ABSTRACT Logging businesses are an essential link within the forest supply chain. A mail survey was conducted to evaluate perspectives on the economic sustainability of the logging industry from across the segments of the forest supply chain in Virginia: logging business owners, consulting foresters (landowner representatives), and mill owners or procurement representatives. More than a third of logging businesses (38.8%) rated the outlook for their business as not economically sustainable. An even higher percentage of consulting foresters and mills also viewed logging operations as not economically sustainable (68.9% and 56.3%, respectively). Sixty percent of logging business respondents were descendants of logging families, and 56% of logging business owners would not encourage their child to enter the logging or forest industry. A smaller percentage of mill representatives (44.9%) and consulting foresters (32.6%) would not encourage their own child to pursue a career in logging or the forest industry. Results indicate economic sustainability challenges could impact recruitment of the next generation of logging business owners. However, the importance of a healthy logging industry was communicated by mill and consulting foresters who expect that in the next five years, their businesses will experience a negative effect due to a lack of logging capacity available to harvest and deliver wood.

The paper considers the multipurpose use of forests from the point of view of a natural resource. Positive and negative results of anthropogenic impact on forest ecosystems. The advantages of diversifying forest use areas, as well as aspects of the effectiveness of forest management in various natural and industrial conditions, are analyzed. The work was carried out within the framework of the scientific school “Innovative developments in the field of the logging industry and forestry”. The research was carried out at the expense of the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 26-16-00047, https://rscf.ru/project/26-16-00047/

ABSTRACT This study addresses the lack of an integrated description of wood used in Norway by developing a material flow analysis (MFA) model that integrates data on the wood sector's value chain. The model accounts for carbon flows by moving beyond volume-based metrics and incorporating species type and moisture content to estimate carbon content. Findings reveal that approximately 15 million m3 of standing forest is harvested in Norway annually. The input to the use phase (products originated from sawmills and wood-based panel mills (board mills)) is approximately 5 Mm3, and the returning reclaimed wood is equivalent to 1.6 Mm3 to the end-of-life (EOL) annually. 85–88% of the EOL today is burned for energy recovery, which can be reduced by better practices. The study identifies opportunities to improve EOL practices and enhance circularity. The Sankey diagram visualises the flow and stock of wood in the value chain from forests to sawmills, wood products processing, pulp mills, board mills, energy, and waste.

This research examines practices implemented by forestry companies across Canada in pursuit of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), as required by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The objective is to assess alignment between company practices and a substantive interpretation of FPIC. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with representatives from fifteen FSC-certified forestry companies. Results reveal strong overlap between practices implemented in pursuit of FSC and those aimed at meeting legal obligations related to the “duty to consult”. Some forestry companies go beyond legal obligations, developing informal consultation mechanisms and the negotiation of agreements. The application of FPIC is also constrained in several ways. First, the scope of negotiations tends to be limited to operational issues over strategic ones. Second, clear mechanisms for the withdrawal of Indigenous consent are not readily apparent, and companies that encounter objections to forestry activities tend to rely on short-term mitigative strategies.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44391-026-00057-9.

Understanding the dynamic changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and the forces behind them is crucial for developing effective and sustainable land management strategies. However, the limited availability of high-resolution, socio-economic LULC assessments constrains a comprehensive understanding of the human-environment interactions driving these changes. This study analyzes and quantifies the extent and nature of LULC changes and their driving factors in the Gacheb watershed, Southwestern Ethiopia, spanning from 1984 to 2020. The maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) in the earth resource data analysis system (ERDAS) was used to conduct LULC change classification for Landsat imagery from 1984, 2002, and 2020. The study uses in-depth interviews with key informants to understand the factors driving LULC changes. The study identified five primary LULC categories: agroforestry, cultivated land, forest, settlement, and shrubland, with an overall kappa classification accuracy of 88.6% to 93%. The findings show a decrease in shrubland by 10.2% and forest land by 6.6%, while cultivated land and settlements expanded by 9.5% and 7.9%, respectively over the study period. During the entire evaluation period, LULC underwent a substantial transformation, with 7105 ha (48.5%) experiencing change. Meanwhile, 7540 ha (51.5%) remained unchanged. The major identified driving forces of LULC change were population growth, wood extraction for fuel and charcoal, cultivated land expansion, and urban and infrastructure development. Therefore, it is crucial to develop land-use policies and management strategies to control the uncontrolled expansion of cultivated land and settlements.

Forests play a crucial role in maintaining terrestrial ecological diversity. In this study, two distinct forest types—built environments (Forest Reserve 27) and regenerated forests (Lusaka National Park)—in Lusaka, Zambia, are compared with respect to their bird species diversity and concentration. Predicting the bird species' preferred sub-habitat structure is another objective of this study. To evaluate species richness and species diversity, two ecological indicator indices were employed: The Simpson's Diversity Index (D) and the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H'). Eight days in all, four days at each site, were dedicated to gathering data. To acquire data, an analytical experimental strategy utilizing transect formulation, geo-referencing, and mapping in a naturalistic observational study. In addition, the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list categories were examined, order categorization, diet, habitat type, and migration status. Forest 27 and Lusaka National Park yielded a total of 241 individual bird sightings. These totaled 79 observations, of which 35 (at 95% confidence interval 33.6-45.6%) came from Forest 27 and 44 (55.7%) from Lusaka National Park (95% confidence interval 44.4 – 66.4%). The species richness and species diversity of Lusaka National Park were measured at H' = 3.5 and D = 28.5, respectively, whereas Forest 27 saw H' = 3.2 and D = 23.1 for species richness and diversity, respectively. Although they highlight different facets, Simpson's and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices both quantify biodiversity. While Shannon-Wiener takes into account both richness and evenness, with higher values suggesting higher diversity, Simpson's concentrates on dominance, with higher values indicating lower diversity. It was concluded that a variety of variables, including climate, fragmentation, noise pollution, affecting Forest 27 are probably responsible for Lusaka National Park's greater species richness and diversity. This covers government policies on the forest reserve: 1. Sustainable use – Utilization of forest resources in a sustainable manner must be the focus as well as balancing wood extraction with the preservation of ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. 2. Biodiversity Protection- forest reserves are designed for the safeguard of threatened species and important ecosystems. In regards to forest reserves and protected areas, policy re-evaluation would be advised. Conservation strategies should focus on a variety of ground-nesting, canopy nesting and insectivorous bird species that are negatively impacted by logging. Conducting another assessment a few years from now would be recommended to further conclude whether Lusaka National Park would still compete or hold a higher amount of diversity and abundance compared to forest 27or other forest reserves in the Lusaka area.

Forestry enterprises operate with forest resources as their business object, their environmental responsibilities are inherently distinctive. This paper defines such unique responsibilities as “corporate ecological and environmental responsibilities (CEER)”, a specificity that limits the direct applicability of existing research conclusions of ordinary enterprises to forestry contexts. To address this issue, this study explores the relationships among forestry enterprises' CEER, green innovation (GI), and operating performance. The findings reveal three key insights: First, CEER in forestry enterprises exerts a positive impact on operating performance, with significant positive effects explicitly observed in the dimensions of pollution prevention responsibility and green product responsibility, whereas forest sustainability responsibility shows no significant impact. Second, CEER can influence operating performance through green innovation, and this mediating effect is primarily driven by pollution prevention responsibility. Third, the mediating role of green innovation exhibits ownership heterogeneity: private forestry enterprises can enhance their operating performance via green innovation, while state-owned forestry enterprises do not demonstrate this effect. Overall, this research offers empirical implications for promoting the coordinated development of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) and operating performance.

Aim of study: The objective was to evaluate an optimized model for the distribution and sequencing of machines in tree felling and processing and extraction operations, aiming to reduce unproductive times and gains in production capacity. Area of study: The study was conducted in a cellulose and paper company in the state of Parana, Brazil, in operational areas of the wood harvesting. Material and methods: The times of tree felling, processing and extraction were obtained from a harvester (hv) and a forwarder (fw) to estimate the operational efficiency and productivity of the system. At the same time, vector features equivalent to the set of plots in the area, roads and a matrix feature of the digital terrain model were obtained from a geographic database for estimation of a matrix of distances between the plots. The Ward method of hierarchical grouping was used based on the matrix of distances between the fields to form two work groups (GI and GII). For each working group, the shortest walking sequence was estimated using the Kruskal algorithm. Main results: An optimized distribution of 3 hw and 2 fw was necessary in GI to achieve the production target of 200 m³ PMH-1, with the machines covering a distance of 2,335 m. The proportion of machines 3 hw and 3 fw was needed in GII with a distance covered of 2,878 m. The proposed model optimized the number of machines and provided a 26.7% reduction in the total displacement of machines. Research highlights: The high cost of wood harvesting operations requires the use optimized of the forestry machines. The proposed model made it determine with efficiency the machines distribution and sequencing for a wood harvesting optimized. The model can be implemented in the operational planning in the forestry companies in more complex wood harvesting scenarios.

ABSTRACT The forest industry plays a key role in the economy for the province of Quebec, Canada, contributing $5.8 billion to its gross domestic product in 2023. All costs presented in this study are in Canadian dollars, except where noted. Forest operations are carried out by public and private companies involved in timber harvesting, wood processing, and silviculture, including tree nurseries. Forest cooperatives, organizations owned by their employees, are an important contributor to the Quebec wood supply system. They are involved in a wide range of operations and are active in all major forest regions. Like most companies, their operations are sometimes constrained by insufficient transportation capacity due to a shortage of drivers. One potential solution would consist of aggregating transportation capacities across cooperatives. However, few studies have documented the benefits of mutualizing trucking resources, and the lack of demonstrated benefits may hinder the implementation of collaboration in transport operations. This study aims to investigate collaborative timber transportation planning. A case study involving three forestry cooperatives examines the impact of pooling trucks for wood transportation from the forest to sawmills. A mathematical model designed to minimize transportation costs is proposed to measure the benefits of such a strategy. Results demonstrate a 1.2% reduction in transportation costs from eliminating subcontracting requirements when trucks are pooled among cooperatives. Although case specific and influenced by the local availability of contract trucks, these findings highlight the potential for efficiency gains and cost savings through freight capacity pooling, while promoting sustainable practices and enhancing competitiveness for forestry companies.

The Ebo forest covers about 140,000 hectares of coastal forest in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. It is one of the most ecologically rich forests in the Gulf of Guinea biodiversity hotspot. This forest, which harbors many globally threatened and endemic plant species, is also home to various emblematic fauna species. Based on a literature review and informal discussions with local communities, this study aims to provide current knowledge on the Ebo primate population, discuss their major threats at landscape level, and present current conservation efforts and perspectives on human-wildlife coexistence. The Ebo forest is rich in primates, featuring four nocturnal species (Galagoides thomasi, Arctocebus calabarensis, Sciurocheirus alleni, and Perodicticus edwardsi) and ten diurnal species, including two African great apes (Gorilla gorilla spp. and Pan troglodytes ellioti), one Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus leucophaeus), one mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus), one colobus (Piliocolobus preussi), and five guenons (Allochrocebus preussi, Cercopithecus nictitans, C. mona, C. erythrotis, and C. pogonias). The Black and White monkey (Colobus guereza) is nowadays considered locally extirpated, and five other species are becoming rare or very rare. Hunting, wood extraction, slash-and-burn agriculture, and unplanned community resettlement represent the main anthropogenic threats to the Ebo primate community. There is a need for an appropriate integrated conservation strategy on the ground based on biological research and community-led conservation initiatives to safeguard the survival of Ebo primate populations. Additionally, inclusive land-use planning in this key biodiversity hotspot is a way to strategize for the long-term coexistence of humans and the Ebo primate assemblage.

The arrival of the Portuguese Court in Rio de Janeiro in 1808 intensified wood extraction, compromising the city’s water supply. The Tijuca massif—largely deforested by 19th-century coffee cultivation—subsequently became the target of urgent imperial reforestation efforts, which resulted in one of the world’s earliest large-scale successful reforestation programs and established the Tijuca Forest as the largest planted tropical urban forest. Despite its scientific and cultural significance, the locations of early silvicultural experiments and the species employed had remained unidentified until recently. In this study, tree-ring dating combined with cartographic, ecological, and historiographic analyses was used to recover 19th-century planting data. This approach mapped trees planted from 1862 onward, based on growth-ring analysis of Cedrela odorata L., Copaifera lucens Dwyer, and Lafoensia glyptocarpa Koehne. The results highlight the value of wood anatomy and dendrochronology for reconstructing the historical development of Brazilian forests—methods seldom applied for this purpose. Identifying trees planted more than 150 years ago provides a basis for future research on climate change and urbanization in Rio de Janeiro and supports forest management strategies amid the global climate crisis, underscoring the urgent need for ecological restoration across Brazilian ecosystems.

The sale of forest timber assortments represents a complex and multidimensional process encompassing a wide range of activities, from establishing contact with buyers and negotiating sales agreements, through organizing tenders and defining criteria for evaluating bids, to setting prices and allocating assortments. This paper analyzes the sales procedures in five forest estate within the Public Forest Company “Šume Republike Srpske” (“Zelengora” Kalinovik, “Drina” Srebrenica, “Maglić” Foča, “Panos” Višegrad, and “Vučevica” Čajniče), as well as in three forestry companies from the region: Public Company “Bosansko-podrinjske šume” d.o.o. Goražde, Cantonal Public Forestry Company “Sarajevo-šume” d.o.o. Sarajevo, and Public Company “Srbijašume” Belgrade. The aim of the research was to identify and compare the procedures and processes of organizing sales in public forestry companies. In addition to applying classical scientific methods (classification, analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction), a survey was conducted among employees directly or indirectly involved in sales activities to obtain practical insights and perspectives from the practice. The survey results indicated a series of challenges in organizing sales, ranging from the complexity of procedures and lack of market flexibility to the need for more efficient professional services and improvements in the customer scoring system. The comparative analysis revealed that sales models among the observed companies differ significantly, with clearly identified strengths and weaknesses of individual approaches. Based on the obtained results, the paper provides specific recommendations aimed at improving the existing sales system in public forestry companies, with the ultimate goal of enhancing economic and financial performance.

In Bukovyna, the brown bear is constantly present in four forest districts, where it prefers old mountainous, cluttered coniferous and mixed forests. Some individuals cross mountain pastures and are found in old abandoned plum and apple orchards. The long border between Ukraine and Romania (243.7 km), where hunting has been banned for a long time, has had a significant positive impact on the bear population. This has contributed to an increase in numbers and allowed the animals to live undisturbed in the border forests and sometimes even cross the state border. Bears very rarely hibernate—no traces of them were seen during the harsh winter of 1995–1996. During the berry ripening season, bears visit forest glades searching for raspberries, blackberries, and other fruits. They eagerly consume beech nuts and acorns, hunt wild ungulates and attack domestic animals. Among wild mammals, wild pigs dominate the bears’ diet (over 80%), with deer and roe deer occasionally appearing. The bears sometimes kill cows and horses, and often feed on honey destroying apiaries. Despite the species being listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, the brown bear population in Chernivtsi Oblast continues to decline. The minimum population was recorded in 1963 (10 individuals), 1975 (16), and 2000 (17), and the maximum in 1990 (32), 1995 (35), and 2025 (36). The main reason for the decline in numbers is poaching, as evidenced by the periodic appearance of skins and bear cubs on the market. The largest brown bear population in Europe is found in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, with an estimated population of 7500–10 000 individuals. Thanks to this, some individuals cross border fences and end up in various places in Bukovyna. Since the trophy quality of brown bears from the Carpathians is very high, limited trophy hunting has been introduced in Romania since 2016 to optimise their population. The trophy qualities of the skulls of four male brown bears from Bukovyna available to the authors were considered, three of which meet the requirements for obtaining gold medals according to the Madrid system. The bear population in Chernivtsi Oblast remains highly dependent on the rejuvenation of forests in the process of commercial logging and the abundance of wild boars.

Abstract Over recent decades, acoustic single-well imaging technique has attracted increasing attention within the community of oil/gas exploration. Given the prevalence of cased boreholes in oil fields, it is of great significance to investigate the reflections under the condition of cased boreholes for far-field reflector detection. However, simulating wavefields for cased single-well imaging remains challenging. Instead of using the conventional finite-difference method which is considerably time-consuming, we proposed an efficient analytical method for simulating reflections by incorporating viscous linear-slip conditions, thus providing a reliable tool for characterizing the reflections in realistic scenarios involving imperfectly bonded interfaces. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are validated through comparisons with reference solutions. Based on the proposed algorithm, we conduct numerical experiments to analyze the influence of the interface stiffness and viscosity on reflections. We find that the amplitudes of reflections initially increase and then decrease as the interface stiffness decreases for dipole sources, highlighting the advantage of using dipole sources in scenarios involving poor cement bonding quality. However, for monopole sources, the reflection amplitudes decrease nearly monotonically with decreasing stiffnesses. Additionally, for both dipole and monopole sources, the reflection characteristics are dominated by the interface stiffness rather than the viscosity in the case of large stiffness (i.e., good cement bonding). However, the reflections become highly sensitive to the interface viscosity when the stiffness is small (i.e., poor cement bonding). Consequently, the proposed method serves as a powerful tool for modeling and analyzing the reflections in cased single-well imaging with imperfectly bonded interfaces, providing a theoretical guidance for developing advanced logging equipment in oil/gas field exploration.

This article presents the results of a dynamic analysis of the forestry crane boom as a key component of integrated logging equipment operating under variable technological loads. The relevance of the study stems from the need to improve the reliability and service life of forestry machinery, which is subject to significant dynamic overloads during timber skidding operations. A mathematical model of the boom dynamics has been proposed, based on second-order Lagrange equations and incorporating the elastic-dissipative properties of structural elements, the inertial characteristics of the load, and the kinematic features of the winch drive. The model includes three degrees of freedom and accounts for the interaction between the boom, the cable-drive system, and the timber payload. The system of nonlinear second-order differential equations was solved numerically using the Wolfram Mathematica environment. Particular attention was given to the construction and analysis of phase portraits representing the oscillations of the boom’s reduced mass and the load under varying loading conditions (ranging from 5,0 to 20,0 kN). It was found that as the load mass increases, the system transitions from a linear damped regime to a nonlinear one, exhibiting quasi-periodicity, asymmetry, and irregular oscillatory behaviour. For loads exceeding 14,0 kN, the boom demonstrates increased sensitivity to initial conditions and external disturbances, posing risks of loss of controllability and necessitating the implementation of stabilisation measures. The results obtained have practical significance for optimising the structural parameters of the boom, selecting appropriate winch drive modes, and developing adaptive control algorithms. Future research prospects include extending the model to spatial oscillations, accounting for cable flexibility and variable soil characteristics, and conducting experimental validation of the numerical results. The proposed approach can be applied in the design and modernisation of specialised logging equipment to enhance its reliability, energy efficiency, and operational durability under real-world industrial conditions.

The importance of informal institutions in the logging industry has been analyzed. The relationship between informal and formal institutions of the forestry industry has been explained, and the role of informal institutions in correcting the dysfunctions in the formal system has been shown. The current issues of formal forest institutions and options for the government’s response to the abnormal situation have been considered, using the example of the Irkutsk Region forestry industry. The purpose of the study is to find real ways to reduce the level of informal institutions activity associated with their excessive influence on the logging industry economy. The object of the study is Russian logging industry. The subject of the study is informal institutions and changes in its place and role in the timber industry structure, as they are often destructive due to the weakness of formal decision tools. The system analysis methodology is used to study the formal and informal institution concepts in the logging industry. The study concluded that the use of informal institutions by formal systems provides them with tangible benefits and strengthens their position in the logging business. The regulation of the logging industry activity requires a systematic institutional approach combining legal changes considering the social and economic opportunities of the forest industry. However, reducing the informal institutions influence for human rights development is possible in the context of current forest industry regulations. The content of formal and informal forest institutions activities has been characterized, and it has also been established that their activities are interrelated.

This study analyzes the state of mechanization and productivity in forest operations conducted by the Public Forestry Company »Unsko-Sanske Šume« Ltd. Bosanska Krupa (PFC) and private contractors in the Una-Sana Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Data were collected through structured questionnaires targeting both the public company and eight private enterprises involved in felling, skidding, forwarding, and timber transport. Findings indicate that felling and processing are exclusively performed using chainsaws, without the integration of harvesters or modern mechanized systems. The average age of chainsaws is relatively low (2.44 years), reflecting routine replacement, particularly within private enterprises. In contrast, skidders and trucks demonstrate significant technical obsolescence, averaging 26.1 and 17.8 years, respectively. Forwarders constitute the most modern segment of mechanization, with an average age of 12.75 years and daily productivity between 100 and 135 m³. Skidders, primarily Timberjack and LKT models, achieve daily outputs ranging from 24.1 to 35 m³, while newer forwarders, including John Deere and Ponsse models, exhibit substantially higher productivity. Trucks, used for long-distance transport, display consistent outputs of 28–30 m³/day. Comparative productivity analysis reveals that the performance of locally used machinery is in some cases competitive with, but often inferior to, international benchmarks due to challenging terrain and outdated equipment. Despite partial modernization efforts, the overall mechanization level remains modest, particularly in the public sector. Regulatory constraints, limited capital investments, and aging equipment continue to hinder the technological advancement and economic viability of forestry operations in the region.

Modern wave acoustic logging equipment is widely used in well surveys at various hydrocarbon fields in our country. It is designed to address a wide range of problems, from operational issues directly in the well to issues arising in related areas of geological exploration.Acoustic logging is one of the most important geophysical methods for studying wells and adjacent formations when using these results in a seismic project. Obtaining reliable data on compressional and shear wave velocities is essential for accurately predicting lithology and reservoir properties in the interwellbore space. The Russian geophysical equipment market offers a wide variety of acoustic instruments, differing in type, probe set, and amplitude-frequency characteristics. To obtain high-quality acoustic data, not only modern equipment is essential, but also the processing software used and the high qualifications of the interpreter. Thus, the effective use of acoustic logging is a combination of the three factors mentioned above: the quality of the equipment, the software, and the qualifications of the interpreter. This paper evaluates wave acoustic logging equipment, specifically the AKS-AKSH-80 and KarSar 8AD73 instruments, which feature different design solutions. The primary criterion for assessing the quality of acoustic results recorded in a borehole is the comparison of various acoustic parameters with corresponding data obtained on core samples under thermobaric conditions. Given that compressional and shear wave velocities cannot always be accurately recreated in the laboratory, comparisons were also made using parameters based on a complex indicator linking these two quantities (e.g., the Vp/Vs ratio). Density characteristics were also used. Based on the results of pilot studies evaluating the acoustic logging equipment, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made for its use in solving production problems, depending on the different design features of the instruments.

This article revisits the history of Siam’s Royal Forest Department (RFD) in the early 20th century, focusing on two key policies: replacing British staff with young Siamese officers and reserving concessions for the state logging industry and local firms. While official accounts frame these as nationalist reforms under King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), this study argues for continuity with earlier regimes and highlights the limited impact of nationalism. By situating Siam within the global teak trade, this article shows how the RFD reinforced Siam’s role as a raw material supplier, resembling a colonial economy rather than resisting it.