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The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of...
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The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 7663

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Enrico Marchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Interests: forest management; forest engineering; sustainable forest operations and logging impact; rope logging systems; risk analysis, prevetion and protection from forest fires
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elena Marra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Via S. Bonaventura 13, 50145 Firenze, Italy
Interests: sustainability of forest operation; forest management; 3D photography; laser scanning; photogrammetry software; drones; Forestry 4.0; environmental impact assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Meghdad Jourgholami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 999067, Alborz, Iran
Interests: forest engineering; forest harvesting; wood transportation; soil compaction; runoff and soil loss; environmentally sound forest operations; ergonomics in forestry; residual stand damage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the main topics in forestry in the last 20 years has been the effect of forest operations on the environment. According to the relatively new concept of SFO (sustainable forest operation), the minimization of soil impacts should be a key task to improve the environmental efficiency of timber logging.

The use of heavy machinery in forest operations has many advantages, such as improved working efficiency and production performance. On the other hand, forestry operations may cause soil compaction, plastic soil disturbances, and rutting, which are responsible for undesirable effects on soils, vegetation, and water bodies. The soil system can suffer substantial, long-lasting, and sometimes irreversible damage from heavy machinery, negatively affecting forest productivity and ecosystem functionality. Soil disturbances are an unavoidable consequence of forestry operations; however, the severity of its impact is variable and can be managed through good planning and practices.

Despite the knowledge reached in recent years, some aspects are still unclear regarding the influence of different working conditions during forest operations to maintain sustainable management of forest soils.

In this context, forest operations should be studied and analyzed in order to maximize production and reduce their potential to cause negative environmental effects.

This Special Issue aims to provide new information on different aspects related to innovation, sustainability, and planning forest operations, such as:

i) The effects of forest operations in different working conditions and the management of soil’s physical, chemical and biological proprieties;

ii) The effects of forest operations on the components of the hydrologic cycle, the soil erosion processes, soil organic carbon, aggregate stability, and nutrient cycling;

iii) Innovative planning of forest operations, including remote sensing and ICT;

vi) Innovative approaches in reducing environmental impacts related to forest operations;

v) The recovery processes of soil’s physical, chemical, and biological proprieties in compaction-induced forest soil;

vi) Forest operation effects on forest soil from a climate change perspective;

vii) Forest road planning.

Dr. Enrico Marchi
Dr. Elena Marra
Prof. Dr. Meghdad Jourgholami
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

  • sustainable harvesting
  • environmental impacts
  • forest roads
  • mechanization
  • soil compaction
  • soil physical–hydric properties
  • soil erosion
  • soil recovery process
  • climate change

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 6336 KiB  
Article
Does Soil Acidification Matter? Nutrient Sustainability of Timber Harvesting in Forests on Selected Soils Developed in Sediments of the Early vs. Late Pleistocene
by Stephan Zimmermann, Daniel Kurz, Timothy Thrippleton, Reinhard Mey, Niál Thomas Perry, Maximilian Posch and Janine Schweier
Forests 2024, 15(7), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071079 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 627
Abstract
With this study, our aim was to estimate the nutrient fluxes relevant for assessing nutrient sustainability as accurately as possible and to calculate nutrient balances for alternative forest management scenarios. Furthermore, we tested whether mapping units from existing geologic maps can serve as [...] Read more.
With this study, our aim was to estimate the nutrient fluxes relevant for assessing nutrient sustainability as accurately as possible and to calculate nutrient balances for alternative forest management scenarios. Furthermore, we tested whether mapping units from existing geologic maps can serve as a basis for forest practitioners to estimate nutrient sustainability or whether more detailed data are needed. Positive fluxes include deposition and weathering, while negative fluxes include losses due to leaching and nutrient removal through timber harvesting in the balance. Weathering and leachate losses were modeled with a geochemical model. The SwissStandSim model was used to simulate the biomass growth under different harvesting and silvicultural strategies, allowing for sustainability to be assessed for each nutrient at a given intensity of use. This assessment was made per rotation period based on two criteria: (i) nutrient supply and (ii) total stocking volume. As a result, it can be noted that the accurate estimation of individual fluxes is essential for assessing the sustainability of forestry practices and that it needs detailed site-specific data. Various influencing factors turned out to be important, particularly the assumed depth of the root zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils)
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11 pages, 4787 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Extent and Severity of the Impact on Forest Soils of Two Different Fully Mechanized Timber Harvesting Operations
by Eunjai Lee, Taehyung Kim, Ho-Seong Mun, Jae-Heun Oh and Sang-Kyun Han
Forests 2024, 15(6), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060985 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 898
Abstract
Recently, the use of powerful and heavy vehicles for timber harvesting on flat or slightly sloping terrains has been widely expanded to provide safe working conditions and high productivity. However, soil disturbances during ground-based mechanized operations in South Korea are not fully investigated [...] Read more.
Recently, the use of powerful and heavy vehicles for timber harvesting on flat or slightly sloping terrains has been widely expanded to provide safe working conditions and high productivity. However, soil disturbances during ground-based mechanized operations in South Korea are not fully investigated and difficult to avoid. Therefore, we compared the soil displacement and compaction (bulk density and hydraulic conductivity) between two different operations: cut-to-length (CTL) logging with a harvester and forwarder, and whole-tree (WTH) logging with a harvester and skidder. After clear-cutting, severe visual disturbances and rut depths were more prevalent in the forwarding trails than in the skidding trails. The CTL harvesting method created larger amounts of slash (6.9 kg/m2) along the trails than the WTH harvesting did (1.8 kg/m2). We found a significant difference in the compaction between the reference and the track and a negative correlation between the slash quantity values and the percentage increase in compaction. Our results showed that using skidding extraction can cause more severe impacts than forwarding extraction. Thus, these results may be helpful in understanding the influence of ground-based CTL and WTH harvesting operations and achieving best practices to minimize the environmental impacts on soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils)
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15 pages, 3913 KiB  
Article
A Comparison between the Latest Models of Li-Ion Batteries and Petrol Chainsaws Assessing Noise and Vibration Exposure in Cross-Cutting
by Francesco Neri, Andrea Laschi, Lucia Bertuzzi, Giovanni Galipò, Niccolò Frassinelli, Fabio Fabiano, Enrico Marchi, Cristiano Foderi and Elena Marra
Forests 2023, 14(5), 898; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050898 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
Chainsaw operators are exposed to many hazards that can lead to health problems. The two most frequently documented ergonomics threats in the use of chainsaws are noise and vibration exposure. Since the use of battery chainsaws is increasing due to the growing improvements [...] Read more.
Chainsaw operators are exposed to many hazards that can lead to health problems. The two most frequently documented ergonomics threats in the use of chainsaws are noise and vibration exposure. Since the use of battery chainsaws is increasing due to the growing improvements in battery life and power, the study aims to compare the difference in terms of noise emission and vibration levels of the following two new models of chainsaws: the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered Stihl MS 261 C-M. Black pine and European beech logs were cross-cut in order to evaluate both noise and vibration exposure. The results show that the use of battery-powered chainsaws, in comparison to the petrol one, can reduce the daily vibration exposure by more than 51% and the noise dose by 11%. The daily vibration exposure of 1.60 ms−2 and 1.67 ms−2 measured for the battery-powered chainsaw on Black pine and on European beech, respectively, is far from the daily exposure action value set by the EU directives for health and safety requirements (2.5 ms−2). On the contrary, the daily noise exposure for the battery chainsaw was 93 dB(A), exceeding the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils)
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12 pages, 5524 KiB  
Article
Disturbance Caused by Animal Logging to Soil Physicochemical and Biological Features in Oak Coppices: A Case-Study in Central Italy
by Francesco Latterini, Rachele Venanzi, Walter Stefanoni and Rodolfo Picchio
Forests 2023, 14(3), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030655 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1949
Abstract
Firewood extraction by mule forwarding is still common in oak coppices in Central and Southern Italy. This is due to the scarce presence of aerial extraction systems such as cable yarders. Considering the importance of forest soil for all ecosystem services, the evaluation [...] Read more.
Firewood extraction by mule forwarding is still common in oak coppices in Central and Southern Italy. This is due to the scarce presence of aerial extraction systems such as cable yarders. Considering the importance of forest soil for all ecosystem services, the evaluation of the disturbance that a given extraction system has on the forest soil is a fundamental aspect in the framework of sustainable forest management. Therefore, this study was developed to assess the disturbance caused to the physicochemical and biological features of soil and to coppice after mule logging according to the standards of silvicultural treatment, as well as the recovery time needed after the logging intervention. Four cutting blocks located in Central Italy represented the study area, one cutting block represented the unharvested control, while the others were logged 3 years (CB-2019), 8 years (CB-2014) and 10 years (CB-2012) prior to the field surveys. In each harvested cutting block the soil was subdivided into disturbed soil (DIST—mule trails) and low disturbance soil (LD—area within the harvested cutting block not affected by mule passage). This experimental design assessed the disturbance caused by logging operations by mules (DIST soil) and the silvicultural treatment (LD soil) to soil physicochemical (bulk density, penetration resistance, shear resistance, and soil organic matter) and biological properties (soil microarthropod community evaluated with the QBS-ar index). The results revealed a significant disturbance in the mule trails for all the investigated variables. The disturbance was particularly strong for the QBS-ar index, with values which were lower than half of those of the control area. Furthermore, no recovery process was evident even after 10 years from the logging interventions. Instead, values of the various parameters became worse with time after harvesting. On the other hand, no marked disturbance was revealed in LD soil, except for a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Although this is a preliminary evaluation that needs to be confirmed with further study, this trial suggested that mule logging cannot be considered a fully low-impact approach to forest operations and that studies with a longer time span after harvesting are needed to assess the recovery process in the mule trails. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils)
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20 pages, 5321 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Vegetation Restoration on Recovery of Compaction-Induced Soil Degradation in Hyrcanian Mixed Forests: Influence on Soil C and N Pools and Enzyme Activities
by Alireza Ramineh, Meghdad Jourgholami, Vahid Etemad, Mohammad Jafari and Rodolfo Picchio
Forests 2023, 14(3), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030603 - 17 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1743
Abstract
Reforestation with native and non-native tree species is one of the most effective strategies to cope with climate change, and is also the most effective management method for solving soil erosion problems in degraded forests around the world. The current research investigates three [...] Read more.
Reforestation with native and non-native tree species is one of the most effective strategies to cope with climate change, and is also the most effective management method for solving soil erosion problems in degraded forests around the world. The current research investigates three skid trails, which were planted with three species in the clearcutting areas, in comparison with a natural forest of hornbeam (CB; Carpinus betulus L.) and velvet maple (AV; Acer velutinum Boiss.) and degraded land without trees (DL), as well as evaluates the recovery of soil characteristics in the skid trails in response to the planting of native species, including black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), and non-native species, including eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides L.) and Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mill.) Gord.) in a mid-term period of 25 years, in the Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran. Significantly higher litter nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were detected in the plantation of black alder (AG), whereas the lowest values were measured under the DL treatment. Soil physio-chemical properties significantly differed among treatments, except silt content. Among the soil chemical properties, N storage and available nutrients of P and K under the black alder plantation were fully restored as compared to the value observed at the hornbeam and velvet maple (CB-AV) stand over a 25-year period after soil disturbance and planting. Over a 25-year period after logging operations, soil biological and microbial properties of carbon and nitrogen, and enzyme activity in the black alder plantation were partially recovered, but these values have not returned to pre-harvest level at the CB-AV treatment as control. Overall, these results suggested that black alder had greater positive effects on the recovery of soil properties than other trees due to the faster litter decomposition as a N-fixing species, and its labile substrate with low organic C and high N concentration. Therefore, black alder reforestation should be increase in future ecosystem restoration in the area influenced by logging operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Forest Operations on the Sustainable Management of Forest Soils)
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