Mechanized coppice harvesting with new small-scale feller-bunchers: Results from harvesting trials with newly manufactured felling heads in Italy

Schweier, Janine; Spinelli, Raffaele; Magagnotti, Natascia; Becker, Günther

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.11.013

Cited by 39 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Theoretically, shears could cut nearer to the ground compared with chainsaws, because they are not as vulnerable to the contact with soil. However, shears are less powerful than chainsaws and disk saws of the same size and may be forced to cut higher when used on large trees in order to attack the stem at a point where diameter is smaller and within the capacity of the shear (Schweier et al 2015). If that was the case of this study, then one should observe a direct relationship between stump diameter and cutting height (Giudici and Zingg 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Other studies have shown that shears used in coppice produce tall stumps (Spinelli et al 2007), and that these stumps are taller than those obtained with chainsaws or disk saws under the same conditions (Schweier et al 2015). Theoretically, shears could cut nearer to the ground compared with chainsaws, because they are not as vulnerable to the contact with soil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Shears produce compression stress (McNeel and Czerepinski 1987), which explains both the high incidence of damage and its specific type. Previous studies have shown that the most severe damage types, i.e., crack and stump pull, may be observed on a large proportion of the coppice stumps cut with a shear: between 20 (Spinelli et al 2014b) and 70% (Schweier et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mortality, re-sprouting vigor and physiology of coppice stumps after mechanized cutting

Spinelli

Pari²,

Aminti

et al. 2017

Annals of Forest Science

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& Key message Mechanized cutting may result in higher stump damage levels, especially if cutting is performed with shears. Nevertheless, stumps cut with mechanized technology do not show higher mortality rates than do stumps cut manually with a chainsaw. One-year growth is also unaffected, and so is nutrient balance within the stump. & Context Coppice harvesting must be mechanized in order to modernize coppice management, so that it can grow along with the dynamic new bio-economy. However, foresters are concerned that mechanized cutting may result in higher stump damage levels, which may cause increased mortality and lower growth rates. & Aims The goal of the study was to compare manual and mechanized cutting in terms of cut quality, stump damage levels, stump mortality, re-sprouting vigor, and shoot growth. & Methods The study was conducted in a classic Mediterranean coppice stand located in central Italy. The oak-dominated coppice was cut using a chainsaw (control), a disk saw and a shear. The experiment adopted a split-plot design, based on 5 plots divided into 15 subplots (1 subplot per plot and technology). Overall, 344 stumps were selected, tagged, and monitored over the first growing season after cutting. Stump size, cutting height, and cutting damage were determined right after cutting. At the end of the first growing season, the following parameters were also recorded: no. of shoots; height, diameter, and type of the tallest five shoots. Samples were collected from randomly selected stumps during the main phenological phases in order to determine the content of C, N, starch, and soluble sugar, as well as the C/N ratio. & Results Mortality ranged from 4 to 8%. Re-sprouting was generally vigorous, with dominant shoots often exceeding the height of 1.5 m after 1 year. Cutting technology had a significant effect on cutting height and cutting damage, but it had no effect on mortality, re-sprouting vigor, and nutrient balance within the stumps, at least in the first growing season. Resprouting vigor depended mainly on species. & Conclusion While it may result in higher stump damage levels, mechanized cutting does not seem to have any effects on coppice regeneration and growth, at least in the first year. Previous studies indicate that effects recorded during the first growing season may be representative of longer-term trends. The experiment will be continued to obtain additional confirmation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mortality, re-sprouting vigor and physiology of coppice stumps after mechanized cutting

Spinelli

Pari²,

Aminti

et al. 2017

Annals of Forest Science

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“…The type of mechanization is generally decided case by case and for this reason forecasting such changes in mechanization level should be considered as a way to compare the baseline conditions e most of the wood harvested with low mechanized operations e with the "opposite" condition e most of the wood harvested with highly mechanized operations. The main limiting factor to a higher mechanization level is the low financial capacity of local enterprises, however recent studies [79,80] demonstrate that highly mechanized harvesting activities in this context would be feasible and can be considered by local planners.…”

Section: 232mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability impact assessment for local energy supplies' development – The case of the alpine area of Lake Como, Italy

Martire

Tuomasjukka

Lindner

et al. 2015

Biomass and Bioenergy

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“…That may result in increased stump height and decreased value recovery, because part of the potential harvest is left on the cut stump. Many studies have already shown that the introduction of mechanized harvesting to coppice stands does result in increased stump height compared with conventional motor-manual harvesting (Schweier et al 2015). However, all previous studies have addressed stump damage, not value recovery (Spinelli et al 2017;Suchomel et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of coppice management on stump volume recovery in mechanized operations

Ramantswana¹,

McEwan²,

Spinelli³

2017

Annals of Forest Science

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& Key message Coppice stands result in slightly higher stump waste compared with planted stands, when felled mechanically by a harvester. & Context The large demand for wood fibre requires efficient production and cost-effective practices throughout the supply chain. & Aims The purpose of the study was to quantify the amount of volume lost to excessive stump height in coppiced and planted stands. & Methods Stump height was measured on similar eucalypt stands that differed only for their origin: coppiced or planted. The study sample comprised of 543 planted stems and 851 coppice stems; of which 365 grew as double stems and 486 as single. & Results Stump waste was highest for coppiced double stumps, smallest for coppiced single stumps and intermediate for planted tree stumps. All differences were statistically significant, but the difference between coppiced single stumps and planted tree stumps was much smaller (20%) than the difference between coppiced double stumps and the rest (220-260%). Regression analysis showed that stump waste volume increased with tree volume, and this effect was twice as large for coppiced double stumps compared with the other treatments. Stump waste seemed very small in both relative and absolute terms and is unlikely to offset the large benefits accrued through coppice management and mechanization. & Conclusion Comparison with previous stump height studies indicates that the results obtained in this experiment for planted eucalypt may have general value and could be extended to other coppice stands, although with caution.

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Mechanized coppice harvesting with new small-scale feller-bunchers: Results from harvesting trials with newly manufactured felling heads in Italy

Cited by 39 publications

References 27 publications

Mortality, re-sprouting vigor and physiology of coppice stumps after mechanized cutting

Mortality, re-sprouting vigor and physiology of coppice stumps after mechanized cutting

Sustainability impact assessment for local energy supplies' development – The case of the alpine area of Lake Como, Italy

The effect of coppice management on stump volume recovery in mechanized operations

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