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Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme
AGRE-0057: Mechanised logging and debarking in short rotation coppice stands of Eucalyptus and poplar: impact on silviculture, environment and economy |
Science Background
In traditional forestry, trees were felled by hand, cut into logs, taken to the saw mill and then debarked. An alternative is to use a greater degree of mechanisation, which can extend to removal of the bark at the time of felling. If such techniques are applied to coppiced woodland, it is important to show that mechanical damage does not affect re-growth, decrease the number of sprouts produced, or shorten the life of the coppice. The impact on soil quality of leaving bark in the forest was not known, nor was the extent to which de-barked wood might effect the wood during storage.
Objectives
The main objective was to obtain data concerning the cost and efficiency of a mechanised harvesting system and hence establish how it compared with the traditional systems used for hardwood coppice in the regions under study. The project also aimed to collect ancillary data concerning effects of the new techniques on soil quality and the effects of removing the bark on storage, pests and disease.
Significant changes and results since end of ECLAIR
A number of sites of varying age, stocking density and harvestable wood volume were selected for trials. For lower yielding plots, the traditional hand-cut system was more cost-effective, while spring harvests were most deleterious. Interest in short rotation forestry in France has since declined.
Results
At the end of the ECLAIR project
A prototype debarking machine had been built and some success was achieved with Eucalyptus. Results with poplar were not so satisfactory. Debarking was found to help control an insect pest (Phorachanta semipunctata) found in wood piles of Eucalyptus, however changes during storage of de-barked wood could lead to lower pulp yield and quality. The programme was found to be too short to evaluate effects on soil fertility, while further work was required to optimize factors such as cutting height and time of harvest.
Current position
The French forest institutes/organisations (ARMEF/AFOCEL) involved in the project were reorganized, resulting in loss of contacts, with no evidence obtained that work had continued. Interest in this aspect of forestry had declined.
Impact
Commercial
Earlier reports indicated that two new debarking-delimbing heads had been designed by one of the participants (ARMEF), one of which was being used by the coordinator (ENCE, Empresa Nacional de Celulosas SA, Spain), while another was marketed with the logo SIFOR 500. However, further details of this product were not traced.
Associated
The coordinator is participating in other FAIR projects that have adopted different approaches to improving pulping. These are FAIR-CT95-0424: Tree improvement based on lignin engineering (see report on AGRE-0021) and FAIR CT95-0805: Oxidative enzymes for the pulp and paper industry. Other EC projects covering similar aspects to the ECLAIR project, to varying extents, are AIR-CT94-1102: Development of harvesting and storage technologies essential for the establishment of short rotation forestry as an economic source of fuel in Europe and FAIR-CT96-1837: Production and marketing of timber in Europe: evaluation and development of the logging-processing-marketing chains in five countries and practical implementation of the best solutions. The former includes participation from AFOCEL, one of the partners in the ECLAIR project.
Contacts
AFOCEL
Author
© Copyright 2006 Policy Statements
Updated
by CPL Press:
03/07/2007
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