AIR2-CT93-1538 Cost Effective Early Thinnings in Multiple-Use Forest with Consideration to Sustained Yield and Ecological and Environmental Conditions

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AIR Cluster IX - Forestry : Forestry : Wood (Lignocellulose)

	Proposal No:	AIR2-CT93-1538
	Date Prepared:	November 1999
	Source:	Final report June 1996

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Final report June 1996

Introduction

This Concerted Action derived from a previous activity Rationalisation of Harvesting Operations (MA2B-CT91-0037), in which estimates were made of problem areas in thinning that were the most important for the participating countries. This resulted in a list headed by the following items:

• Low market price for thinning products (8 out of 8 countries)
• High costs of thinning operations (5 out of 8)
• Environmental consequences of harvesting operations (5 out of 8)
• Lack of policy and rules for management (4 out of 8)

On this basis the current activity was proposed to address these areas, with the number of participating countries increasing from 8 to 14, with Austria and Switzerland joining as observers.

Objectives

The overall objective of the Concerted Action was to identify those of the common problems in harvesting early thinnings, that are suited to be solved in a research co-operation, and the solution of which will best fulfil the objectives of the EU forest research programme. Another objective was to try to co-ordinate research on cost effective early thinnings that was underway at national level.

Activities

The information gained over the three year period of the activity has been brought together in a publication as detailed below as Cost Effective Early Thinnings. During the project three annual meetings were held covering the main topics of interest:

• Environmental Consequences of Harvesting Operations: the Situation in Europe, July 1994, Germany
• Harvesting Early Thinnings Cost Effectively: the Present and the Future, September 1995, France
• Prospects and Problems for Managing Cost Effective Early Thinnings, May 1996, Portugal

These meetings were attended by a total of 141 people of all areas within the forest wood chain. Research, Forest Owner associations, Contractor Organisations, Wood Industry, Machine Industry, Educational Institutions and others were represented at the meetings. A summary of all the papers presented on the three annual meetings on each of the above mentioned subjects can be found in this report in chapters 2, 3 and 4. Chapter 1 gives a review of the activities in the project, while in chapter 5 an evaluation of the project is given, summarised from the individual evaluations by the participating countries.

Results

Conifers dominate the cooler northern countries with spruces in the north being progressively replaced by pines as the dominant coniferous genus when moving south to the warmer Mediterranean countries. Broad leafed trees, notably Oak and Beech, are the dominant genera in the southern European countries but become increasing in the minority as one moves further north. The majority of these crops are naturally regenerated, although planting does occur on new land. The majority of the forest cover in most of the countries in the Concerted Action can be classified as coniferous forestry plantations. The trend in many of the countries is to restock clear felled areas, by natural regeneration rather than planting. The holdings, especially the private ones, are relatively small in all countries. In some countries the private forest owners are well organised, in other countries these organisations are in their infancy. Large areas are in the need of thinning. In many countries that have had an afforestation program, the areas in need of thinning are growing rapidly.

The annual volume thinned can be divided into four main groups:

• More than 10 Mm³: Sweden, Finland and France
• 1 - 5 Mm³: Greece, Portugal and the UK
• 0.5 - 1 Mm³: the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Norway, Belgium and Italy
• Less than 0.5 Mm³: Ireland and Denmark

Generally, the volume to be harvested from thinnings will increase over time, the rate varying between countries as a consequence of the state of development of the forest estate. On a per hectare basis, the volume removed will range from 30 - 60 m³. Individual tree size at first thinning lies in the range 0.05 - 0.1 m³.

Three types of thinning systems are used in early thinnings:

• systematic or line thinning
• selective thinning
• combination of systematic and selective

Most countries use a combination of systems. However in Germany, Greece and Norway only selective first thin operations are conducted. Mechanising harvesting operations is one way to increase productivity and reduce unit costs, particularly in regions where labour costs are high and the availability of labour low. The level of mechanisation of thinning operations varies across countries with four main groupings recognised:

• High: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, UK and Ireland (65 80%)
• Medium: France, Germany (35 - 40%)
• Low: Belgium, Netherlands and Spain (5 - 20%)
• None: Greece, Italy and Portugal

There is a clear trend to move from manual systems to mechanised systems. This is often done at the cost of jobs at the forest districts in favour of contractors. The forest contracting business is developing at a fast rate across Europe. The main limiting factor for marketing the produce from early thinnings is the small diameter of the material produced. The main markets are:

• Pulp/board: Industrial raw material
• Fencing: Stakes, poles, posts and bars
• Energy: Firewood and fuel chips
• Small sawlogs: Pallet or packaging

The pulp and board industries are the main ones supplied across Europe. The domestic energy market (firewood) is strong in NW Europe as well as Italy. In Scandinavia (especially Denmark, Sweden and Finland) there is also a strong market for industrial energy (fuel chips), i.e. town heating plants and co-generation plants. The size of the markets and the value of the products in those markets varies across Europe and with the state of the market. Typical for these markets is the large variation in price from one year to the next. Pulpwood in particular shows large variations in price; the other products usually follow the pulpwood price up and down with some delay. The method and point of sale also varies across countries with no consistent pattern emerging. The point of sale is in many countries determined by tradition and not so much by rationality. What is consistent is the low value of the products and the relatively low volumes produced per hectare and the poor overall economics of thinning operations.

The problem is well summarised by Hänninen (1996) for the ENSO group and to a large extent encapsulates the main concerns for all involved in harvesting early thinnings in Europe: "The size of a forest holding is decreasing as well as the size of a stand marked for cutting. At the same time size of trees in thinnings is small. All of this means that our Organisation must be more flexible and react faster to change. Also this means higher costs per procured unit and demands extremely careful procurement planning

Conclusions

The main conclusions are:

• A rapid change has started from motor/manual work to more mechanised systems. This change is more distinct in the northern part of Europe, but is spreading towards the south.
• This change is accompanied by a change from forest workers attached to individual forest properties to contracting firms.
• The costs of harvesting early thinnings are now such that rational solutions must be found.
• The blanket application of environmental restrictions can be a threat to rational harvesting of wood
• Training and education of forest workers and contractors can reduce damage and increase productivity and raise the quality of the work.
• Co-operation between all links of the forest wood chain is imperative. The links of the wood chain should work together to improve the quality of the product and to increase the productivity and thus lower the costs.

An obvious area for a shared cost research project or a further Concerted Action would be the Forest Wood Chain. In such a project the actors in the wood chain should be collected around the table and inform each other about their problems with and their wishes to the other links of the wood chain. The development of environmental machines and working methods should be a further topic of international research and development.