Lucas Moraes Rufini de Souza

Reducing deforestation, combined with the role of forests as carbon sinks, is crucial for mitigating climate change. However, forest exploitation is necessary for sustainable economic development. The Amazon Rainforest, as the largest tropical forest and home to the highest biodiversity on the planet, plays a vital role in global climate regulation. Various factors, including social, ecological, and economic ones, influence the dynamics of forest exploitation in the region. This study aimed to conduct a qualitative systematic review of the past decade, focusing on technological and analytical solutions to enhance the traceability and commercialization of sustainable timber from the Amazon. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, using databases such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, covering the period from 2014 to 2024. The main findings indicate that integrating innovative technologies, such as isotopic analysis and Big Data, is essential for improving traceability and sustainability in the timber supply chain. The application of Sustainable Forest Management and Reduced-Impact Deforestation is crucial to balancing conservation and economic viability. Improving enforcement and using analytical tools can strengthen legal compliance and promote more transparent and responsible timber trade.

Workers involved in charcoal production face working conditions that require high energy expenditure, with activities involving moving and lifting loads, inadequate postures, repetitiveness, and consequently, the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. These factors are combined with adverse environmental conditions, such as intense heat, which further exacerbates health risks. This study aimed to assess the impact of work relationships in charcoal production on the physical integrity and health of workers, through the application of ergonomic tools. Factors such as thermal overload, physical workload, biomechanical factors, and the risk of developing repetitive strain injuries (RSI) or work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) were evaluated. The results showed that the physical workload of workers varied from moderate to heavy, depending on the activity phase, with a high risk of developing RSI and spinal injuries, especially during the oven filling process. Additionally, the observed thermal overload exceeded the legal limits, making the work unsuitable without the implementation of appropriate control measures to ensure worker safety and health.

The planted tree sector in Brazil plays a significant role in the national economy, driven by technological advancements in forestry machines, especially in harvesting. The interaction between operators and machines has become essential for improving performance and ensuring occupational health. This study analyzed forest harvesting machine operators, focusing on anthropometric surveys and proposing indicators for ergonomic satisfaction and cabin layout. Conducted between May 2022 and July 2023 in a northeastern Brazilian forestry company, data were collected during mechanized harvesting of a six-year-old Eucalyptus spp. stand using the cut-to-length system. A questionnaire was applied to 111 employees to assess their ergonomic satisfaction and health. Two indices were created: the Ergonomic Satisfaction Coefficient and the Occupational Health Coefficient. The anthropometric analysis evaluated operators’ percentiles and BMI, revealing that 77.77% were overweight, highlighting the need for health protection measures. The ergonomic indices proved effective in assessing operator satisfaction. The study also determined an adequate workstation layout for the sample group. From the Ergonomic Work Analysis perspective, FW2 and HV3 machines received a good rating based on the adopted parameters.

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of a feller buncher as a function of forest yields. The feller buncher productivity and production costs were evaluated in a eucalyptus forest with different mean tree volume (MTV) classes. The technical analysis included time and motion study, productivity, mechanical availability, and operational efficiency. The economic analysis was based on fixed and variable costs, which resulted in the feller buncher's total operating cost. Production costs were calculated by the ratio of operating costs to wood volume harvested per working hour, which varied according to the forest yield levels (low, medium, and high) determined based on MTV classes. The results showed a total operating cost of US$157.76 h-1 for the feller buncher, 83.52% attributed to variable costs. The highest operational performance and, consequently, lower production cost were found for the highest MTV, with a tendency for productivity stabilization as the forest yield increases. The time and motion study of the feller buncher operating cycle for the three forest yield levels showed a statistically significant difference by Tukey’s test (5% significance). A significant difference was found in the tree felling and bunching phase among the three forest yield levels, as the feller buncher operating time in low-yield forests was 46.59% greater than that in high-yield forests.