Timber Processing Research Articles

Проблемы и направления развития малого лесного предпринимательства Республики Коми

The study presents the assessment results on the forest business development in the Republic of Komi. The work identifies the key problems of the forest business development with possible solutions. The small forest business has been shown to play an important social role for the rural settlements where it often is the only source of economic base formation. The first post-perestroika 30 years was a period in the Komi Republic when the total production volume was done by less than two dozen large enterprises of the complex. The monopolization of forest resources gradually decreased the number of small forest business enterprises as they could not compete for raw materials and closed. In order to maintain and develop the forest business, the enterprises should change the concept from products with a low added value, sawn timber or logging, to products of high processing levels. The regional authorities should try to restore the timber processing industrial plants in every district which will make various wood products. The promising directions are production of thermo-modified wood, woody and coniferous flour, and essential oils.

Hearing loss and respiratory health symptoms among large-scale sawmill workers of the timber processing factories within the Gert Sibande District Municipality: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundOccupational exposure to wood dust may cause respiratory illnesses, while prolonged exposure to loud noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of hearing loss and respiratory symptoms among large-scale sawmill workers within the Gert Sibande Municipality in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.MethodsA comparative cross-sectional study consisting of 137 exposed and 20 unexposed randomly selected workers was undertaken from January to March 2021. The respondents completed a semi-structured questionnaire on hearing loss and respiratory health symptoms.Data analyseThe data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 (Chicago II, USA). The statistical analysis of the difference between the two proportions was done using an independent student t-test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference between the exposed and unexposed workers on the prevalence of respiratory symptoms like phlegm (51.8 vs. 0.0%) and shortness of breath (chest pain) (48.2 vs. 50%). There was also a statistically significant difference between the exposed and unexposed workers on the signs and symptoms of hearing loss like tinnitus (ringing in the ears) (50 vs. 33.3%), ear infections (21.4 vs. 66.7%), ruptured ear drums (16.7 vs. 0.0%), and ear injuries (11.9 vs. 0.0%). The exposed workers reported always wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) (86.9%) compared to the unexposed workers (75%). The reason for not wearing PPE consistently by the exposed workers was due to not being available (48.5%), compared to the unexposed workers who reported other reasons (100%).ConclusionThe prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the exposed workers was higher than that of the unexposed workers, except for chest pains (shortness of breath). The prevalence of symptoms of hearing loss among the exposed workers was higher than the unexposed workers, except for ear infections. The results suggest that measures should be implemented at the sawmill to help protect workers’ health.

Creating a Brand Concept or How to Find the Meaning of the Territory (a Case Study «Syktyvkar - the Capital of the Forest»)

Branding is an actual and relatively new area of activity for the development of territories. There are various interpretations of this concept, as a result of which there is not always a correct interpretation of its purpose, tools, technological schemes. It is promising to consider a brand from the point of view of social history as the ability to create value energy through the translation of the meaning of the territory. The initial stage of branding involves the formulation of a concept based on knowledge about the territory. The brand concept is the meaning of the territory in the opinion of the local population, expressed through symbols and associations. Historically, the meaning of the territory was formed, fi rst of all, under the infl uence of the geographical factor, which then determined the socio-cultural characteristics of the local population. In this regard, the main task of the brand developers is to transform the physical and geographical characteristics and cultural and geographical objects of the territory into symbolic capital, which in the future should give stable economic indicators. Since 2021, the capital of the Komi Republic has been developing a brand «Syktyvkar – the capital of the Forest». Syktyvkar is a center of timber processing, education, science, culture and sports. The concept of the brand «Syktyvkar - the capital of the Forest» is an idea that can make the city recognizable, unite local residents, attract professionals and give an additional impetus to the development of the territory.

The network of rural settlements on the territory of the modern Tyumen region in the 1930s: population, economic and socio-cultural development

The paper characterizes the state of a set of functionally interconnected settlements that developed by the mid-1930s on the territory of the modern Tyumen region. The subject of the study is the network of settlements in the region, the object is its number, economic and socio-cultural development. The density of the settlement network, the ratio of collective, individual and other farms in each district is determined. Attention is focused on the creation of collective farms in the course of collectivization that unfolded during this period. Statistical data on the number of industrial enterprises and points of trade in villages, as well as data on the development of communication institutions (post office, telephone), schools and hospitals, club institutions are presented. The scientific novelty of the publication consists in determining not only quantitative, but also qualitative indicators of the development of the settlement network of the region. The district specifics were revealed, which consisted in the economic specialization of the majority of administrative-territorial units in the production of oil, the dominance of timber processing enterprises in the northern regions and flax processing plants in the southern ones. The conclusion is made about the predominance of the cooperative form of trade in the villages over the state one. Positive changes in the state of socio-cultural infrastructure were noted, expressed in an increase in the number of school and medical institutions. At the same time, the school network consisted of 86% of primary schools. There was still a shortage of hospitals and outpatient clinics, medical personnel in rural areas.

Effect of Production Factors on the Bioethanol Yield of Tropical Sawdust

Bioethanol production from cellulosic materials is important in mitigating the concomitant displacement and exploitation of primary food crops for biofuel production and reducing carbon emissions which exacerbate climate change. The problem of reduced yield in the production and availability of yeast locally poses a barrier to market adoption and penetration of bioethanol. The study examined the effect of particle size and different yeast strains on the yield of bioethanol from waste sawdust that was sourced from a local timber processing centre. The samples of yeast were prepared from baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and palm wine yeast (Saccharomyces chevalieri). The sawdust was reduced to 212 μm, 300 μm, and 500 μm particle sizes. The samples of each particle size were pretreated and hydrolyzed with H2SO4 and fermented with S. cerevisiae or S. chevalieri yeast. The results obtained show that the weight, pH, density, viscosity, flash point, and heating value of the produced bioethanol ranged between 221.67 and 322.64 g, 6.2 and 6.6, 0.821 and 0.878 g/mL, 1.073 and 1.193, 14 and 16°C, and 20.5 and 23.1 MJ/kg, respectively, while the alcohol content of each of the samples was 69%. Furthermore, the bioethanol yield from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast was 213.9 mL, 193.2 mL, and 186.3 mL, for the 212 μm, 300 μm, and 500 μm particles, while for Saccharomyces chevalieri yeast, the yield was 289.8 mL, 255.3 mL, and 220.8 mL for the 212 μm, 300 μm, and 500 μm, respectively. An ANOVA on the effect of particle size on ethanol yield shows a significant difference at 5% level of significance. The study demonstrated that the use of locally produced yeast and increasing the surface area of sawdust increase bioethanol yield. Hence, it was concluded that better yeast strain use and biomass particle size reduction to a level that allows the optimal surface area for the reaction improve the yield of bioethanol. The study outcome can help in ameliorating the continued dependence on fossil fuels and the food security problems arising from displacing or utilizing food for fuel and could also encourage commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production from waste.

Economic Ripple Effects Analysis of Cross-Laminated Timber Manufacturing in Japan

Japan has been actively promoting the various uses of timber to efficiently utilize its plantation forests and contribute to its climate commitments. Cross-laminated timber (CLT), owing to its unique structural characteristics and environmental advantages, has received widespread attention in Japan. Being a high-value-added timber, CLT’s value chain involves various industries, including forestry, timber processing, transportation, construction, and civil engineering. However, the economic impact associated with the increasing production and use of CLT is ambiguous. Targeting CLT manufacturers in Japan, this study evaluated the economic ripple effects of CLT through an input–output analysis, which is a method that is used to evaluate the independent association between different economic sectors and industries. An extended input–output table was established according to the survey of revenue and expenditure data of the largest CLT manufacturers in Japan in 2020. The result was compared with the glued-laminated timber (GLT) scenario at the same final demand value. The results showed that activities not elsewhere classified, timber, logs, road freight transport (except self-transport), and wholesale trade were the top five sectors that had the largest economic impact on CLT manufacturing. Our research has implications for policies and programs to promote the revival of forestry and sustainable development of the timber industry in Japan.

Optimization of the isolation of biologically active complexes from buds and shoots of birch and poplar buds for their further use in cosmeceutical compositions

The aim is to optimize the isolation of biologically active birch and poplar complexes based on woodworking industry waste to study their biological activity to create cosmeceutical compositions that have cosmetic and pharmaceutical effects.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The object of research is the vegetative organs of birch (buds and shoots) and poplar (buds). In the process of work, experimental studies were carried out on the extraction and separation of natural compounds, development of biological complexes of vegetative organs of birch and poplar, study of the chemical composition and standardization of biologically active complexes of birch and preparations based on them.&#x0D; Results. The optimal methods for extracting natural complexes were determined. Created as a semi-industrial installation for producing biologically active complexes by barothermal method, combining two processes - high pressure and hydrodistillation. The optimal operating cycle and plant parameters were determined. The optimal solvents for the extraction of biologically active complexes from the vegetative organs of birch and poplar have been determined. Petroleum ether (33.60 %) extracted the most compounds from birch buds, in birch shoots - ethanol (8.34 %). Qualitative and quantitative indicators of biologically active complexes are determined, and projects for examining the obtained biologically active complexes are proposed. We determined the yield of essential oil depending on the time of collection of raw materials and determined that the largest amount of essential oil is contained in spring buds (0.21 % of dry raw materials) and shoots (0.08 %).&#x0D; Conclusions. Biological complexes created from timber processing waste with high activity are the basis for the creation of cosmetic products. The created semi-industrial plant will provide the basis for creating new original products in industrial volumes.

The effect of sectoral differentiated water tariff adjustment on the water saving from water footprint perspective: A case study of Henan Province in China

Water price reform is an effective way of rationalizing and protecting water resources in areas where water is scarce. This paper first presents a method for measuring water footprint by sector based on the non-competitive input-output technique. Second, this research explores the relationship between water price adjustment and labor compensation, as well as regional water export. Accordingly, this paper constructs a mathematical planning model for differentiated water price adjustment by sector with the objectives of minimum water exports and maximum labor rewards, and conducts a simulation study in the water-scarce Henan Province. The study's findings suggest that: (1) In contrast to direct water use, water consumption in Henan Province is more balanced in terms of water footprint, with the food and tobacco processing industry replacing agriculture as the leading water consumption sector. (2) Sectoral differentiated pricing saves 6.9% more export water resources in Henan Province than uniform sector-wide pricing with the same export GDP loss. (3) At present, the industries in Henan Province that are in urgent need of increased water charges are agriculture, textile industry, Manufacture of leather, Processing of timber and furniture, Manufacture of paper and printing, and Manufacture of chemical products these totals 6 industries. An increase of $1.73, $4.87, $38.55, $51.20, $5.83 and $6.55 per cubic meter in the water price of these six industries can reduce the export water resources of Henan Province by 10.72%. As a result, our findings can be used to optimize water allocation and improve sustainable water use in water-scarce regions.

Adhesives free bark panels: An alternative application for a waste material.

The proportion of bark in tree trunks is in the range of ~ 10-20%. This large amount of material is currently mainly considered as a by- or even waste-product by the timber processing industry. Recently, efforts towards the use of bark have been made, e.g. as a raw material to harvest different chemical compounds or as an additive for wood particle boards. Our motivation for this work was to keep the bark in an almost natural state and explore alternative processes and applications for use. The traditional method of de-barking tree trunks by peeling was used to harvest large bark pieces. Two pieces of peeled bark were placed crosswise, with the rhytidom side (outer bark) facing each other. After different conditioning steps, bark pieces were hot pressed to panels without adding adhesives. These experiments on bark samples of different Central European tree species suggest that production of panels with species dependent properties is possible and feasible. This is a step towards producing sustainable panels by using a natural waste material, while retaining its beneficial structure and its natural chemical composition.

The state-private hybrid forest policy in Myanmar: The impact of neoliberalism on the forestry sector after the 1990s

Changes in political orders, institutional rearrangements, global geopolitics, and environmental discourses shape public policy. After the 1990s, Myanmar has shifted from a centralized state (socialism) to a more decentralized state (neoliberalism). This study investigates the influence of neoliberalism on Myanmar's political economy and forest policy after the1990s. To this end, we employ a political ecology approach integrating with Marxist's political economy theory. We divide transitional periods into the military period (1988–2010) and the democratic transition period (2011−2020) and discuss how political economy change generated by “neoliberalization” in Myanmar has affected the forest sector. Myanmar has focused on developing local timber markets, dominated by privately-owned sawmills and timber processing factories after the 1990s. During both periods, the country has made progress in promoting marketization, the role of the private sector, and deregulation and voluntarism, in contrast with the internal timber industry under the so-called “Burmese Way of Socialism.” A state-private hybrid forest policy has emerged from the integration of neoliberal market principles with the state's stronghold timber extraction based on the 19th-century German forest principles of the Myanmar Selection System (MSS). This phenomenon implies the necessity to review the MSS combined with the 1995 forest policy.

ВНУТРЕННЯЯ И ВНЕШНЯЯ ТОРГОВЛЯ В ГАЛИЦИИ И БУКОВИНЕ В XIX ВЕКЕ И ЕЕ ЭТНОКОНФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ

The author analyses the dynamics of domestic and foreign trade in Galicia and Bukovina during the 19th century. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of state and legal regulation of trade, foreign trade operations and customs rules on the territory of neighbour states, where Rusyns lived compactly. The author examines the range of products, prices, main channels of sales and deliveries of goods, places of their production; he reveals the reasons that hindered trade, as well as factors that directly influenced the participation of Rusyns in trade operations. The article contains an analysis of the ethno-confessional features of the organization of trade in the territories inhabited by the Rusyn population – in Galicia, Bukovina, Hungary, Slovakia, etc., as well as the main activities of the Rusyns (agriculture, crafts, handicrafts, manufacturing and industrial production, etc.), directly related to both domestic and foreign trade. Particular attention is paid to the role of animal husbandry and timber processing as export-oriented industries in the Rusyn economy. The article contains extensive statistical material extracted mainly from sources of the XIX century, which characterizes both the development of some branches of the national economy of the European countries under consideration, and their foreign trade. The author uses such sources as published archival documents, as well as little-known pre-revolutionary publications in Russian, English, Polish, and German.

To the question of the possibility of operating sawmill complexes in the conditions of timber terminals

At present, the problem of depletion of forest resources and the associated increase in the export shoulder and the corresponding logistics costs are increasingly felt. Today, as one of the solutions to this issue, the concept of using timber terminals has been applied, when the processing of roundwood into a more appropriate form, including for transportation, is carried out in close proximity to the cutting area. The overall efficiency of timber terminals is affected by the equipment operated on them, in particular, the sawmill. This article discusses the main types of sawmills according to the type of working body: tire, frame, tape and disk, indicating their positive and negative qualities for direct use in timber terminals. The article also formulates tasks aimed at improving the energy sustainability of timber terminals - as production sites for deep processing of timber.

Analysis of the forestry sector in the Republic of Karelia under current economic conditions

The Russian economy is faced with the challenge of effectively coping with the economic sanctions imposed over the past decade. The Russian timber industry is also experiencing problems due to market closures and difficulties in obtaining processing equipment and spare parts. This article considers the problems of the forestry sector by the example of one of the regions of the North-West of Russia - the Republic of Karelia. For the loggers of the Republic of Karelia has changed a lot. If earlier the forest industry was largely focused on supplying roundwood to neighbouring Finland, in the current environment, due to sanctions against the Russian Federation and the countersanctions, exports to Europe have completely ceased. Due to geographical remoteness from developing markets of East, Asia and Africa, supplies of timber from Karelia to these regions without deep processing are not economically profitable. In this article the results of analysis of current situation, evaluation of resource potential and production capabilities of the Republic are given. It is noted that one of the main problems is a significant surplus of industrial hardwood, which was previously exported and now accumulates at the logging sites, because of the lack of productive capacity for its processing on the territory of the Republic. One of the factors, hindering development of industrial enterprises, is high dependence on foreign equipment. The results of this analysis can be used when looking for solutions to improve timber processing in the Republic and ways out of crisis for timber industry enterprises.

Integrated recycling of wood waste using recycling technology

The activity of the Russian timber processing industry is inextricably linked to the constant generation of wood waste. The paper considers types of wood waste as well as the possibility of their integrated use in the conditions of wood processing plant. We present the results of experiments on the production of wood fibre boards with the addition of prepared wood waste: bark, sawmill waste, format-cutting waste, trapped fibre and hardwood waste, and determine the optimum percentage of the studied waste in the total wood mass.

The impact of increases in log import prices under Russia’s control of log exports on the market price of timber products in China

ABSTRACT Russia is China’s main log supplier and has implemented a series of log export control policies. The implementation of Russia’s export control policy has inevitably had an impact on China’s timber processing industry. This paper uses breakpoint regression to analyse the impact of the increase in the import price of logs under the Russian log export control policy on the market price of timber products in China. The results show that under the control policy, the increase in log import prices had a significant positive impact on the timber product market when April 2008, January 2010 and January 2019 were the breakpoints. Due to the lag effects in price transmission, the impact on China's timber product market was not reflected when July 2007 and January 2018 were the breakpoints. Based on the research conclusions, this paper puts forward some suggestions from the perspective of China’s log supply security.

Transforming the Tanzania Charcoal Sector Project and Sustainability of Community Based Forest Management in Kilosa District, Tanzania

This paper explored the impact of the Transforming Tanzania Charcoal Sector Project (TTCSP), on the sustainability of Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) in Kilosa District, using the Ihombwe CBFM as a case study. The study used a qualitative research design. A sample of 47 participants was used to collect data. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select participants. Data were collected through document reviews, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions and observation. Thematic analysis was used in data analysis. The findings showed that the project has implemented several activities such as capacity building to village institutions, supporting the village land use plan, village resources assessment, and forest harvest plans, training charcoal producers and timber processing groups on modern techniques. Moreover, the Project supported the construction and furnishing of the village office and the development of village by-laws. Furthermore, the Project has strengthened the operationalization CBFM as well as the introduction of a sustainable forest harvest management model. The Ihombwe CBFM has been formalized and made able to generate significant income from forest products such as charcoal and timber. After all these initiatives, deforestation was perceived to decrease thus, ensuring the sustainability of the community forest.

Модернизация валочно-сучкорезно-раскряжевочного механизма лесного харвестера

There is an annual increase in the number of modern forestry machines at logging enterprises both in Russia and in foreign countries. At the same time, the fleet of forestry machines is becoming more diverse and multifunctional, and their manufacturers, competing for market outlets, find themselves interested in constant upgrading of existing and development of new design and technological solutions. The research is aimed at finding a new engineering solution that will allow along with harvesting high-quality logs to perform their partial debarking without a significant reduction in the processing speed. The effective result is achieved by the fact that the proposed new method of processing tree trunks provides the possibility of timber barking in strips, i.e. removing the bark from a fallen tree along its entire length, as well as bast removal (partially or completely). The method involves, as in the traditional model of harvesting (processing) head functioning, crosscutting of the trunk by the sawing mechanism and delimbing by delimbing knives. This leads to accelerated natural drying of wood during its storage in the warehouses and significantly increases the floatability of thin coniferous logs during their further timber floating. The implementation of the proposed option of harvesting debarked timber at the logging site and the working body of harvesters (processors) to carry out such harvesting will increase the share of logging waste at the logging site. The design of the new harvesting (processing) head does not require significant financial expenses for its upgrading. The design of the new harvester head allows the logs to be barked in strips along the entire length. Additional drive of working mechanisms is not required. This will enable the implementation of rough debarking with minimal financial costs already at the stage of logging operations and increase the efficiency of logging and timber processing enterprises.

How to Improve Forest Carbon Sequestration Output Performance: An Evidence from State-Owned Forest Farms in China

China’s state-owned forest farms are the basic sectors of forestry production, and their carbon cycle functions, such as timber processing and forest carbon sequestration, are of great significance to the national emission reduction strategy. By three-stage DEA and Tobit models, this paper measures the carbon sequestration output efficiency of 3706 state-owned forest farms involved in China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration’s 2008–2018 survey. We figure out how the mechanism on the carbon sequestration impacts output efficiency of these forest farms and analyze the temporal trends and spatial distributions of their outputs in various regions. Our results indicate that the overall output efficiency of state-owned forest farms in China is relatively low compared with the international advanced level and show that distinctive north-south regional differences exist. Specifically, the carbon storage of the state-owned forest farms in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia occupies more than half of the carbon storage of total amounts, but their output efficiency is unsatisfactory. Conversely, the forest farms in Southwest China have a medium amount of carbon storage and the highest output efficiency. After improving the external environments of these farms, the efficiency value in each province appears as a significant increment. Moreover, the effects of afforestation, timber harvests, the under-forest economy, and other operating behaviors exhibit regional heterogeneity to some extent. Therefore, this paper advocates reforming the current forest cultivation strategy that emphasizes afforestation and neglects management, and relevant government departments are supposed to adjust operations according to local conditions to promote sustainable forest management.

A statistical model for the prediction of the number of sapwood rings in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Dendrochronology is a well-established dating method for wooden objects, but due to surface processing of construction timber or natural degradation the dating of historical wood often relies on a prediction of the number of missing rings based on sapwood statistics. Since Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is one of the most common tree species in north-western Europe, the absence of reliable sapwood statistics and models for the prediction of missing sapwood rings for pine samples is remarkable. We have therefore produced sapwood statistics based on data from 776 pine trees with ages from 15 to 345 years. The material consists of both living trees and historical timber, with varying growth rates, geographic settings, and from different soil types. When the whole material is considered, the average age of the trees is 103 years, and the number of sapwood rings is 54 ± 15 (1 SD), but range from 18 to 129. Trees less than 100-years in age contained 46 ± 11 (1 SD) sapwood rings and had an average tree-ring width (TRW) of 1.76 mm. With increasing age, the average TRW decreased while the number of sapwood rings increased. The average TRW of 101–200-year-old trees is 0.99 mm while the samples contained 63 ± 12 (1 SD) sapwood rings. For trees older than 201 years, the average TRW is 0.64 mm while the number of sapwood rings increased to 85 ± 16 (1 SD). The two most important factors in determining the number of sapwood rings for a given tree when only heartwood statistics are available proved to be (i) the number of heartwood rings and (ii) the average TRW of the heartwood rings. For incomplete samples, we have therefore developed a statistical model based on the sample’s heartwood rings (number and average width) to compute a prediction interval for the total number of rings. The sapwood and heartwood statistics suggest a statistical model for the number of sapwood rings with mean that increase with the number of heartwood rings. Furthermore, the average number of sapwood rings decreases with the mean width of the heartwood rings. However, the predictive power of the mean width is limited when the number of heartwood rings has already been taken into account. Thus, we suggest making predictions for the number of sapwood rings using only the number of heartwood rings. Predictions of the number of sapwood rings based on the statistical model where convincing in the case of the three different datasets that were analysed. The certainty in these predictions was such that the width of the 80% and 95% prediction intervals ranged 28–34 and 45–52 sapwood rings, respectively. Additionally, we demonstrate how make predictions when there is information about the number of remaining sapwood rings in a given sample. To make the sapwood model available, we present a free online R package for fitting our models and an online software dashboard.

Vertical integration of enterprises in timber processing industry as a factor of increase in competitiveness of their activity

Vertical integration of enterprises in timber processing industry as a factor of increase in competitiveness of their activity