Markku Oikari, Kalle Kärhä, Teijo Palander, Heikki Pajuoja, Heikki Ovaskainen. (2010). Analyzing the views of wood harvesting professionals related to the approaches for increasing the cost-efficiency of wood harvesting from young stands. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 3 article id 144. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.144

Keywords: cost-efficiency; energy wood; early thinnings; industrial roundwood; costs; gap analysis; opinion survey

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

A lot of viable guidelines are currently available for more cost-effective harvesting of energy wood and industrial roundwood (i.e. pulpwood) from young stands. The study ranked the proposed potential approaches for increasing the cost-efficiency of small-diameter (d1.3 < 10 cm) energy wood and industrial roundwood harvesting from early thinnings. Research data, based on a total of 40 personal interviews, was collected in early 2008. The interviewees were divided into four wood harvesting professional groups: 1) Managers in wood procurement organizations, 2) Forest machine contractors, 3) Forest machine manufacturers and vendors, and 4) Wood harvesting researchers. In the opinion of the respondents, there is great potential to increase the cost-efficiency of wood harvesting through improving harvesting conditions (i.e. effective tending of seedling stands, delaying harvesting operations, and pre-clearance of dense undergrowth). The interviewees also underlined that harvesting methods can be rationalized, e.g. multiple-tree handling in industrial roundwood cuttings, crane scale measurement, integrated wood harvesting, and careful selection of stands for harvesting. The strong message given by the interviewees was that the education of forest machine operators must be made more effective in the future. There would be significant possibilities for cost savings in young stands, if methods and techniques with the most potential were utilized completely in wood harvesting.

Oikari, Karelwood, Kontiolahti, Finland E-mail: markku.oikari@karelwood.com
Kärhä, Metsäteho Oy, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: kk@nn.fi
Palander, University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Science and Forestry, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: tp@nn.fi
Pajuoja, Metsäteho Oy, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi
Ovaskainen, University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Science and Forestry, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: ho@nn.fi

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles
Send to email

Laine T., Kankaanhuhta V. et al. (2020) Effects of spot mounding and inverting on growth.. Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 5 article id 10369 (remove) | Edit comment

Hytönen J., Rossi P. et al. (1995) Biomass production and nutrient uptake of short-.. Silva Fennica vol. 29 no. 2 article id 5551 (remove) | Edit comment

Heikinheimo O., (1939) Experiences in forest management of Hylocomnium-.. Silva Fennica vol. no. 52 article id 4558 (remove) | Edit comment

Aza A., Kallio A. M. I. et al. (2022) Species selection in areas subjected to risk of .. Silva Fennica vol. 56 no. 3 article id 10732 (remove) | Edit comment

Mikola P., Kangas E. et al. (1959) Silvicultural research in Finland from 1901 to 1.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 70 no. 3 article id 7493 (remove) | Edit comment

Maltamo M., (2020) Change of the Subject Editor in Silva Fennica Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 1 article id 10333 (remove) | Edit comment

Kaakkurivaara T., Kaakkurivaara N. (2021) Cost-efficiency and ergonomic study of two metho.. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 4 article id 10580 (remove) | Edit comment

Follow @SilvaFennica