Forests

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25 pages, 5280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Optimization Study on a Novel Mechanical Rubber Tree Tapping Mechanism and Technology

by Lingling Wang, Chang Huang, Tuyu Li, Jianhua Cao, Yong Zheng and Jiajian Huang

Forests 2023, 14(12), 2421; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14122421 - 12 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3084

All-natural rubber is harvested from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) by traditional tapping knives, so rubber tapping still heavily relies on labor. Therefore, this study explored a novel, hand-held mechanical rubber tapping machine for rubber tree harvesting. In this study, a [...] Read more.

All-natural rubber is harvested from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) by traditional tapping knives, so rubber tapping still heavily relies on labor. Therefore, this study explored a novel, hand-held mechanical rubber tapping machine for rubber tree harvesting. In this study, a mechanical tapping cutter with a vertical blade and adjustable guide was first described. The response surface method was applied to evaluate factors affecting the tapping effect. The experimental values were in close agreement with the predicted value. Machine-tapped latex was comparable in quality to hand-tapped latex. Based on the single-factor results, the response surface method (RSM) and the center combined rotation design (CCRD) optimization method were adopted to explore the influence of three factors influencing vertical blade height (A), cutting force (B), and spiral angle (C) on the tapping effect. Regarding the cutting rate of the old rubber line (Y₁), cutting time (Y₂), latex flow rate (Y₃), and average cutting current (Y₄) as evaluation indexes of the tapping effect, an optimization scheme was determined. The quadratic model fits for all the responses. The test results showed that the main factors affecting Y₁, Y₂, Y₃, and Y₄ were A and B, B, A and C, and B, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the influencing factors of A, B, and C were 10.24 mm, 51.67 N, and 24.77°, respectively, when the evaluation index values of Y₁, Y₂, Y₃, and Y₄ were 98%, 8.65 mL/5 min, 9.00 s, and 1.16 A. The range of the relative error between the experimental and predicted results was from −11.11% to 11.11%. According to the optimized treatment scheme, a comparison test was designed between mechanical and manual rubber tapping tools. To verify the availability and effect of the mechanical tapping method preliminarily, the important rubber tapping evaluation indexes included bark thickness, bark excision, latex flow time, cutting time, ash content, and cutting depth, which were selected to serve as a comparison test. There was no significant difference between hand and mechanical methods, except ash content (p < 0.05) and cutting time (p < 0.01). The mechanical tapping machine proposed in this study is meaningful to improve cutting efficiency, practicality, and operability. Furthermore, it provides crucial theoretical references for the development of intelligent tapping machines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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26 pages, 11207 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Novel Two-Phase Approach to Forest Harvesting Optimization Using Cable Logging

by Carlos Rey, Simón Sandoval, Guillermo Cabrera-Vives, Diego Seco, Pierluigi Cerulo and Zheng Li

Forests 2023, 14(11), 2133; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14112133 - 26 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1319

Abstract

Timber extraction is a vital process in forest harvesting, particularly in areas with high slopes where timber harvesting methods are not feasible. In such cases, logging towers employing extraction cables are often the most effective solution. This intricate task involves several phases, with [...] Read more.

Timber extraction is a vital process in forest harvesting, particularly in areas with high slopes where timber harvesting methods are not feasible. In such cases, logging towers employing extraction cables are often the most effective solution. This intricate task involves several phases, with the installation of the tower being one of the most critical. It significantly influences the performance and feasibility of timber extraction. Another crucial phase involves strategically positioning logging lines to minimize the installation time while maximizing the load capacity efficiency. This article presents an integer programming mathematical model for determining the optimal positioning of yarders conditioned to logging lines, the timber logging time, and the logging cycle time. Furthermore, a two-phase heuristic algorithm is introduced to address the problem. Both approaches offer a preliminary proposal for the location of logging towers and the arrangement of logging lines within a two-dimensional spatial plane, thereby streamlining the timber extraction process in challenging terrains. Finally, we compare manually generated approximate planning (referred to as the manual planning approach, MPA) with our presented approaches. Our methods outperform the MPA, and notably, our two-phase approach surpasses solvers commonly used in the industry by up to 38% in real case studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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13 pages, 3024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomass Harvesting from Salvage Clearcuts on Young Eucalypt Stands and Post-Wildfire Pine Thinnings with Fixteri FX15a Feller-Bundler in Spain

by Eduardo Tolosana, Rubén Laina and Óscar González-Prieto

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1821; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091821 - 6 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1083

Abstract

We studied two Eucalyptus globulus salvage clearcuts—after a wildfire and a Gonipterus attack—and a strong thinning on a dense Pinus pinaster stand which was regenerated 20 years after a wildfire and also affected by a Matsococcus pest. Biomass harvesting was performed using the [...] Read more.

We studied two Eucalyptus globulus salvage clearcuts—after a wildfire and a Gonipterus attack—and a strong thinning on a dense Pinus pinaster stand which was regenerated 20 years after a wildfire and also affected by a Matsococcus pest. Biomass harvesting was performed using the feller-bundler Fixteri FX-15a, which was time-studied during several weeks using GNSS combined with an automatic weight/time registration system (WNexus-2^®). Detailed in situ time studies were applied during shorter periods as well. The productivity equations found as main explanative factors for the salvage clearcuts the unit weight per tree and the felling reason (wildfire vs. pest); for the thinning, besides the unit weight, the percentage of extracted basal area explained the productivity. Biomass collection did not allow an economic positive balance: in the Gonipterus-affected plantation the cost was reduced to 125 €·ha⁻¹, reaching a zero balance for unit weights greater than 33 kg (dry matter) per tree; the restoration cost in the pine stand was 265 €·ha⁻¹, much lower than the cost without biomass harvesting. In the burned eucalypt, the zero cost would be achieved for a dry unit weight much greater than the observed values. Although Fixteri performance and utilization were remarkable, recommendations about possible improvements of its design and operation were concluded from the detailed time studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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9 pages, 3009 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Risk Factors and Evaluating Occupational Safety in South Korean Forestry Sector

by Min-Jae Cho, Yun-Sung Choi and Eunjai Lee

Forests 2023, 14(4), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040851 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1620

Abstract

The forestry industry poses a higher risk of occupational accidents than other sectors, and understanding the occurrence and characteristics of injuries and fatalities is crucial for improving the safety and health of workers and establishing future strategies. In South Korea, although occupational injuries [...] Read more.

The forestry industry poses a higher risk of occupational accidents than other sectors, and understanding the occurrence and characteristics of injuries and fatalities is crucial for improving the safety and health of workers and establishing future strategies. In South Korea, although occupational injuries have declined since 2010, the number of occupational accidents in forestry remains higher than that in other sectors. Occupational injuries and fatalities present considerable challenges, and thus, our objective was to analyze and compare forestry accidents between 2010 and 2020. The results indicate that the highest average number of injuries occurred among workers older than 51 years and those with less than 6 months of experience. Timber harvesting and silviculture are among the most dangerous operations in forestry. Based on the analyzed dataset, amputation and laceration injuries, as well as slip and trip injuries, were the most common, accounting for 29.2% and 22.3% of total annual occupational accidents, respectively. These results may be explained by the labor-intensive, steep terrain operations in forestry. Our findings represent an essential resource for improving worker safety and health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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16 pages, 5127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) for Application Research on Operator Work Practices and the Design of Training and Support Systems for Forestry Harvester

by Felix A. Dreger, Martin Englund, Florian Hartsch, Thilo Wagner, Dirk Jaeger, Rolf Björheden and Gerhard Rinkenauer

Forests 2023, 14(2), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020424 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3847

Abstract

Highly mechanized forestry operations are essential for efficient timber harvesting. Therefore, the skills of harvester operators appear to be key to productive and sustainable use of the machines. Recent research has revealed a knowledge deficit regarding the work practices of forest machine operators. [...] Read more.

Highly mechanized forestry operations are essential for efficient timber harvesting. Therefore, the skills of harvester operators appear to be key to productive and sustainable use of the machines. Recent research has revealed a knowledge deficit regarding the work practices of forest machine operators. This urges systematic research into forestry machine handling and a corresponding refinement of analytical methods. Current analyses of operator tasks in forestry are less formalized and focus predominantly on machine efficiency and overall performance, but not so much on the human-related conditions of work performance and workload. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to introduce hierarchical task analysis (HTA) into forestry science. HTA is a versatile, formalized human-factors method that can be used to describe the work objectives of forest machine operators. HTA is suitable, for example, for describing (in)efficient work practices and thus as a basis for designing machine operator training and for systematically evaluating assistive technologies. The task analyses in this paper draw on a recently published empirical approach to analyzing work practices, workflows, and machine operator behavior for optimal human–machine collaboration in forestry application research. Specifically, the main work methods of clearcutting and thinning stand in European forestry were considered, with examples from Scandinavian and German method application. The process of HTA is described and a prototypical approach to HTA for both working methods provided. As a result, this work could show that a single work practice affects operator goals within different work elements and sets out how inefficient work practices can be described in terms of operator goals. With the introduction and exemplary application of HTA, a structured task definition in human-centered approaches is encouraged to analyze work practices, workflows, and machine operator behavior for optimal human–machine collaboration in forestry application research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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18 pages, 14154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Real-Time Computer Vision for Tree Stem Detection and Tracking

by Lucas A. Wells and Woodam Chung

Forests 2023, 14(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020267 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4316

Abstract

Object detection and tracking are tasks that humans can perform effortlessly in most environments. Humans can readily recognize individual trees in forests and maintain unique identifiers during occlusion. For computers, on the other hand, this is a complex problem that decades of research [...] Read more.

Object detection and tracking are tasks that humans can perform effortlessly in most environments. Humans can readily recognize individual trees in forests and maintain unique identifiers during occlusion. For computers, on the other hand, this is a complex problem that decades of research have been dedicated to solving. This paper presents a computer vision approach to object detection and tracking tasks in forested environments. We use a state-of-the-art neural network-based detection algorithm to fit bounding boxes around individual tree stems and a simple, efficient, and deterministic multiple object tracking algorithm to maintain unique identities for stems through video frames. We trained the neural network object detector on approximately 3000 ground-truth bounding boxes of ponderosa pine trees. We show that tree stem detection can achieve an average precision of 87% using a Jaccard overlap index of 0.5. We also demonstrate the robustness of the tracking algorithm in occlusion and enter–exit–re-enter scenarios. The presented algorithms can perform object detection and tracking at 49 frames per second on a consumer-grade graphics processing unit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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15 pages, 2493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Productivity and Estimating Costs of Processor Tower Yarder in Shelterwood Cutting of Pine Stand

by Salvatore F. Papandrea, Stanimir Stoilov, Georgi Angelov, Tanya Panicharova, Piotr S. Mederski and Andrea R. Proto

Forests 2023, 14(2), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020195 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

Cable-based yarding technology has had a long tradition on steep slopes in Europe, and the new implementation of yarding functions in recent decades favored operational efficiency and lower extraction costs. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of the [...] Read more.

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

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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19 pages, 2969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data Mining in the Analysis of Tree Harvester Performance Based on Automatically Collected Data

by Krzysztof Polowy and Marta Molińska-Glura

Forests 2023, 14(1), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010165 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3532

Abstract

Data recorded automatically by harvesters are a promising and potentially very useful source of information for scientific analyses. Most researchers have used StanForD files for this purpose, but these are troublesome to obtain and require some pre-processing. This study utilized a new source [...] Read more.

Data recorded automatically by harvesters are a promising and potentially very useful source of information for scientific analyses. Most researchers have used StanForD files for this purpose, but these are troublesome to obtain and require some pre-processing. This study utilized a new source of similar data: JDLink, a cloud-based service, run by the machine manufacturer, that stores data from sensors in real time. The vast amount of such data makes it hard to comprehend and handle efficiently. Data mining techniques assist in finding trends and patterns in such databases. Records from two mid-sized harvesters working in north-eastern Poland were analyzed using classical regression (linear and logarithmic), cluster analysis (dendrograms and k-means) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Linear regression showed that average tree size was the variable having the greatest effect on fuel consumption per cubic meter and productivity, whereas fuel consumption per hour was also dependent, e.g., on distance driven in a low gear or share of time with high engine load. Results of clustering and PCA were harder to interpret. Dendrograms showed most dissimilar variables: total volume harvested per day, total fuel consumption per day and share of work time on high revolutions per minute (RPMs). K-means clustering allowed us to identify periods when specific clusters of variables were more prominent. PCA results, despite explaining almost 90% of variance, were inconclusive between machines, and, therefore, need to be scrutinized in follow-up studies. Productivity values (avg. around 10 m³/h) and fuel consumption rates (13.21 L/h, 1.335 L/m³ on average) were similar to the results reported by other authors under comparable conditions. Some new measures obtained in this study include, e.g., distance driven in a low gear (around 7 km per day) or proportion of time when the engine was running on low, medium or high load (34%, 39% and 7%, respectively). The assumption of this study was to use data without supplementing from external sources, and with as little processing as possible, which limited the analytic methods to unsupervised learning. Extending the database in follow-up studies will facilitate the application of supervised learning techniques for modeling and prediction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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11 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Working Time, Productivity, and Cost of Felling in a Tropical Forest: A Case Study from Wijaya Sentosa’s Forest Concession Area, West Papua, Indonesia

by Soenarno, Dulsalam, Yuniawati, Sona Suhartana, Seca Gandaseca, Yanto Rochmayanto, Achmad Supriadi and Sarah Andini

Forests 2022, 13(11), 1789; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111789 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1783

Abstract

Felling of natural forest trees in West Papua Province is carried out mechanically using a chainsaw by applying a selective cutting silviculture system. This study aimed to determine the elements of working time, productivity, and cost of felling as well as factors influencing [...] Read more.

Felling of natural forest trees in West Papua Province is carried out mechanically using a chainsaw by applying a selective cutting silviculture system. This study aimed to determine the elements of working time, productivity, and cost of felling as well as factors influencing felling activities using the chainsaw in the tropical natural forests in West Papua, Indonesia. The felled trees are dominated by the meranti wood species group with a minimum diameter of 45 cm. The average volume of the felled tree is about 4.205 m³/tree. The result showed that total felling time ranged from 15.3 to 18.3 min/tree with an average of 16.7 min/tree. The effective felling time was 11.8 min/tree (70.86%) and the delay time was 4.9 min/tree (29.14%). Felling time in making undercuts was on average 1.7 min/tree (9.98%), longer than back cuts time of 1.10 min/tree (6.39%). Total felling time was influenced by various variables: tree diameter, buttress height, and slope. Felling productivity was accounted for between 14.901 m³/h and 17.067 m³/h (15.778 m³/h on average). Felling costs ranged from 3.366 USD/h to 3.473 USD/h with an average of 3.407 USD/h or equivalent to 0.209 USD/m³ to 0.238 USD/m³ with an average of 0.225 USD/m³. To improve the effectiveness of felling time and productivity, this study suggests (1) upgrading the skills of the chainsaw operators through formal or in-house training in felling techniques, and (2) ensuring chainsaw operators bring a tree distribution map completed by field conditions information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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15 pages, 3346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cut-to-Length Harvesting Options for the Integrated Harvesting of the European Industrial Poplar Plantations

by Raffaele Spinelli, Natascia Magagnotti, Fabio De Francesco, Barnabáš Kováč, Patrik Heger, Dávid Heilig, Bálint Heil, Gábor Kovács and Tomáš Zemánek

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1478; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091478 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2125

Abstract

Plantation forestry has a long history in Europe and still supports local industry, generating employment, improving environmental quality, and mitigating climate change. As part of these plantations, medium-rotation poplars (5–8 years) provide good quality logs for fiber production, and the branches and tops [...] Read more.

Plantation forestry has a long history in Europe and still supports local industry, generating employment, improving environmental quality, and mitigating climate change. As part of these plantations, medium-rotation poplars (5–8 years) provide good quality logs for fiber production, and the branches and tops can be converted into green energy. Finding a cost-effective harvesting system for this plantation is challenging due to the small tree size and the need for log production, which prevents whole-tree chipping. To verify the economic benefit of using small mechanized cut-to-length (CTL) technology, four different CTL chains were tested in western Slovakia. All chains tested consisted of a harvester and a forwarder. Each machine had a skilled operator and was timed while cutting and processing (or forwarding) eight experimental sample plots. Sample plots were randomly assigned to each treatment, and each one covered an area between 0.08 and 0.10 ha (120–170 trees). Harvester productivity ranged from 2.2 to 4.2 bone-dry tons per scheduled machine hour (BDT SMH⁻¹), and harvester cost from EUR 11 to EUR 22 BDT⁻¹. Forwarding productivity and cost ranged from EUR 2.0 to 4.5 BDT SMH⁻¹ and from EUR 9 to 20 BDT⁻¹. Total harvesting costs ranged between EUR 26 and 36 BDT⁻¹. Choosing a smaller harvester is preferable due to the small tree size, which caps productivity regardless of a machine’s intrinsic potential. Furthermore, small harvesters and forwarders are lighter on the ground, which can be a valuable asset on the many wet sites planted with poplar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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25 pages, 795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Psychosocial Risk Factors Evaluation and Management of Shift Personnel at Forest Harvesting

by Yana Korneeva, Natalia Simonova and Nina Shadrina

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091447 - 9 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1771

Abstract

The study describes psychosocial risk factors at work in relation to the general functional state of a body, working capacity and stress among shift workers at a logging enterprise in the Far North. The study involved 153 loggers with a 14-day shift period. [...] Read more.

The study describes psychosocial risk factors at work in relation to the general functional state of a body, working capacity and stress among shift workers at a logging enterprise in the Far North. The study involved 153 loggers with a 14-day shift period. Research methods included the psychophysiological instrumental method (variocardiointervalometry) used to assess the general functional state of a body, M. Luscher’s color test to assess working capacity and stress and QNordic to assess psychosocial factors. Statistical analysis was performed using multiple stepwise regression analysis and frequency analysis. It was found that 71.1% of employees have a favorable general functional state of the body, 28.9%—unfavorable; the forest loggers who took part in the survey have a high level of working capacity and a low level of stress. It was substantiated that the general functional state of a body, stress and working capacity, measured by objective and subjective methods, are differentially interconnected with psychosocial factors at work. The general functional state of forest harvesting workers is influenced by factors of labor content, intensity and organization. The relationships with the immediate supervisor are important in order to increase the working capacity and efficiency of employees as well as their involvement in work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

14 pages, 1779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fuel and Time Consumption in Alpine Cable Yarder Operations

by Raffaele Spinelli, Natascia Magagnotti, Giulio Cosola, Benjamin Engler, Stefan Leitner and Renato Vidoni

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1394; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091394 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1735

Abstract

A survey was conducted on 12 cable yarding operations in northern Italy, with the purpose of determining fuel consumption and time use. The observation unit was the individual operation, intended as all the activities needed to complete the harvesting of a sale (mean [...] Read more.

A survey was conducted on 12 cable yarding operations in northern Italy, with the purpose of determining fuel consumption and time use. The observation unit was the individual operation, intended as all the activities needed to complete the harvesting of a sale (mean = 500 m³ of timber). All teams were equipped with a tower yarder, an excavator-based loader or processor and a truck or a tractor with trailer, if intermediate transportation to a larger roadside landing (two-staging) was required. The crew size was 3 or 4 operators. Time and fuel use were recorded separately for the following tasks: relocation; set up & dismantle; commuting; yarding; processing and/or loading; major delay events. Fuel consumption averaged 5.1 L m⁻³, of which 2.2 L m⁻³ was incurred by two-staging. In general, the yarder accounted for less than half the total fuel consumption of the operation: the processor was indeed the main consumer. Relocation had a very small incidence on time and fuel use. Set up and dismantle did not incur significant fuel consumption but occupied a meaningful share of total time (mean = 22%). Commuting also incurred unexpectedly large (and generally neglected) fuel and time use—with means at 13% and 7%, respectively. Technology developments aimed at reducing fuel consumption should target both main consumers: the yarder as well as the excavator-based processor. Significant benefits would also be achieved through improved planning and infrastructure development, aimed at minimizing the need for intermediate transportation (i.e. two-staging). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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17 pages, 4042 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Use of Harvester Data to Estimate the Amount of Merchantable Non-Utilized Woody Material Remaining after Mechanized Cut-to-Length Forest Operations

by Myriam Delmaire and Eric R. Labelle

Forests 2022, 13(6), 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060945 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2223

Abstract

An agreement between the provincial government of Québec, Canada and the forest industry executing forest management activities on public lands has been established regarding non-utilized woody material (NUWM) left on the cutting area. Problems linked to this agreement are compounded by labor shortages, [...] Read more.

An agreement between the provincial government of Québec, Canada and the forest industry executing forest management activities on public lands has been established regarding non-utilized woody material (NUWM) left on the cutting area. Problems linked to this agreement are compounded by labor shortages, which have an impact on the precision of the mandatory inventories. The objectives of this study were to: (1) reconstruct and estimate the merchantable NUWM volume beyond the last processed log of balsam fir and white spruce with the use of harvester on-board computer (OBC) data, (2) design a software tool to estimate and spatialize merchantable NUWM, and (3) perform an explorative comparison between the OBC method and conventional field inventory. In total, five sites were harvested to develop the volume algorithms. Each site was harvested by a single-grip harvester operating a different OBC system (OPTI4G, Log Mate 500, and Log Mate 510). Results suggest that, with Varjo’s model and linear regression, estimation of NUWM volume using OBC data is possible. The spatialization tool positioned NUWM within the harvest area for StanForD and StanForD 2010. The explorative comparison highlighted a possible cost reduction of approx. 36.8 $/ha and an increase of precision for the OBC method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management)

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