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Press coverage of the Sheffield street tree dispute showed images of protestors and yellow ribbons on trees threatened with felling as part of a highly charged and public argument between the council and some of its citizens. However, a closer analysis of the highways management programme shows that it was not simply a case of two parties in conflict. This paper pulls on a wide range of secondary data sources to explore Sheffield's street tree dispute by examining the urban management approach taken by the local authority. Using the place-keeping concept as an analytical framework, the paper will demonstrate how the Sheffield case reflects "business as usual" maintenance practices undertaken by local authorities when contracting out management work. The analysis also provides evidence showing how the Sheffield case demonstrates poor contract design, governance processes, evaluation and communication practices that had ramifications for the city that went beyond its street trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endopleura uchi is a native species from the Brazilian Amazon, with fruits consumed by the local population in natura or as pulp. The bark of the stem is used for tea production as medicine. However, the interest in this species woods by the civil and naval construction contributes to the felling of trees, which harms the ecosystem. For this reason, this research aims to conduct a general review on E. uchi phytochemical composition and biological activities, in order to contribute to the valorization, and consequent, awareness for the species preservation and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines the role of rivers and oceans in colonial land 'settlement' in Sydney. The analysis exposes a form of thalassic colonisation, whereby territoriality was a defining feature of settler-colonialism in the first decades of the colonial invasion, but wherein claiming and/or controlling vast bodies of water was necessary to that territoriality. Britain was a maritime empire and Sydney a maritime town in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, and there was a maritime pathway to early land theft in Australia. This archival analysis follows the colonial ships and Aboriginal nawi (bark canoes) to undertake a history from the water. Three nautico-imperial logics of settler-colonialism are presented. 1) 'Aboriginal resistance and labour' highlights the role of Aboriginal action against and incorporation into the colonial maritime economy and industries, and British Royal Navy exploration more broadly. 2) 'Atomised colonial landscapes' shows how Aboriginal Country was used as a colonial resource in the early maritime industries, with land claimed for ship building yards and whaling and sealing infrastructure, and trees felled for ship building. 3) Theorising the rivers and oceans as a 'nautico-imperial infrastructure' shows that water preceded land as a pivotal colonial infrastructure for the British maritime empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents master logboat-builder Alalae Mohamed's construction of a ngalawa fishing vessel in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The ngalawa is an extended logboat with double outrigger and lateen sail used by low-income, artisanal fishers. It is the most common marine vessel type of the East African coast. This article follows the construction process from Alalae's selection and the felling of the tree(s) to the launching of the vessel. It outlines the tools and materials used, details the sequence he followed, and presents his choices and considerations made along the way. It is accompanied by a documentary film recording the construction process, a 3D digital model of the vessel and detailed construction drawings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the widespread tree felling that began in Polish cities in 2017. The authors show the relationship between this phenomenon and the ideology that gives priority to private property over public good. This ideology was the basis for the new Nature Conservation Act that came into force in Poland in 2017. The new regulations not only made cutting down trees in cities and private properties easier, but also allowed real estate developers to fell trees in landscape parks. The authors also describe the conflict over logging in the Białowieża Forest between the government in Poland and international public opinion (scientists, ecologists, the Court of Justice of the European Union). They defend the thesis that this conflict illustrates a simple relationship: right-wing populists gain support using the slogan of defending "ordinary people," but once they are in power, they implement not only political authoritarianism but also neoliberal dogmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent archaeological excavations carried out at the site of Bayovar-01 (occupied from the 5th to 8th centuries AD) in the Sechura Desert provide new data on the activities and adaptations of the desert's ancient inhabitants. The presence of two small structures, a large activity area containing a significant amount of fish remains and traces of large hearths, indicate that Bayovar-01 was an opportunistic settlement, benefitting from favourable environmental conditions and serving as a specialised site for fishing and the preparation of fish. The analysis of charcoal remains from features corresponding to large hearth remains sheds light on practices of firewood gathering and usage. Taxonomic and morphological analyses reveal strong preferences for certain taxa, possible gathering strategies combining dead wood collection and tree felling, the usage of several different tree parts, and consistent combustion conditions across the processing features. Despite selection biases, taxa composition suggests the existence of different environmental conditions in the desert in the past, related to the presence of a palaeo-lagoon. Anthracological analysis thus has a potential that exceeds mere taxonomic identification of firewood, revealing gathering and usage practices, as well as insights into taxa availability that have implications for ecological and environmental variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional coppice stands represent a sizable proportion of the Mediterranean forests and are generally geared to the production of firewood, which is eventually fed to traditional stoves for residential heat generation. In recent years, an alternative use has developed whereby trees are chipped whole and chips are fed to centralized heating plants. This latter system allows full mechanization of all supply chain steps and is considered more suited to modern living habits; at the same time, its introduction has raised concerns about possible new impacts on sustainability. This study presents a sustainability impact analysis (SIA) of the two systems, conducted with the Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment (ToSIA). The results indicate that the new system is generally preferable. All indicators point at the superiority of the new system over the traditional one, except for employment potential. Compared with traditional firewood systems, the innovative system requires fewer workers, but it pays better and offers much safer workplaces. While the energy efficiency of a district heating system is not much higher than that of modern firewood stoves, the larger centralized plant can be fitted with better filters and emits much less particulate matter, which makes it especially suited to support development at a local level. Even if mechanized cutting caused a 20% reduction of coppice yields – which has yet to be proven – the new system would still prove more sustainable than the traditional one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coryphodema tristis (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) is a native wood-boring moth with a broad host range on both native and non-native vegetation and is an important pest of commercial Eucalyptus nitens plantations in South Africa. Management of C. tristis is challenging since the larvae spend the majority of their lifecycle tunnelling within the wood of host trees. Following the development of a synthetic sex pheromone for C. tristis, pheromone-based mass trapping of male moths was investigated as a tool to control the pest. More than 5 000 pheromone-baited yellow bucket funnel traps with extensions were deployed in E. nitens stands in 2016 and 2017. Evaluation of the efficacy of the mass trapping programmes was done in 2017 and 2018 through the destructive felling of infested trees and comparison of the ratio of new to old C. tristis colonies in trapped and non-trapped compartments. The results show a significant decrease in the ratio of new to old colonies in trapped compartments compared to non-trapped compartments. This study shows that the large-scale trapping of C. tristis using a synthetic sex pheromone is a viable management strategy to control C. tristis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late prehistoric and early historic communal hunting sites along the southwestern mountainous margins of the Great Basin, United Sates, include timber-built corral-traps estimated to be only a few hundred years old. In most of these, no animal bones or direct evidence for the targeted species were found in the corrals. Our goals were to characterize and reconstruct past use of these sites, and we chose two distinct case studies, Anchorite Pass and Excelsior. We provide high-resolution documentation of the sites and their archaeological components, using nearly 10,000 aerial photographs as the basis for 3D modeling. We specifically address construction characteristics which include the incorporation of living trees and felling juniper timbers by fire. Drawing on limited ethnographic sources and current seasonal routes of local mule deer herds, we suggest the two sites were used for seasonal trapping of such herds. Forest fires and modern construction severely endanger such vulnerable sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stem-boring beetle, Aphanasium australe was introduced into South Africa in 2001 for biocontrol of Hakea sericea. It has a two-year life cycle, the majority of which is spent within the basal stem and roots of its host plant. Damage assessments indicate that A. australe is capable of killing 7-10% of trees in a Hakea stand. However, how much internal damage, and number of insects that are required to cause significant damage or death of the plant, is not known. Here, we used a novel technique – X-ray micro computed tomography (microCT) – to quantify damage in dead and live trees. We also used the technique to assess whether microCT is feasible as a means to determine percentage emergence and survival of larvae/pupae within Hakea stumps. Results showed that the technique can be used successfully to quantify damage, and that felled live trees had significantly less damage than felled dead trees. The amount of internal damage was significantly influenced by the number of insects that emerged, and by the overall size of the trees. MicroCT was able to determine with 100% accuracy the survival of insects that were either inside stumps or had emerged at the time of scanning. A complex suite of factors are responsible for death or survival of trees once infested with the biocontrol agent, and percentage internal damage to trees is not the only factor that dictates whether or not a tree will succumb to the effects of the stem-borer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers forest management news briefs. Among family-owned forests, the average size of a regeneration felling in in northern Finland. Genetically improved regeneration material used in Norway was found to increase forest yields. A new network, NORDASH, will focus on the effects of recycling wood ash from power plants to forests.

The influence of the intensity and timing of precommercial thinning (PCT) on stand development and financial return was studied in Scots pine stands. Functions describing the early development of the stand structure after PCT were developed. The functions were based on 195 plots within 41 PCT experiments in Sweden. The dimension distribution of the established stand was estimated and used as input to the decision support system Heureka, to simulate the stand development until final felling. The studied treatments included PCT to 1000, 2000 and 3000 stems ha−1 at mean heights of 2, 4 and 6 m. Separate simulations were carried out for different site fertilities. Mean annual volume increment increased with increasing number of stems after PCT whereas the timing of PCT had only a small effect. The land expectation value (LEV) generally decreased with increasing mean height at PCT, primarily because of the increased cost of PCT. LEV decreased with increasing number of stems after PCT at low fertility sites whereas only minor differences were found for PCT to 1000 and 2000 stems ha−1 at medium and high fertility sites. The general pattern persisted when different scenarios of future timber quality were simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in Europe, and the expected increase in demand for wood for energy purposes was the stimulus for writing this paper. Opportunities to increase the supply of forest biomass in the short and long term are discussed, as well as environmental side effects of intensive forest management. Focusing on northern Europe, national estimates of potential annual fellings and the corresponding potential amounts, simulated by the European Forest Information Scenario model, are then presented, as well as reported fellings. For the region as a whole, there seems to be substantial unused biophysical potential, although recent data from some countries indicate underestimated annual felling rates. We argue that an economic perspective is lacking in the debate about wood production for energy purposes in Europe and harvest potentials, and we discuss the effects of biophysical capacity limits in forest yield from a partial equilibrium perspective. Using a larger proportion of the biophysical potential in northern Europe than at present will entail trade-offs with environmental and social values, which means that strategies are needed to protect and account for the benefits and costs of all forms of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productivity studies in forest operations are often carried out on new equipment, or on equipment being used in new conditions. Understanding how stand and terrain parameters impact the productivity of harvesting machines is important for determining their optimum use. Such information is normally presented as a productivity or efficiency function; that is, a regression equation that best represents the data. Most studies establish that piece size is the dominant predictor that impacts overall productivity. A common concept known as the 'piece-size law' is that productivity increases at a decreasing rate with increasing piece size. What is not well understood is the upper limit to this piece-size law. That is, as the trees get 'too' large, we can expect the machine to start to struggle, resulting in a decrease in productivity. Four different data sets-two based in New Zealand and two in Italy-are presented that clearly show an 'optimum' piece size for maximum productivity. On average, productivity tended to decrease gradually, not drop off suddenly beyond the optimum. Using more complex statistical functions, it was possible to correctly correlate piece size to productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulations of the continuous felling of trees in boom-corridors have suggested that it may be possible to increase harvester productivity by a factor of 2.4 when thinning young dense stands. A prototype boom-tip mounted felling head for harvesting in this fashion was therefore built and tested in the field. Using the new head, stands with a density of 10,000 trees ha−1 and a mean diameter at breast height (dbh) of 7 cm were felled at a speed of 0.4 m s−1, with an efficiency of 3.5 s tree−1. The felling speed was limited by the speed of movement of the harvester crane's boom. However, additional tests suggested that the new head could be operated at felling speeds of up to 1.3 m s−1 when cutting trees with dbh values of up to 8 cm. The simulation that prompted this study focused on multiple felling with the crane in continuous motion at speeds of 1 m s−1; the results obtained in this work suggest that the new felling head is capable of sustaining these speeds and so further technical development of the design (e.g. to incorporate accumulating functionality) is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieback of Fraxinus excelsior L. associated with Chalara fraxinea is observed in Europe, and in some areas dying trees exhibit symptoms of root and butt rot. Our study was conducted (1) to estimate the impact of the rot on F. excelsior dieback severity; (2) to identify fungi colonizing roots of dieback-affected trees; (3) to check their pathogenicity to F. excelsior; and (4) to estimate sprouting incidence and sprout health condition in relation to presence/absence of rot. The extent of rot was measured in 33 trees with different dieback intensity, 150 fungal isolations were attempted from roots of 50 trees, 26 fungi were tested for pathogenicity to 286 saplings, and sprouting was evaluated for 328 stumps on three clear-felled sites. Root rot was mainly caused by Armillaria cepistipes, and the extent of rot correlated positively with dieback severity although it played a secondary role in tree decline. Four years after tree felling, root rot had a negative impact on sprouting frequency, yet rot did not enter sprouts from stumps, and when experimentally inoculated, fungi associated with root rot in mature ash had no visible impact on tree vigor, showing that after formation of sprouts, rot does not affect the subsequent phytosanitary condition. Sprouts on investigated sites exhibited Chalara dieback symptoms on leaves and bark irrespectively of presence/absence of rot, indicating that vigorous natural regeneration of F. excelsior in dieback-affected areas could not be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a method for estimation of the size and monetary value of logging damage in forest stands and on regeneration. In order to perform economic assessment of damage on regeneration and stands as a whole, each damage factor was taken into consideration and its estimated impact was converted into a coefficient. The economic damage resulting from harvesting and timber extraction was estimated with the aid of mathematical models which converted quantitative into qualitative data. In a case study from northern Iran, felling and bucking resulted in 3.2% of the regeneration being damaged, and 0.16% could have been prevented. Furthermore, with winching and skidding operations another 4.8% of regeneration was damaged, out of which 0.38% could have been prevented. The total value of preventable damage on regeneration was US $5.14 ha-1 for each logging operation. The damage from felling and bucking operations amounted to 13.6% of residual trees in the stand, which was equivalent to $151 ha-1 per year. Total preventable damage in various logging activities was estimated to be 15.5%, which was equivalent to $354 ha-1 per year. The total value of damage resulting from logging operations was estimated to be $360 ha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brinell hardness and equilibrium moisture content (EMC) were measured from thinning-aged silver birch wood. Wood material both from the trees harvested in the first commercial thinning and from trees remaining on site after the thinning was included. The average Brinell hardness was 19.40 MPa. It correlated significantly with the basic density of wood. With respect to the distance from the pith, the Brinell hardness of air-dried wood was higher than that of artificially dried wood. The average EMC of the conditioned (20°C, 65% relative humidity) wood was 12.0%. The EMC of the wood also varied, with the EMC being higher for air-dried wood than for kiln-dried wood. EMC was the highest at a distance of 30-40 mm from the pith, decreasing towards both pith and log surface. Seasonal variation in both the Brinell hardness and the EMC of the wood was found. It was presumed to be a consequence of season-dependent physiological changes in trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting costs have a significant influence on the application and potential use of the shelterwood system. These costs are strongly related to the time needed for the logging operations. In this study, which was carried out in Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stands in northern Sweden, the effective time (E[sub 0]) of a single-grip harvester in shelterwood cutting, thinning of shelterwoods and clearcutting was measured. Based on these data the costs of shelterwood harvestings and clearcutting were calculated and compared. It was found that (1) the time per tree in shelterwood cutting and thinning of shelterwoods was greater than in clearcutting, (2) the time per cubic metre was higher in sparse shelterwoods than in dense shelterwoods, (3) most of this increase was due to longer driving time because fewer trees were harvested, and (4) the longer time and higher logging costs in the shelterwood system (compared with the clearcutting system) were mostly related to the establishment of the shelterwood. It was concluded that the shelterwood alternative is especially competitive when it is desirable to maximize the share of saw logs at the expense of pulpwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, Norway and Sweden forest management is presently changing towards a more nature-orientated management. In this study the European Forest Information SCENario (EFISCEN) model was applied to determine how this change might affect the potential for wood production in the three countries. Three different management regimes, traditional, traditional with nature conservation (''conservation''), and longer rotations with nature conservation (''conservation +''), were combined with two alternative felling levels. The results show that conserving 6.1-8.8% of the older forests in the southern regions had no limiting effects on production levels, as foreseen by the European Timber Trend Studies V by the UN-ECE for Finland and Sweden. Under the conservation + scenario, maximum sustainable felling levels decreased to 84, 79 and 72% of the present levels in Finland, Norway and Sweden, respectively. Increasing the rotation length put more pressure on the older age classes and thus did not increase the average age of the forest. If the consumption of wood increases as quickly as indicated by other studies, it will be hard to fulfil that demand and at the same time conserve considerable areas of forest in the southern regions of the countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of clear-felling on fine root production and N content in roots were studied in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand. A plot was clear-felled and root samples were compared with a control plot. Even if reduced by 50%, a significant fine root (diameter<2 mm) growth was noticed up to 1 yr after the clear-felling. For live roots (diameters 2-4 and 4-6 mm) nitrogen content in root-wood and root-bark samples from the clear-felling, compared with the reference plot, were 30-50% already higher 2 months after the clear-felling. The difference did not increase in later comparisons. Nitrogen content in buttresses did not differ during the period studied, except for a higher percentage in bark at the clear-felling after two summers. A second study confirmed the results. It is suggested that there exists a continued nitrogen uptake in live roots after a clear-felling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the increasing cases of illegal cutting of olive trees by Israelis on Palestinian properties. Total number of olive trees that have been destroyed in the village of Salem in 2005; Implications of the Israeli's illegal acts; Number of complaint cases filed to the Samaria and Judea Police about disturbances of the peace by Israelis against Palestinians.