Wood Harvesting Research Articles

Timber industry activity of the GULAG correctional labor camps of the OGPU-NKVD of the USSR in the late 1920s - 1937

The article examines the activity of correctional labor camps specializing in timber industry in the Soviet Union in the period from the late 1920s to 1937, singled out as the first stage of development of this group of camp complexes. The definition of the concept of "forest" correctional labor camps is given. For the first time, an analysis of the timber industry activity of the camps was undertaken. "Forest" camps functioned in the areas of the largest Soviet cities (Moscow and Leningrad), in the European North, the Urals and Siberia. Their main function was reduced to the development of woodlands, timber harvesting, mechanical processing of forest resources developed to a lesser extent. Conclusions are drawn about the gradual expansion of the scale of the timber industry activity of correctional labor camps in the period from the late 1920s to 1937. However, at this stage, the volumes of harvesting and mechanical processing of wood by "forest" camps were insignificant against the background of the development of the forest industry in the country. The first multi–industry "forest" camp appeared - the White Sea-Baltic Combine, which had a strong influence on the development of the timber industry in the autonomous Karelian Republic. With the help of prisoners' labor, the construction of a pulp and paper enterprise in the Urals was carried out. The experience of using prisoners in the timber industry in the period from the late 1920s to 1937 was a significant groundwork for further enhancing the role of the Main Directorate of Camps of the NKVD of the USSR in the industry.

Closing an open balance: The impact of increased tree harvest on forest carbon

AbstractFossil‐based emissions can be avoided by using wood in place of non‐renewable raw materials as energy and materials. However, wood harvest influences forest carbon stocks. Increased harvest may reduce the overall climate benefit of wood use significantly, but is widely overlooked. We reviewed selected simulation studies and compared differences in forest carbon and amount of wood harvested between harvest scenarios of different intensities for three different time perspectives: short‐ (1–30 years), mid‐ (31–70 years), and long‐term (71–100 years). Out of more than 450 reviewed studies 45 provided adequate data. Our results show that increased harvest reduces carbon stocks over 100 years in temperate and boreal forests by about 1.6 (stdev 0.9) tC per tC harvested (referred to as carbon balance indicator (CBI)). CBI proved to be robust when outliers explicitly influenced by factors other than changes in the harvest rate, such as fertilization or increase in forest area, were removed. The carbon impacts tend to be greatest in the mid‐term, but no significant difference in was found for average values between short and long time‐horizons. CBI can be interpreted as carbon opportunity costs of wood harvest in forests. Our results indicate that even after 100 years, CBI is significant compared to the typical GHG credits expected in the technosphere by avoiding fossil emissions in substitution and increasing carbon stocks in harvested wood products. Our estimates provide typical values that can directly be included in GHG balances of products or assessments of mitigation policies and measures related to wood use. However, more systematic scenarios with transparent information on influencing factors for forest carbon stocks are required to provide better constrained estimates for specific forest types.

Unpacking Jurassic Park Turbulence at Komodo Island: Indigenous mitigation furtherance

Government has set protection, conservation, resource use, education, demography, and improved management system of Komodo, Rinca, and Padar Islands development forescast via detailed blueprint entitled Jurassic Park. This Scenario evokes the exoticism of three islands “erstwhile” nature, especially as the endemic great lizard (Komodo) is there. From the outset of Komodo National Park (KNP) Involuntary enhancement, it confines 33,987 ha of Komodo, 19, 625 ha of Rinca, and 1,533 ha of Padar Islands abundant and nature resources; likewise, the 2000-2025- or 25-years masterplan of KNP, within “zoning” area, ties to limit local’s’ subsistence (i.e., sea wood harvest, aquaculture, etc.). Begun with Public-Private Partnership/PPPs, next is Indigenous Multi-corporate Enhancement/ImcE, and Mill-coalesced Indigenous Volume/Mcol. Methods of current research unveil inefficiency in coexistence with mega venture of Jurassic Park; this research advocates indigenous’ livelihood without “wasternizing” the heightens human resources, soothes internal adverse periphery and arrives at Jurassic Park renunciation nexus.

An evaluation of machine operator exposure to occupational noise during harvesting and extraction operations in Brazilian eucalyptus plantations

ABSTRACT Wood harvesting operations involve mechanized and semi-mechanized machines that expose operators to occupational noise. It was verified that the emission of occupational noise levels in the harvest of mechanized and semi-mechanized wood in Brazilian forests planted with eucalyptus were in compliance with Directive 2003/10/EC. Noise data were collected using two personal-use integrative meters. The lower action level of 80 dB(A), the upper action level of 85 dB(A) and the exposure limit of 87 dB(A) were evaluated. The results showed that 16.6% of the operators were exposed to thresholds above the lower action level, but remained below the upper level of 85 dB(A), 8.3% of the operators were exposed to occupational noise levels above the upper action level, without exceeding the exposure limit of 87 dB(A) and 25% of operators were exposed to levels above the exposure limit. Therefore, the occupational noise levels achieved when harvesting mechanized and semi-mechanized wood in forests planted with eucalyptus do not comply with Directive 2003/10/EC.

Assessing the Resource Potential of Mountainous Forests: A Comparison between Austria and Japan

Domestic wood production in Japan is low, and more than 60% of the wood consumed is imported. This is surprising because two-thirds of Japan’s land area is covered by forests. The dominant explanations for this low wood self-sufficiency rate are the lack of forest road infrastructure and the small-scale forest ownership structure. Austria is a country that is similar in topography and ownership structure but has a high wood self-sufficiency rate. Therefore, previous research has compared Japan to Austria. However, these studies did not address basic forest properties in much detail. This study uses national forest inventory data from both countries to assess the forest structures and utilization percentages of the annual wood increment. In contrast to the hypothesis, the results show that the two countries have similar increment rates. In contrast to former studies, the findings indicate that Japanese plantation forests have a higher timber stocking volume than Austrian forests. In Japan, the proportion of the standing volume in the 40–60-year-old age class is much higher compared to the other age classes, indicating an unbalanced growing stock. The results show that the utilization percentage is much higher in Austria (88%) than in Japan (53%). Therefore, the Japanese forest sector has a high potential to increase the harvest of wood.

Cattail harvest and diseased wood turned into biochar for improved soil health and water quality. an analysis of phosphorus mitigation for the red river of the north

Cattail harvest and diseased wood turned into biochar for improved soil health and water quality. an analysis of phosphorus mitigation for the red river of the north

Privilégiá mesta Krupina – K problematike nejstarších privilégií hostí Krupiny spred mongolského vpádu

The town of Krupina and its privileges : On the issue of the oldest privileges of guests of Krupina before the Mongol invasion The author deals with the issue of privileges granted to Krupina, one of the oldest towns in Slovakia. The town’s privileges were renewed in 1244, whereas the first privileges ever mentioned were granted before the Mongol invasion (March 1241). With reference to the only document – preserved from 1238 –, some authors indirectly came to the conclusion that the first written privileges were given to German guests as early as in 1238. The author of the paper presents the possibility of privileges being granted before 1241. The first German guests probably settled in the town of Krupina at the end of 12th or beginning of 13th century and in this market town they were apparently given the right to hold markets, which were originally held by the Slovak residents. The German settlers probably also got the right to choose their own mayors and rectors (priests) so that they could be understood. This fact is attested by documents originating in places in the near vicinity (Sebechleby, Hontianske Nemce) or in more distant locations (Trnava, Blatný Potok) where residents of German descent were living. Moreover, the guests coming to the town of Krupina had the right to do business either in neighbouring or remote regions as pointed out in the document from 1238; apparently they were also given the right to harvest wood and break stone for the construction of churches and houses. Along with their rights, the German residents also had to fulfil their duties. In particular, they were committed to paying taxes to the king or the count as the local authority representing the king. Furthermore, they paid the church tithe, this being one of the oldest feudal annuities within Christian communities and the Kingdom of Hungary.

Use of Impact Penetrometer to Determine Changes in Soil Compactness After Entracon Sioux EH30 Timber Harvesting

Wood harvesting with the use of wheeled harvesters is now common in Polish and Czech forests. While moving in the forest, the wheels of these machines affect the forest soil and the extent of this impact is interesting. The paper presents the results of measurements of the changes that occur in the soil on the operational trails after the timber harvesting using the Entracon Sioux EH30 thinning harvester. The measurements were taken on fragments of three operational trails, in and between the ruts and at a distance of 1.0 m off the trail. An impact penetrometer was used to measure the penetration resistance, soil samples were collected to determine the bulk density and moisture content, and soil deformations on the trail were measured with a profile meter. Unit pressures exerted by harvester wheels on the ground were determined. It was shown that in the places where the harvester wheels pass, even of a small weight (5.73 tons, 8 wheels) and with unit pressures of the wheels on the ground <50 kPa, changes in soil parameters occurred. A statistically significant increase in penetration resistance in relation to the control occurred at a depth of up to 35 cm, while at a depth of up to 5 cm the increase was more than 2-fold. There was also a slight decrease in soil moisture content (up to 7.9%) and an increase (up to 8.4%) in bulk density in the ruts, while rut depths were small and reached 4 cm. As it was shown, the impact penetrometer, simple in design, which was assumed to be used for measurements, and which is not used in this type of research in forestry, despite its limitations, can be used to determine the compactness of the soil and its changes resulting from machine work.

Stocks and Productivity of Dead Wood in Mangrove Forests: A Systematic Literature Review

The functional and ecological importance of dead wood in terrestrial forests is widely recognized and researched. In contrast, much less is known about dead wood in mangrove forests, despite its known or demonstrated contribution to key ecological processes including nutrient cycling and seedling recruitment. In addition, mangrove dead wood provides an important service for millions of people; harvesting wood for fuel is widespread in mangroves and is often vital for the lives and wellbeing of people living close to these forests. Limited information on stocks and production, and the drivers of these, means that understanding and managing the supply of this service is difficult. Here we conduct a systematic review of the literature on dead wood stocks and production in mangrove ecosystems. Four hundred and seventy-five subject articles were found, with large gaps in geography, species, and forest type. After excluding records that were not relevant to our study and those from mass mortality events, 68 studies remained. We also added new data from 9 sites in Kenya, to provide overall estimates of mean (± SD) stocks of dead wood of 16.85 ± 25.35 Mg ha−1 standing and 29.92 ± 36.72 Mg ha−1 downed. Our analysis shows that potentially, higher stocks of dead wood might be found in forests without evidence of human impact. Average mean production with 95% CI was 6.30, 3.10–11.40 Mg ha−1 yr−1. Estimates of daily wood use were applied to give likely demands on wood from mangrove dependent communities. This review reveals the paucity of research on mangrove dead wood, hence these estimates of average stocks and productivity remain very limited and thus, further work on the dynamics of dead wood in mangroves and the ecological effects of its removal is needed.

Technological advancement expands carbon storage in harvested wood products in Maine, USA

Harvested wood products (HWPs) in-use, disposed to landfill, and the charcoal created by biomass fuel burning substantially store carbon and potentially mitigate the greenhouse gas effect. To quantify the HWPs carbon storage, we developed a carbon accounting framework, which has the ability to incorporate the influence of technological advancement on HWPs carbon storage. Through applying this framework together with the wood harvesting data of Maine, USA during the period of 1901–2019, we concluded that the current HWPs carbon pool size is 52 Tg C, which is 11% of the carbon stored in the entire forestry sector and wood products of Maine, USA. Technological advancement potentially increases the HWPs carbon storage by as much as 44% to 75 Tg C. In addition, the average net annual carbon sink can be increased from 0.44 Tg C to 0.63 Tg C. Production of innovative wood products with long service lives plays the most important role in expanding the HWPs carbon pool; however, the higher processing efficiency and recycling rate are less important.

Exposure to Occupational Noise

Physical agent noise can be considered one of the main disturbances that compromise the occupational health of self-propelled forest machine operators. We evaluated whether occupational noise levels emitted by self-propelled forest machines employed in the full tree system are in accordance with both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and ISO 1999:2013 standards, while also proposing mitigating measures aimed at protecting the operators hearing. Seventeen operators, who performed wood harvesting operations in Eucalyptus forests in Brazil, were analyzed. Noise levels were collected in a daily shift of eight hours as recommended by the Acoustics – Determination of occupational noise exposure - Engineering method for full-day measurements (ISO 9612:2009). The standards adopted for the evaluation were the exposure action value of 80 dBA and the exposure limit of 85 dBA based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – NIOSH and on Acoustics – Estimation of noise-induced hearing loss (ISO 1999:2013) Directive 2003/10/EC. The operators were arranged in homogeneous groups according to the Acoustics recommendation – Determination of occupational noise exposure - Engineering method for full-day measurements (ISO 9612:2009), classified by the operations of felling, skidding of tree bundles and bucking. The results showed that 17 self-propelled forest machines exceeded the exposure action value of 80 dBA, of which 10 machines exceeded the exposure limit of 85 dBA. It was concluded that the levels of occupational noise emitted by self-propelled forest machines used in the full tree system are higher than those recommended by both standards, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and ISO 1999:2013. Therefore, the allocation of self-propelled forest machines to homogeneous groups allows inferring mitigation actions that protect operators' hearing. The correct use of hearing protectors during the daily workday provides hearing protection for operators in mechanized wood harvesting. Adoption of actions such as maintenance of cabin seals and mechanical components, breaks for fatigue relief, reduction of daily working hours and rotation of operators in different self-propelled forest machines can mitigate the damage to the occupational health of operators.

Improving Heterogeneous Forest Height Maps by Integrating GEDI-Based Forest Height Information in a Multi-Sensor Mapping Process

Forests are one of the key elements in ecological transition policies in Europe. Sustainable forest management is needed in order to optimise wood harvesting, while preserving carbon storage, biodiversity and other ecological functions. Forest managers and public bodies need improved and cost-effective forest monitoring tools. Research studies have been carried out to assess the use of optical and radar images for producing forest height or biomass maps. The main limitations are the quantity, quality and representativeness of the reference data for model training. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission (full waveform LiDAR on board the International Space Station) has provided an unprecedented number of forest canopy height samples from 2019. These samples could be used to improve reference datasets. This paper aims to present and validate a method for estimating forest dominant height from open access optical and radar satellite images (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2), and then to assess the use of GEDI samples to replace field height measurements in model calibration. Our approach combines satellite image features and dominant height measurements, or GEDI metrics, in a Support Vector Machine regression algorithm, with a feature selection process. The method is tested on mixed uneven-aged broadleaved and coniferous forests in France. Using dominant height measurements for model training, the cross-validation shows 7.3 to 11.6% relative Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) depending on the forest class. When using GEDI height metrics instead of field measurements for model training, errors increase to 12.8–16.7% relative RMSE. This level of error remains satisfactory; the use of GEDI could allow the production of dominant height maps on large areas with better sample representativeness. Future work will focus on confirming these results on new study sites, improving the filtering and processing of GEDI data, and producing height maps at regional or national scale. The resulting maps will help forest managers and public bodies to optimise forest resource inventories, as well as allow scientists to integrate these cartographic data into climate models.

Carbon Emissions With Forest Cover Change and Wood Harvest in the Dry Temperate Region of Pakistan Between 1908 and 2015

Regional carbon emissions related to forest cover change (FCC) and wood harvest (WH) are critical for the accurate estimates of global carbon balance over an extended time period. Using remote sensing and inventory data, this study provides a comprehensive record of FCC, WH, and their integrated carbon emissions between 1908 and 2015 in the dry temperate regions of Pakistan. Results demonstrate a significant decline in forest area (21,034 ha) at an annual rate of 0.56% from 1973 to 2015. The total WH was 24.84 million m3 (0.23 million m3 yr−1) between 1908 and 2015. Deforestation was responsible for a net loss of 1.39 million Mg C (0.018 million Mg C yr−1), while WH-related carbon emissions accounted for 11.29 million Mg C (0.52 million Mg C yr−1). The present results indicate that under the existing FCC and WH harvest scenario, the forests are acting as a net source of 0.29 million Mg C yr−1. Agriculture expansion and the heavy dependency of local communities on the forest’s resources, exclusion of conservation and local communities from forest management, insufficient monitoring, and weak law-enforcement were the striking drivers of FCC, WH, and their related emissions. These findings suggest that to maintain forest carbon and meet the communities’ requirements, counter approaches such as agriculture incentives, agroforestry, trophy hunting, alternative energy sources, and inclusion of conservation and secure community-based management are needed.

Exploring the Branch Wood Supply Potential of an Agroforestry System with Strategically Designed Harvesting Interventions Based on Terrestrial LiDAR Data

Agroforestry systems hold potential for wood and tree biomass production without the need of felling trees. Branch wood harvesting provides access to considerable amounts of lignocellulosic biomass while leaving the tree standing. Aiming at alternatives for wood provision, we assessed the actual woody structure of a silvopastoral system in the African Savannah ecoregion, utilising terrestrial LiDAR technology and quantitative structure models to simulate branch removals and estimate harvesting yields. In addition, the stand structure and harvested wood were examined for the provision of four types of assortments meeting local needs, and operational metrics for each treatment were derived. The stand had large variability in woody structures. Branch harvesting interventions removed up to 18.2% of total stand volume, yielded 5.9 m3 ha−1 of branch wood, and delivered 2.54 m3 ha−1 of pole wood quality, retaining on average more than 75% of the original tree structures. Among the most intense simulations, a mean of 54.7 litres (L) of branch wood was provided per tree, or approximately 34.2 kg of fresh biomass. The choice of an ideal harvesting treatment is subject to practitioners’ interests, while the discussion on aspects of the operation, and stand and tree conditions after treatment, together with outputs, assist decision making. The partitioning of tree structures and branch removal simulations are tools to support the design of tending operations aiming for wood and tree biomass harvesting in agroforestry systems while retaining different functional roles of trees in situ.

Physiological workload of workers employed during motor-manual timber harvesting in young alder stands in different seasons.

This study examined the physiological strain experienced by workers employed in motor-manual timber harvesting performed in winter and summer, and the applicability of heart rate indices for estimating energy expenditure. The heart rates (HR) of 2 teams consisting of 2 persons working simultaneously during felling and forwarding, in both winter and summer, were measured. Heart rate at work (HRwork), resting heart rate (HRrest), relative heart rate (%HRR), ratio of working heart rate to resting heart rate, and 50% level were used to estimate the physiological workload in particular jobs. The HRindex (HRwork/HRrest) equation was used to estimate the energy expenditure (EE). For all jobs, significantly higher physiological workload and energy expenditure were recorded during winter. The season significantly affects the physiological workload during logging operations. If there is no possibility of harvesting wood in summer, in order to limit the workload of workers during winter activity, attention should be paid to the proper organization of work and selection of workers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(4):437-47.

Merits and Limitations of Element Balances as a Forest Planning Tool for Harvest Intensities and Sustainable Nutrient Management—A Case Study from Germany

Climate change and rising energy costs have led to increasing interest in the use of tree harvest residues as feedstock for bioenergy in recent years. With an increasing use of wood biomass and harvest residues, essential nutrient elements are removed from the forest ecosystems. Hence, nutrient sustainable management is mandatory for planning of intensive forest use. We used soil nutrient balances to identify regions in Germany where the output of base cations by leaching and biomass utilization was not balanced by the input via weathering and atmospheric deposition. The effects of conventional stem harvesting, stem harvesting without bark, and whole-tree harvesting on Ca, Mg and K balances were studied. The nutrient balances were calculated using regular forest monitoring data supplemented by additional data from scientific projects. Effective mitigation management strategies and options are discussed and calculations for the compensation of the potential depletion of nutrients in the soil are presented.

Effects of traffic intensity and travel speed on forest soil disturbance at different soil moisture conditions

ABSTRACT Machine traffic during wood harvesting causes damage to forest soils. Whereas increased soil damage has been associated with increased traffic frequency and soil water content, the impact of travel speed on soil disturbance, still remains unclear. We examined the effects of traffic frequency, travel speed, and soil water content on the dry bulk density, total porosity and rut depth of skidding trail soil in an Iranian temperate forest. The studied treatments included combinations of five traffic frequencies (1, 3, 7, 10, and 15 passes) of a rubber-tired skidder, three levels of travel speed (1, 3, and 5 m s−1) and two levels of soil water content (18% and 31%). The impact on soil properties was greatest during the initial skidder passes. At higher water content, only one skidder pass was required to cause substantial increases in soil bulk density compared to the control plots, at all travel speed levels. Regardless of traffic frequency and water content, a lower travel speed caused substantially greater increases in dry bulk density and greater decreases in soil porosity than did a higher travel speed. Furthermore, higher soil water content resulted in deeper ruts at all combinations of traffic intensity and travel speed. In conclusion, fewer skidder passes at a slower travel speed were required to achieve substantial soil disturbance than was the case at a faster travel speed, possibly due to the higher amount of vibration, and consequently compaction exerted during a machine pass at a slower speed.

The role of wood harvest from sustainably managed forests in the carbon cycle

Key messageWe investigate the flux balance of managed and protected forests and the effects of using wood.Flux parameters of CO2 uptake and respiration do not differ between managed and protected forests.Accounting of harvest as immediate emission by IPCC guidelines results in a bias of forest climate mitigation towards storage and neglects the avoidance of fossil-fuel use by wood use.

Managing existing forests can mitigate climate change

Planting new forests has received scientific and political attention as a measure to mitigate climate change. Large, new forests have been planted in places like China and Ethiopia and, over time, a billion hectares could become available globally for planting new forests. Sustainable management of forests, which are available to wood production, has received less attention despite these forests covering at least two billion hectares globally. Better management of existing forests would improve forest growth and help mitigate climate change by increasing the forest carbon (C) stock, by storing C in forest products, and by generating wood-based materials substituting fossil C based materials or other CO2-emission-intensive materials. Some published research assumes a trade-off between the timber harvested from existing forests and the stock of C in those forest ecosystems, asserting that both cannot increase simultaneously. We tested this assumption using the uniquely detailed forest inventory data available from Finland, Norway and Sweden, hereafter denoted northern Europe. We focused on the period 1960 – 2017, that saw little change in the total area covered by forests in northern Europe. At the start of the period, rotational forestry practices began to diffuse, eventually replacing selective felling management systems as the most common management practice. Looking at data over the period we find that despite significant increases in timber and pulp wood harvests, the growth of the forest C stock accelerated. Over the study period, the C stock of the forest ecosystems in northern Europe increased by nearly 70%, while annual timber harvests increased at the about 40% over the same period. This increase in the forest C stock was close to on par with the CO2-emissions from the region (other greenhouse gases not included). Our results suggest that the important effects of management on forest growth allows the forest C stock and timber harvests to increase simultaneously. The development in northern Europe raises the question of how better forest management can improve forest growth elsewhere around the globe while at the same time protecting biodiversity and preserving landscapes.

Quantification and Consumption Pattern of Fuel Wood in Mornaula Reserve Forest in Kumaun, Indian Himalaya: Implication for Sustainability and Conservation

Present study provides information on biomass utilization, fuel wood species diversity, their regeneration status, and impact of fuel wood harvesting in Mornaula Reserve Forest (MRF) in Kumaun, India. A total of 34 plant species (32 trees and 2 shrubs) were collected by the inhabitants for fuel, belonging to 22 families, dominated by Rosaceae (04 species) followed by Pinaceae and Lauraceae (02 each). Distribution of plant species ranges from1500-2200 in a wide range of habitats, forests being the most preferred one. High preference and Resource Use Index of Quercus leucotrichophora, Quercus floribunda , and Rhododendron arboreum, Pinus roxburghii, Myrica esculenta, Symplocos chinensis, and Cedrus deodara as fuel indicated high pressure on these species. The continuous exploitation of these species from the MRF may lead to rapid deletion of their population. Therefore, adequate conservation measures have to be taken to maintain the current status of the habitats, species and communities for the effective management of the MRF. Awareness among the villagers needs to be created for the resource utilization techniques, so that sustainable utilization of the species could be done by the villagers. Further, the degraded forests may be re-established through plantations of the seedlings of the preferred fuel wood species with the participation of local inhabitants.