cedar forests in large areas of coniferous-broad-leaved forests. It is especially important to create attractive environmental conditions for spotted nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus) and nuthatches Sitta Linnaeus, which are 90 % of the main carriers of pine nuts over long distances-up to 5 km from the source. When carrying out industrial logging and logging of forest care, it is possible to plan and create the necessary environmental conditions for birds quite successfully.

The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency and the direct costs of wood forwarding with a farm tractor with a trailer in a gap cutting and in the late thinning of a stand. The forwarding productivity was determined by the timing method. The unit costs of wood harvesting were calculated on the basis of annual own costs. With the same set, short wood harvesting is more productive in a stand with a cut over the entire surface than in group cutting. It resulted from a shorter time of accumulating a larger load and higher driving speeds. Most of the forwarding time is spent on loading, so stacking the logs in an orderly manner, preferably in bundles, can improve performance. Better use of the loading case increases productivity and reduces unit costs. The speed of the forwarding is independent of the cutting category and the volume of the load. The speed of the forwarding is influenced by the arrangement of the remains of branches, soil conditions, the condition of the skidding trails, and the weight of the load. In flat and less demanding terrain, an agricultural tractor with a trailer will be a good alternative to a forwarder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of small-scale harvesting equipment in forestry is increasing in many regions of the world and tractor-based systems are the most common type of small-scale forestry equipment. This equipment is smaller, less expensive and less productive than advanced forestry machines and the choice of method depends on forest site-specific conditions. In southern Italy the prevailing conditions are those characteristic of small-scale forestry: harvested areas and volume are limited and ground-based extraction is still the most common harvesting technique. Two harvesting systems conventionally adopted in Italian small-scale forestry are those using either winch or grapple fitted farm tractors for wood extraction. A continuous time study was adopted to determine productivity rates and wood extraction costs and develop skidding time prediction models for these two different wood harvesting systems as used in typical Mediterranean forests, in chestnut and silver fir thinning operations. Comparing winch and grapple extraction revealed considerable differences in productivity (2.91 and 5.92 m3 h-1 respectively). Factors significantly affecting productivity differences were extraction distance and payload per turn. The study concluded that farm tractors can be used for small scale harvesting operations and its results can be used to set piece rates, design and rationalize work and estimate costs. In order to sustain small-scale harvesting equipment effectiveness, skid trails should be planned in forests. The use of farm tractors needs to be encouraged as an alternative self-sufficient productivity method in small-scale forestry operations.

This note reports some concerns about the conservation of the boreal forest in Europe. In the Fennoscandia, there has been a significant increase in forest clearcutting in recent years, likely affecting even the remnants of natural forest. In Sweden, due to the long-term application of plantation forestry, a small fraction of the original boreal forest remains: its further fragmentation may jeopardize forest biodiversity and forest’s ability to cope with ongoing climatic changes. Outside protected areas, clearcutting followed by soil scarification, plantation, forest vegetation management, etc. grants financial profitability and large volumes of wood products, but not the conservation of biodiversity. Negative effects might be also expected on the ecosystem carbon balance due to large carbon-dioxide emissions for long years after clearcutting. It is good that these issues are being brought to the forefront of the environmental and scientific debate.

The increased demand for several forest products makes it necessary to apply different management regimes in forest stands, which may influence the wood harvesting operations. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of average individual tree volumes obtained through different management regimes on harvester productivity and costs, thereby enabling to generate information for forest managers. The study was carried out in three Pinus taeda L. stands under clear cutting with different average individual tree volumes (AIV): I (0.367 m³); II (0.582 m³); and III (0.766 m³). Working cycle times, productivity per productive machine hour, energy yield and production costs were obtained by a time and motion study, in which the average values obtained were compared by the Tukey-Kramer test (α ≤ 0.05). The work elements of the harvester’s work cycles were affected by forest management regimes, mainly the movement and the processing, with significant statistical difference between stands, but no difference between total working cycle times. The management regime applied to forest stands influenced the spacing and whole trunk volume which consequently increased the average productivity of the machine from 36.8 to 74.1 m³ per productive machine hour in treatments I and III, respectively, and reduced production costs by 50%. The forest management regimes influenced the clear-cutting operation with harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the productivity, costs, and tree damage caused by machines in first thinning operations. The study was carried out in a 10 year old pine stand with two thinning operations: TH5, with the removal of each 5th row and selective thinning between these rows; and TH7, with the removal of each 7th row and selective thinning between these rows. Harvester and forwarder machines were used in the thinning operations, considering a tree maximum reach of 10 m. Working cycle times, productivity, energy efficiency and production costs were determined through a time–motion study. The tree damage was also quantified in the thinning operations. Cycle time values and tree damage were compared using the Mann–Whitney test for two independent samples (α = 0.05). The highest productivity and lowest cost for the harvester were observed in TH5, while the highest productivity for the forwarder was obtained in TH7, due to the higher log stack volume. On the other hand, TH5 was the most inexpensive operation, with a total of USD$4.62 m−3, although only USD$0.37 less expensive than TH7. Furthermore, TH5 and TH7 presented a similar percentage of tree damage of 20.9% and 19.1%, respectively. Therefore, TH5 was most cost-effective, while TH7 enables increasing the selective thinning area and improves the pine stand quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of participative and multifunctional silviculture, natural regeneration of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), in pure or mixed stands, is a major problem of European silviculture. In countries such as France, Croatia, Great Britain, where mast years of pedunculate oak are quite frequent (from 2-3 years to 5-6 years, seldom 8-10 years), the species is regenerated under the shelter, dominantly by uniform shelterwood cuttings, with a short regeneration period (maximum 4-5 years), characteristic to the light-demanding species. In Romania, the species was regenerated in the past also by uniform shelterwood cuttings, considered not appropriate to the ecology of pedunculate oak by favouring mixed broadleaved tree species, more shade-tolerant. Consequently, especially after 1948, uniform shelterwood cuttings were replaced by group shelterwood cuttings, with a regeneration period of gaps/openings of 2-4 years and of 10-15 years at stand level. In pure and mixed stands of pedunculate oak, the application of silvicultural systems should not target the strict respect of the theoretical background of group shelterwood cuttings, but be correlated with the establishment, growth and development of natural regeneration, which is often irregular / uneven. Therefore, we consider that the best adapted silvicultural system for the regeneration of pedunculate oak should be a combination of uniform and group shelterwood systems, which should also target the limitation of logging damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest cover in Italy has increased three-fold in slightly more than a century. In 2018 the area covered by forest will be, for the first time since long, larger than that covered by active cultivation. In the same time, the stewardship of forest ecosystem services such as biodiversity provision, hydrogeological protection, and landscape conservation has increased. More than 27% of Italian forests are included in protected areas; 86% of forests is subject to limitation of use connected to soil protection and water cycle regulation, and 100% is under the landscape conservation law. Italy is also home of one of the largest economies of wood transformation, but 80% of the raw material is imported, which implies several environmental, socio-economic, and ethical issues, both domestically and abroad. The conditions are ripe to plan for a responsible management of the natural capital in the country’s forests. A forest management that is active, shared, and conscious of domestic and global implications will be the best chance to maintain and improve the ecosystem services provided by forests in Italy.

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The need for higher value-added wood products and the high cost of mechanized operations stimulate the development of new thinning methods in order to provide gains in productive capacity of forest stands. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of two thinning methods on productivity and costs of the forest harvesting in the generation of multi-products. The study was carried out in a 10-year-old Pinus taeda stand under to two thinning methods: TH5 (harvester, with systematic harvesting of the fifth tree row and selective in adjacent rows); and TH7 (chainsaw and harvester, with systematic harvesting of the seventh tree row and selective in adjacent rows). We determined the working cycle times, productivity, and production costs through a time and motion study, with the averages of partial and total times being compared between thinning methods by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test (a = 0.05). From the obtained results, it was found that the thinning methods directly affected the harvester's partial and total times, with the largest time obtained in the TH7 thinning method due to the need to locate previously cut trees by chainsaw, with a consequent reduction in the productivity and an increase in the production costs when compared to the TH5 method. However, despite the higher production cost, the TH7 method showed potential with the use of mechanization in all activities, making it possible to increase selective thinning and contribute to gains in forest stand quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood harvesting should be planned to reduce environmental impacts by minimizing machine traffic, increase productivity and reduce costs. In this context, the aim of this study was evaluate the effect of working range on operational performance of a harvester and forwarder in a Eucalyptus saligna stand under a clear cutting regime. The study was carried out in Paraná State, Brazil, in a cut-to-length system in cutting and wood extraction operations in two working ranges: T1 - width of 12 m with a cut of four planting lines; and T2 - width of 18 m with a cut of six planting lines. A time and motion study was performed to determine work cycle times, productivity, production costs, and machine traffic, with working ranges compared by the t-test (a = 0.05) for independent samples. The results showed that the wood processing and loading elements consumed the longest operating cycle time in cutting and wood extraction. The harvester machine presented higher productivity (61.05 m? PMH0-1) in the T1 working range, while the forwarder was superior (48.32 m³ PMH0-1) in the T2 working range. Regarding the wood harvesting system, it was observed that the T2 working range enabled a reduction of 1% in production costs, which is important when considering the large scale production of the company, while there was a 33.4% reduction in traffic. Therefore, an increase in machines' working range can provide operational and environmental benefits to wood harvesting operations in forest plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note reports some concerns about the conservation of the boreal forest in Europe. In the Fennoscandia, there has been a significant increase in forest clearcutting in recent years, likely affecting even the remnants of natural forest. In Sweden, due to the long-term application of plantation forestry, a small fraction of the original boreal forest remains: its further fragmentation may jeopardize forest biodiversity and forest's ability to cope with ongoing climatic changes. Outside protected areas, clearcutting followed by soil scarification, plantation, forest vegetation management, etc. grants financial profitability and large volumes of wood products, but not the conservation of biodiversity. Negative effects might be also expected on the ecosystem carbon balance due to large carbon-dioxide emissions for long years after clearcutting. It is good that these issues are being brought to the forefront of the environmental and scientific debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deal with the impacts of different wood logging techniques on the soil parameters in the spruce forests of Eastern Carpathians- Romania. Experiments were made in soils formed on two geological substrates (crystalline schist’s and flish) and shows the changes induced in the bulk density, moisture %, and time of infiltration of 100 mm water column, in two kinds of wood harvesting: heavy tractors and logging with horses. Measurements made with standardizes methods shows increasing of bulk density of the soils until 30-40 cm deep. On the loamy - sandy soils the bulk density increase from 0,6 g/cm3 to 1,15 g/cm3 in the first 15 cm. On the soils developed on flisch, the bulk density increase in the first 5 cm from 0,6 g/cm3 to 0,84 g/cm3. The infiltration time of a 100 mm water column increase of 10-15 times, mainly on the soils developed on flish at 1-10 cm. At 20 cm in the soil deep the infiltration time increase of 3-3,6 times under the tractors extraction roads and 1-1,2 times under the horses extraction roads. The consequences of soil compaction on the functioning of soils and forest are discussed and some measures for the reduction of the impacts are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest cover in Italy has increased three-fold in slightly more than a century. In 2018 the area covered by forest will be, for the first time since long, larger than that covered by active cultivation. In the same time, the stewardship of forest ecosystem services such as biodiversity provision, hydrogeological protection, and landscape conservation has increased. More than 27% of Italian forests are included in protected areas; 86% of forests is subject to limitation of use connected to soil protection and water cycle regulation, and 100% is under the landscape conservation law. Italy is also home of one of the largest economies of wood transformation, but 80% of the raw material is imported, which implies several environmental, socio-economic, and ethical issues, both domestically and abroad. The conditions are ripe to plan for a responsible management of the natural capital in the country's forests. A forest management that is active, shared, and conscious of domestic and global implications will be the best chance to maintain and improve the ecosystem services provided by forests in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A life-cycle assessment study of roundwood supply chain activities occurring within the state of Tennessee was performed, in an effort to quantify the environmental impacts associated with wood harvest and transport operations. Statewide data from a survey given to Tennessee forest industry operators was used to construct representative primary life cycle input datasets that are unique to the industry profile within the state. This data was combined with inputs and assumptions from other relevant reports and publications to fully characterize the supply chain. Results of the life cycle assessment study indicated that greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy demand per green tonne of wood were lower for chainsaw-based harvesting systems compared to feller buncher-based harvesting, because the relatively low harvest productivity of the chainsaw systems was more than made up for by the low inputs of fuels, lubricants, and machinery for this system. Transport of roundwood by truck resulted in transport impacts that were nearly as large as harvesting impacts, assuming a 150-km roundtrip based on Tennessee survey data. Results of this supply chain study can help the state of Tennessee understand the environmental impacts associated with traditional forest products industry operations, and guide development of new bio-based products, where environmental performance will be a key driver of successful development and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterobasidion spp. root rot causes severe damage to forests throughout the northern temperate zone. In order to prevent Heterobasidion infection in summertime cuttings, stumps can be treated with urea or Phlebiopsis gigantea. In this study, the consumption of stump treatment materials and the quality of stump treatment work were investigated. A total of 46 harvesters were examined in May-November 2016 in Finland. The average stem size of softwood removal and softwood removal per hectare explained the consumption of stump treatment material. The quality of stump treatment work was good in the study. The best coverage was achieved with the stumps of 20-39 cm diameter at stump height (d0). It can be recommended that the harvester operator self-monitors and actively controls his/her treatment result in cutting work and sets the stump treatment equipment in a harvester if needed. The results also suggested that when cutting mostly small- and medium-diameter (d0 ≤ 39 cm) conifers, the stump treatment guide bars with relatively few (<18) open holes are used, and at the harvesting sites of large-diameter trees, the guide bars with a relatively great (>27) number of open holes are applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]