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Forests
Special Issues
Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges
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Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Operations and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2022) | Viewed by 9176

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Andrea Laschi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (SAAF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, ed. 4, 90128 Palermo PA, Italy
Interests: forest operation planning; forest road planning; optimization of forest operations; environmental impacts related to forest operations; health and safety of forest workers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dalia Abbas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Arts and Science, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
Interests: forest operations; supply chain logistics; best management practices; economics; life cycle assessment and forest and operator health and safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Piotr S. Mederski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Utilisation, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Interests: thinning operations; harvester; forwarder; broadleaved species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interest in collectivity on forests has increased in recent years. Moreover, a lot of attention has been paid to maintaining and improving ecosystem services provided by forests, and it is expected to grow further in the future. In this context, the importance of wood as a renewable material is evident worldwide, and the sustainability of wood harvesting must be guaranteed through modern, efficient and well-planned forest operations. One of the main roles of research in our field is to support and enhance new solutions aiming at the principles of sustainable forest operations.

For these reasons, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect new proposals and knowledge around different aspects oriented to sustainable forest operations, such as i) optimization of productivity in terms of both quantity and quality; ii) innovative planning of forest operations, including remote-sensing and ICT; iii) innovations in mechanization aimed at increasing the efficiency and/or safety of operations; iv) innovative approaches in reducing environmental impacts related to forest operations; v) forest road planning; and vi) analysis and innovations about the health and safety of forest workers. 

Prof. Dr. Andrea Laschi
Dr. Dalia Abbas
Prof. Dr. Piotr S. Mederski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • productivity and costs of forest operations
  • health & safety
  • wood quality optimization
  • ergonomics in forest operations
  • forest road network
  • forest operation planning
  • environmental impacts
  • reduced impact logging

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2100 KiB  
Article
Use of Battery- vs. Petrol-Powered Chainsaws in Forestry: Comparing Performances on Cutting Time
by Francesco Neri, Andrea Laschi, Enrico Marchi, Elena Marra, Fabio Fabiano, Niccolò Frassinelli and Cristiano Foderi
Forests 2022, 13(5), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050683 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2210
Abstract
The use of battery tools is very common in many fields of work. In fact, the electric engine and batteries have several advantages over traditional endothermic engines, including low emissions, in terms of pollutants, vibration and noise. In this context, the chainsaw market [...] Read more.
The use of battery tools is very common in many fields of work. In fact, the electric engine and batteries have several advantages over traditional endothermic engines, including low emissions, in terms of pollutants, vibration and noise. In this context, the chainsaw market started producing electric models powered by batteries. These machines can be useful in forestry, but information on their performance is scarce. The aim of this work was to compare the performance, in terms of cutting times, of three Stihl chainsaw models: the MS 220C-B (battery powered), and the MS 201 C-M and MS 261 C-M (both petrol powered). The study was carried out on five different wood species, also taking into consideration the presence/absence of wood defects in the cutting. More than 800 cuts on 15 m × 15 cm wood beams were video recorded, and the cutting times were later obtained to a resolution of 4/100 of a sec, using video-editing software. The results showed a poorer performance of the battery chainsaw than the petrol chainsaws, especially on certain wood species. However, this difference has been reduced when compared with older models. In conclusion, battery chainsaws need some additional improvements to be introduced into forestry, but their high potential is evident. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges)
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9 pages, 2366 KiB  
Article
Anthropometrics Parameters of the Adult Population as Ergonomics Modifier for the Chainsaw Handle
by Miloš Gejdoš, Miloš Hitka and Rudolf Kampf
Forests 2022, 13(5), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050645 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1669
Abstract
In the conditions of Slovakia, forest harvesting is largely carried out by hand-held chainsaws. Working with a chainsaw is one of the most demanding tasks in forestry, both in terms of demands on the operator and compliance with technological and work discipline. The [...] Read more.
In the conditions of Slovakia, forest harvesting is largely carried out by hand-held chainsaws. Working with a chainsaw is one of the most demanding tasks in forestry, both in terms of demands on the operator and compliance with technological and work discipline. The aim of this work is the analysis of selected anthropometric dimensions of the upper limbs of the adult male population and their comparison with parameters and approaches in the design of hand-held controls for manual chainsaws. The research was conducted on a sample of 1629 men aged 18 to 25, in whom six anthropometric dimensions related to the upper limbs were measured, which are important for the sizing of the controls on the chainsaw handles. The results of the anthropometric analysis were compared with the recommended values for the design of hand-held chainsaws. Based on the results obtained, we identified some parameters of the front and rear handles that would need to be resized. Most of the recommended dimensions are in a convenient range. However, to take into account user comfort, we suggest, in some cases, increasing their minimum recommended values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges)
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10 pages, 2147 KiB  
Communication
Assessment of Working Performance and Costs of Two Small-Scale Harvesting Systems for Medium Rotation Poplar Plantations
by Francesco Latterini, Walter Stefanoni, Vincenzo Alfano, Nadia Palmieri, Paolo Mattei and Luigi Pari
Forests 2022, 13(4), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040569 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1766
Abstract
Considering the increasing need to produce energy from renewable sources, the interest towards Medium Rotation Coppices (MRC) plantations has increased. One of the main issues that require tackling for the comprehensive sustainability of these plantations is related to the development of sustainable harvesting [...] Read more.
Considering the increasing need to produce energy from renewable sources, the interest towards Medium Rotation Coppices (MRC) plantations has increased. One of the main issues that require tackling for the comprehensive sustainability of these plantations is related to the development of sustainable harvesting systems. Indeed, as a consequence of the average tree diameters at a breast height (dbh) of about 15 cm, single-pass harvesting typical of short rotation coppice is not applicable. Therefore, these plantations are generally harvested with machinery specifically developed for forest operations, as for instance harvesters, feller-bunchers and forwarders. In the Mediterranean area, the availability of such machines is still limited to a few big forest enterprises. Indeed, the majority of forest contractors carry out their activities in the framework of small-scale forestry, without the financial possibility of purchasing expensive machineries. Thus, the present study had the objective to evaluate the performance of two small-scale harvesting systems in a 7-year-old poplar plantation in Central Italy. The difference between the two systems was the different machinery applied for wood extraction, i.e., a forestry-fitted farm tractor equipped with winch (WINCH) and a fork lift prototype, attached to a crawler tractor (CFL). Extraction via CFL system reached very high working performance with about 21.5 m3 SMH−1 (Scheduled Machine Hours, including delays), comparable to the productivities reported in the literature for forwarders working in similar plantations. Harvesting costs with CFL were 24.74 EUR m−3, of which 4.48 EUR m−3 was for felling with chainsaw, 4.61 EUR m−3 for extraction with CFL prototype and 15.64 EUR m−3 for wood chipping. WINCH showed unsatisfactory results instead, possessing a wood chip production cost of 41.95 EUR m−3, which is practically equivalent to the market price of wood chips. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges)
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16 pages, 5000 KiB  
Article
Steep Slope Harvest System Models for Small to Large Trees
by Todd West, John Sessions and Bogdan M. Strimbu
Forests 2022, 13(2), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020305 - 13 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2526
Abstract
Background: Tethered cut-to-length and cable yarding systems with tethered falling equipment are increasingly used to harvest trees from slopes exceeding 30–60% more safely and at reduced financial cost than less mechanized harvest systems. Existing studies of harvest equipment typically isolate one or [...] Read more.
Background: Tethered cut-to-length and cable yarding systems with tethered falling equipment are increasingly used to harvest trees from slopes exceeding 30–60% more safely and at reduced financial cost than less mechanized harvest systems. Existing studies of harvest equipment typically isolate one or two pieces of equipment in a harvest system and often occur on sites with slopes below 50% and trees less than 60 cm in diameter. Methods: We analyzed machine capabilities and productivity regressions to extrapolate existing models to steep slope harvesting of trees up to 115 cm diameter. The resulting individual machine models are integrated into models of cut-to-length and long-log harvest system productivity. We estimated the financial operating costs of the harvest systems considered from equipment pricing and operator wages. Results: Analysis of even-age Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) rotations suggests eight-wheel forwarder productivity, swing yarder productivity, and mechanization of manual chainsaw labor with tethered harvesters as primary controls on harvest costs. Conclusions: The proposed model enables predictions across a greater range of slopes and tree sizes than those previously modeled, creating a foundation for future research into the cost and productivity of steep slope harvesting systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Operations: New Proposals, Innovations and Challenges)
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