Ville Kankaanhuhta

Mechanical site preparation (MSP) is essential for successful forest regeneration. However, excessively exposed soil may harm the environment and increase the total costs of seedling stand management. A drill-based MSP device (drill), designed to reduce soil exposure, was recently tested in Finland. This study investigated the quality of drill-based MSP and the early performance of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings planted in different seasons on five mineral soil stands. The findings showed that the mean area of the drilling spots (0.18 m2) was about 20% of that reported for mounding. The drill mostly resulted in good (61%) or satisfactory (34%) planting spot quality (e.g., good spots were covered with mineral soil). Ground and soil obstacles, such as roots, stones, stumps, and logging residues, negatively affected planting spot quality. About 13% of the planting spots did not have a pure mineral soil cover, which is required to mitigate pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) damage. Most seedlings were still alive one year after planting, but the proportion of healthy seedlings was 71% for Norway spruce and 48% for Scots pine two years after planting. Overall, drill-based MSP may be most feasible for drier sites with less competitive ground vegetation. However, the productivity and costs, the performance of the planted seedlings, and other potential benefits of drill-based MSP should be further tested under varying operating conditions and compared with those of conventional MSP methods.

The poor cost-effectiveness of mechanized planting (MECP) is the main reason for the low mechanization rate of planting. In this study, we investigated the productivity of the mechanized excavator-based planting of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst.) seedlings based on data collected by the Risutec Asta documentation system. We also compared the costs of a MECP chain with two different manual planting (MAP) chains, where mounding was carried out by a crawler excavator (EXC) or a continuously advancing mounder (CONT). The MECP of seedlings was carried out using an EXC equipped with a Risutec PM-160 planting device. Generally, the nine study sites in western Finland contained few surface obstacles (e.g., the logging residues had mainly been harvested), which made the conditions very suitable for MECP. The average production time taken by the MECP was 9 h ha–1. The operating hour (G15-h) productivity averaged 215 seedlings G15-h−1, with the mean planting time being 13.8 s seedling−1. Loading 160 seedlings into the seedling cassette took approximately 10 min (3.8 s seedling−1). Overall, the cost of the MECP was about 3% lower than for the EXC + MAP. However, when productivity was set at <210 seedlings G15-h−1, the cost of the MECP was higher than that of the EXC + MAP. Based on our findings, the most cost-efficient planting chain was CONT + MAP. However, based on our results, the required level of productivity can be achieved if the sites are suitable for MECP and the machine operators are skilled.

The poor cost-effectiveness of mechanized planting (MECP) is the main reason for the low mechanization rate of planting. In this study, we investigated the productivity of the mechanized excavator-based planting of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst.) seedlings based on data collected by the Risutec Asta documentation system. We also compared the costs of a MECP chain with two different manual planting (MAP) chains, where mounding was carried out by a crawler excavator (EXC) or a continuously advancing mounder (CONT). The MECP of seedlings was carried out using an EXC equipped with a Risutec PM-1 60 planting device. Generally, the nine study sites in western Finland contained few surface obstacles (e.g., the logging residues had mainly been harvested), which made the conditions very suitable for MECP. The average production time taken by the MECP was 9 h ha-1. The operating hour (G15-h) productivity averaged 215 seedlings G15-h-1 , with the mean planting time being 13.8 s seedling-1. Loading 160 seedlings into the seedling cassette took approximately 10 min (3.8 s seedling-1). Overall, the cost of the MECP was about 5% lower than for the EXC + MAP. However, when productivity was set at <200 seedlings G15-h-1 , the cost of the MECP was higher than that of the EXC + MAP. Based on our findings, the most cost-efficient planting chain was CONT + MAP. However, based on our results, the required level of productivity can be achieved if the sites are suitable for MECP and the machine operators are skilled.

Upscaling an operation typically results in economies of scale, i.e., cost advantages in business, especially when the production unit’s utilization rate can be improved. According to economic studies of mechanized timber harvesting, large wood harvesting entrepreneurs tend to be more successful in business than small entrepreneurs. What are the factors that influence harvesting costs, and how great is their effect on costs? These questions were investigated in mechanized cut-to-length timber harvesting in Eastern Finland by varying (a) the size of the harvesting fleet, (b) the harvesting site reserve, and (c) the timing and duration of the working day of machine relocations, in the case of an entrepreneur using a discrete-event simulation method. Prior to the simulations, harvesting site data were generated from the National Forest Inventory data by the MELA software, and the spatial data analyses by ArcGIS. According to the results, largely because of the low utilization rate of the contractor’s own relocation truck, the harvesting cost of a 2-harvesting-unit (2 HU) scenario was 9% or 6% higher than 4 HU, and 13% or 8% higher than 8 HU, with or without a specifically employed driver of a relocation truck, respectively (the harvesting unit consists of a harvester and a forwarder). In the 4 and 8 HU scenarios, harvesting costs decreased on average by 1% (0.3–1.5), when doubling the size of the harvesting site reserve. With fleet sizes of 6 and 8 HU, good utilization of a relocation truck reduced relocation costs, whereas machine costs only increased a small amount because of a longer machine relocation waiting time than with smaller entrepreneurs. The study raised the importance of entrepreneur-specific planning of machine relocations in the cost-efficient timber harvesting in Finland.

This case study introduces an innovation and development concept for agile software tools for the improvement of the productivity and customer experience of forest services. This need was recognized in the context of the opening of forest data and the development of service platforms for a forest-based bioeconomy in Finland. The forest services that were studied covered a continuum from a single type of work, e.g., soil preparation and young stand management through timber procurement, to comprehensive forest property management services. The study concentrated on the needs of micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which provide either retail- or business to business (B2B) services as sub-contractors. In addition, the challenges and bottlenecks in service processes detected by other stakeholders were considered. The prevailing service processes were conceptually modelled in order to search for opportunities for improvements in business and ecosystem services, i.e., agile software concepts. For example, we examined whether it would be possible to create opportunities for flexible operational models for precision, resilience, and protection of valuable microsites in forests. These software concepts were developed and evaluated in co-operation with the stakeholders in a co-creative workshop. The technological feasibility and commercial viability of the concepts, as well as the desirability for the customer were considered. The results of this business development process—i.e., agile software concepts and their anticipated benefits—were provided for further evaluation. In addition to the practical implications of this kind of innovation process tested, the potential of these kinds of agile tools for the further development of knowledge-intensive service processes was further discussed.

In Nordic forests, consistent evidence about better seedling survival rate and increased growth due to site preparation have been obtained in numerous studies. Proper site preparation method can reduce costs of the whole regeneration chain through its effects on survival of planted seedlings, abundance of natural regeneration and competition in early stand development. This study compared the natural regeneration of birches (silver birch ( Roth) and downy birch ( Ehrh.)), amount of exposed mineral soil, and growth of planted seedlings between spot mounding and inverting site preparation methods. Present study was conducted in eight forest stands established in 2012 or 2015. Even though difference was not statistically significant, inverting exposed less mineral soil than spot mounding and thus reduced the natural regeneration of birch seedlings by 6135 seedlings ha compared to spot mounding. However, the variation between regeneration areas was remarkable. There was no difference in seedling mortality or growth between the site preparation methods. In order to achieve high growth of conifers, moderate amount of exposed mineral soil and thus less naturally regenerated birch, inverting should be favored over spot mounding.Betula pendula B. pubescens –1