Search

Fuel consumption when skidding wood is one of the main indicators that form the cost price of the final product and depends both on the conditions under which logging takes place and on the performance characteristics of the machines. For this purpose, observations were made to determine the fuel consumption of the TAF 690 PE cable skidder when skidding whole stems and long stem sections of coniferous wood materials in mountainous conditions and on a straight slope of the terrain. At each course, the amount of fuel consumed was recorded by filling the tank to its maximum level. Also, the volume of skidded materials, the number of stems, the time for each course, incl. and the times for course load formation and unloading. The goal is to determine the fuel consumption for one cubic meter of skidded materials under the specific environmental and production conditions, incl. slope of the terrain and type of materials. Based on this to determine the cost per unit length of the skidding road. A passive experiment was conducted. Through statistical processing of the results, the influence of individual factors on fuel consumption was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Forestry Society of Croatia / Sumarski List Hrvatskoga Sumarskoga Drustva is the property of Forestry Society of Croatia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the absence of coordinated multilateral action, many countries seek to address environmental harm occurring in foreign jurisdictions by introducing measures that regulate the importation of certain products. In Australia, the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 (Cth) and the Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012 (Cth) prohibit the import of timber that has been harvested in a manner that is contrary to the laws of the harvesting country. One unsettled question is whether the measure is inconsistent with the law of the World Trade Organization. This article considers this question ahead of the Commonwealth Government's 10-year review of the Measure. To this end, the article examines the consistency of the Act with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The findings of the article are relevant to Australia and to other countries that design and implement measures to regulate the importation of products for environmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the environmental impact of the 1859 Colorado Gold Rush and subsequent gold mining efforts in Colorado. The destruction of the area's biodiversity through deforestation and hunting is analyzed. The author is primarily concerned with addressing the social changes brought on by the Gold Rush through the lens of environmental history.

The article focuses on how U.S. and Peruvian trade laws can combat the illegal lumber trade. It mentions illegal logging industry engenders an environment where gross human rights violations occur pervasively and without consequence to the perpetrators. It also mentions lumber suppliers frequently exploit impoverished communities and individuals into forced labor systems through debt servitude and positions of power through corruption and violence.

Across North America, human activities have been shown to cause river incision into unconsolidated alluvium. Human-caused erosion through bedrock, however, has only been observed in local and isolated outcrops. Here, we test whether splash-dam logging, which decreased in-stream alluvial cover by removing much of the alluvium-trapping wood, caused basin-wide bedrock river incision in a forested mountain catchment in Washington State. We date incision of the youngest of four strath terraces, using dendrochronology and radiocarbon, to between 1893 CE and 1937 CE in the Middle Fork Teanaway River and 1900 CE and 1970 CE in the West Fork Teanaway River, coincident with timber harvesting and splash damming in the basins. Other potential drivers of river incision lack a recognized mechanism to cause T1 incision or are not synchronous with T1 incision. Hence, the close temporal correspondence suggests that reduced sediment retention triggered by splash damming led to the observed 1.1 mm·y-1 to 23 mm·y-1 of bedrock river incision and reduction of the active floodplain to 20% and 53% of its preincision extent on the Middle and West Forks, respectively. The development of such anthropogenic bedrock terraces may be an emerging, globally widespread physiographic signature of the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of forests is of fundamental importance for the economy of rural areas and their management ensures positive environmental and social spillovers. In the world, there are approximately 10 million workers in the forestry sector and the enterprises operating in the Western Italian Alps employ a total of roughly 3,000 workers. One of the main goals of the European Union's rural development policy is to improve the performance of companies operating in the forestry sector in order to increase their competitiveness. The aims of this work are to evaluate the performance of 4 case studies, through the use of indicators based on the economic balance sheet results, and to assess the potential development strategies of business activities with the combined use of SWOT and TOWS methods. The study shows that all the examined enterprises achieve suitable economic results and appear stable and robust in the medium and long term. These results allow a double reading, on the one hand the enterprises contribute in guaranteeing an increase in the employment rate in disadvantaged rural areas and on the other hand they ensure the management of fragile territories with important environmental and social effects. Future development strategies should include investments in professional training, in order to provide new skills and specialisations, and strengthen the organisational capacities of such firms to achieve further improvements in economical performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Validation of simulation results with long-term field data, e.g. biomass, timber volume. • Quantification of mean recovery times of multiple forest attributes after selective logging. • Variation of dbh of lower cutting threshold of commercial trees and impacts on forest dynamics. • Very intense logging has 2× longer recovery times of biomass and timber volume than moderate. • To allow for forest recovery within 65 years, we recommend dbh of lower cutting cycle ≥0.55 m. Abstract There is increasing concern, to what extent production forests in the Neotropics are sustainably managed. The implementation of effective forest management strategies that are ecologically beneficial plays thus a central role to prevent forest degradation. However, to identify effective forest management strategies, there is a need for methods supporting the decision-making process. The main objective of our study is to analyze the mid- and long-term impacts of different management intensities, such as varying the minimum stem diameter of harvestable commercial trees, on the dynamic and structure of a species-rich tropical lowland forest of French Guiana. Therefore, we have applied the management module of a dynamic forest model and analyzed simulation experiments for undisturbed forest growth and selective logging. For the first time we were able to quantify the mean recovery times of multiple ecosystem functions and properties (biomass, gross primary production, leaf area index, Shanon diversity, timber volume) after selective logging. Accordingly, we validated simulation results (biomass, number of trees harvested) of selective logging with forest inventory data from the last 32 years. The forest model reliably reproduces the observed pre-logging biomass, tree-size distribution, and logging intensity (10 trees/ha, 39 m3/ha). In addition, it became clear how strongly management with higher logging intensities influences the forest in the long term: (1) the mean recovery times of the investigated ecosystem functions were significantly extended. With very intensive logging (116 m3/ha), the average recovery time of forest biomass was almost twice as long as in a moderate simulation scenario (t int 138 a, t mod 77 a). Similar patterns were observed for other ecosystem functions, e.g. timber volume (t int 158 a, t mod 62 a). (2) Additionally, the functional composition shifted, as up to 30% pioneer tree species in particular invaded the forest. This innovative use of forest growth models may help in the development of ecologically reasonable forest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced impact logging has emerged as one alternative to reduce the effects of timber harvesting. However, the effects of this method on aquatic ecosystems still need to be tested. We studied the effects of logging (reduced-impact logging—RIL and conventional logging methods—CL) on the chemical water quality and physical habitat conditions of streams in eastern Amazonia, as well as on Ephemeroptera diversity. Were analyzed control streams (without logging—CONTROL), streams with RIL and streams with CL, located in the Capim River Basin. Specimens were collected using a dipnet, following a standard protocol and abiotic data were measured with a multiparameter probe. Conventional logging in proximity to streams increased the conductivity and pH of the water, reduced dissolved oxygen and canopy cover of the stream’s channel, altering the composition of Ephemeroptera when compared with CONTROL and RIL areas. We verified that specialist Ephemeroptera species within control environments were replaced by species more tolerant to changes in the natural habitat conditions. In contrast, there was species similarity between RIL and CONTROL streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alaska boreal forest has experienced some of the greatest magnitude of climate-driven change of any forest region, and adaptive management approaches are required in current management and decisions. Forest harvest management has relied heavily on natural regeneration, which generally was successful. Most harvests were small and mature white spruce near roads. Wildfires were small to very large and occurred broadly. Post-harvest regeneration is successful, but on vulnerable warm dry sites, failure is likely to occur soon. Boreal forest in some landscape positions will be resilient to additional warming or invading tundra. We offer a framework and suggest options for developing adaptive forest harvest management. The main options under climate change include (1) maintaining current species where feasible, (2) maintaining a forest landscape of any type, and (3) monitoring biome shift. We identify examples of management actions and gathered research appropriate to each of these options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbance events affect forest composition and structure across a range of spatial and temporal scales, and subsequent forest development may differ after natural, anthropogenic, or compound disturbances. Following large, natural disturbances, salvage logging is a common and often controversial management practice in many regions of the globe. Yet, while the short-term impacts of salvage logging have been studied in many systems, the long-term effects remain unclear. We capitalized on over eighty years of data following an old-growth Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forest in southwestern New Hampshire, USA after the 1938 hurricane, which severely damaged forests across much of New England. To our knowledge, this study provides the longest evaluation of salvage logging impacts, and it highlights developmental trajectories for Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forests under a variety of disturbance histories. Specifically, we examined development from an old-growth condition in 1930 through 2016 across three different disturbance histories: (1) clearcut logging prior to the 1938 hurricane with some subsequent damage by the hurricane (“logged”), (2) severe damage from the 1938 hurricane (“hurricane”), and (3) severe damage from the hurricane followed by salvage logging (“salvaged”). There were no differences in current overstory composition between the different disturbance histories, as most areas shifted strongly away from pre-hurricane composition through nearly complete elimination of P. strobus and corresponding increases in hardwoods ( Betula and Acer spp.), while T. canadensis remained dominant. In contrast, eight decades later, structural characteristics remain distinct between logged, hurricane, and salvaged sites. Specifically, trees were larger in the logged and salvaged sites, and pit and mound structures were largest and most abundant in the hurricane site. Tree densities and coarse woody debris biomass was greater in the hurricane site than the logged sites, but not significantly different from salvaged sites. These findings underscore the long-term influence of salvage logging on forest development, indicating convergence in overstory composition over time between logged, salvaged, and non-salvaged areas, but persistent structural differences, especially in microtopographic structures and live tree development. Future salvage logging efforts should consider these impacts and provide a greater range of unsalvaged areas across the landscape to maintain important structural legacies over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation assessed the economic and environmental impacts of small-scale wood logging by mules in the mixed broadleaved mountain forest. To develop a time prediction model, all measurements of time are replaced by their decadic logarithms. Unit cost was calculated by two methods: (i) as usual, division of the system cost by average productivity per hour, (ii) on the basis of the developed logarithmic models. To investigate the residual damage a 100% inventory method was employed in pre- and post-hauling, alongside the mule trail. A core sampling technique of bulk density was used for determining the degree of soil compaction, and soil disturbed widths were measured at a 5-m interval in the mule hauling direction. In this research, computed unit cost was 17.2 EUR·m-3 and estimated unit cost by the logarithmic model was 16.2 EUR·m-3. This result highlights the time consumption which estimated by the developed model was at a close ratio with real time (average at 95%). In terms of environmental impact, the results indicated that 5.7% of regenerations and 0% of trees were damaged. Also we found that the increased bulk density was not significant (P = 0.903) and only about 0.2% of the total area was disturbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale forest clear-cut identification is one of the major application of remote sensing techniques. ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 is the latest SAR satellite providing multi-polarized L-band SAR data. With increasing deforestation, it is important to assess the potential of SAR data for identifying clear-cuts in forest regions. In this research work, multi-temporal ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 SAR data and supplementary Landsat-8 optical data sets are acquired over Indian tropical forest, and SAR parameters are analysed over a progressively clear-cut Teak plantation. Sensitivity of the SAR parameters to progressive clear-cuts is estimated and found that the cross-polarized backscatter σ H V 0 and entropy parameter H are most sensitive to both partial and complete clear-cut in forest compartments. An entropy thresholding based classification is carried out to identify clear-cut regions with a good accuracy. The study highlights the utility of SAR parameters to monitor forest clear-cuts for better forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A life-cycle assessment study of roundwood supply chain activities occurring within the state of Tennessee was performed, in an effort to quantify the environmental impacts associated with wood harvest and transport operations. Statewide data from a survey given to Tennessee forest industry operators was used to construct representative primary life cycle input datasets that are unique to the industry profile within the state. This data was combined with inputs and assumptions from other relevant reports and publications to fully characterize the supply chain. Results of the life cycle assessment study indicated that greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy demand per green tonne of wood were lower for chainsaw-based harvesting systems compared to feller buncher-based harvesting, because the relatively low harvest productivity of the chainsaw systems was more than made up for by the low inputs of fuels, lubricants, and machinery for this system. Transport of roundwood by truck resulted in transport impacts that were nearly as large as harvesting impacts, assuming a 150-km roundtrip based on Tennessee survey data. Results of this supply chain study can help the state of Tennessee understand the environmental impacts associated with traditional forest products industry operations, and guide development of new bio-based products, where environmental performance will be a key driver of successful development and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing fossil fuels by logging-residue-based bioenergy has been proposed as a way to mitigate climate change. If residues are combusted for energy, their carbon content is released immediately. Residues, that are not combusted, decompose and emit carbon gradually. The relative harmfulness of bioenergy emissions therefore depends on how strongly we prefer the slow release of carbon to an immediate one. Two factors affect this judgment: (1) our time preference and (2) our expectations regarding the relative harmfulness of future carbon emissions. Neither aspect is included in established biomass emission factors. The Effective Emission Factor (EEF), outlined in this study, includes both aspects in a transparent and tractable way. We demonstrate the concept by deriving the EEFs for the logging residues of three Nordic tree species: Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula pendula). We also examine the sensitivity of the results to variation in time preference and damage expectations. The derived factors can be used to compare the harmfulness of carbon emissions from residue-based bioenergy and fossil fuel combustion and to organize bioenergy carbon taxation consistently with the taxation of fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotational logging practices are used with the goal of reducing forest disturbance impacts on biodiversity. However, it is poorly understood whether such forest management practices conserve the demographic and genetic composition of animal populations across logged landscapes. Here we investigated whether rotational logging practices alter patterns of landscape-scale population abundance and genetic diversity of a forest-dwelling lizard (Eulamprus heatwolei) in south-eastern Australia. We sampled lizards (n = 407) at up to 48 sites across a chronosequence of logging disturbance intervals (<10 to >60 years after logging) to assess site-specific population changes and genetic diversity parameters. Lizard abundances exhibited a significant curvilinear response to time since logging, with decreased numbers following logging (<10 years), increased abundance as the forest regenerated (10-20 years), before decreasing again in older regenerated forest sites (>30 years). Lizard genetic diversity parameters were not significantly influenced by logging disturbance. These results suggest that logging practices, whilst inducing short-term changes to population abundance, had no measurable effects on the landscape-scale genetic diversity of E. heatwolei. These results are important as they demonstrate the value of monitoring for evaluating forest management efficacy, and the use of different population-level markers to make stronger inference about the potential impacts of logging activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective logging is the most widespread driver of tropical forest disturbance. As such, it is critically important to identify at which spatial scale logging intensity should be measured and whether there are clear thresholds in the relationship between logging intensity and its impacts on biodiversity or ecological processes. We address this using a robust before-and–after logging experimental design in the Brazilian Amazon, using a gradient of logging intensity measured at two different spatial scales. We assessed the impacts of selective logging using dung beetle communities and their ecological functions of dung removal and soil bioturbation. Our findings provide novel empirical evidence that biological consequences from Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) depend strongly on the scale at which logging intensity is measured: dung beetle local species richness and composition were strongly associated with logging intensity measured at a 10 ha scale, while dung beetle-mediated soil bioturbation was more strongly associated with logging intensity measured across 90 ha. Contrary to expectations, we found concave-shaped relationships between logging intensity and biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, demonstrating that sensitive dung beetle species and important processes may be lost following even low intensity anthropogenic forest disturbances. Taken together, these results suggest that production forests in the tropics need to reconsider the scale at which logging intensity is regulated, and put in place measures that further incentivise land sparing to enhance biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental performances of three different extraction systems for forestry considering three different scenarios concerning the valorisation of forest residuals are analysed. The compared tree extraction systems are characterised by felling and processing performed with chainsaw and three different extraction methods: i) by farm tractor equipped with a winch; ii) by skidder and iii) by cable crane. The “Full Tree System” was adopted for all the felling sites; trees were felled and transported to roadside with branches and top intact. For wood chips produced from branches and tops, different scenarios were considered: heat and electricity generation and substitution of wood-chip production. To evaluate the environmental performance the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was applied. The selected functional unit (FU) is 1 m 3 of roundwood; the system boundary involves all the operations carried out in forestry (felling, bunching, extraction, processing, chipping of forest residuals), the transport of the produced wood chips and all the related inputs and emissions. A comparison with previously carried out studies in similar geographic areas were performed. The study's outcomes show how, the environmental results among the different logging systems are not univocal and the best logging system depends on the considered impact category. Though cable yarder is recognised as an extraction method able of reducing the physical impacts on residual stand (wounding) and soil (disturbance and compaction), for 10 of the 12 impact categories evaluated in this study, achieves the worst performances. The logging systems in which the extraction is performed using the tractor and the skidder show the best performance for 6 of the 12 evaluated impact categories. Finally, regarding wood residues utilisation and the impact of particulate matter formation, the energetic valorisation of wood chips does not involve any benefit but involves a worsening of the environmental performances due to wood combustion emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater logging is a relatively new concept in forestry that has significant economic benefits but also consequences for the environment and local communities. Underwater logging has traditionally been undertaken by divers. However, safety concerns mean that conventional harvesting methods using divers need to be replaced by more sophisticated mechanized harvesting techniques. This paper outlines the environmental and social aspects of underwater logging, highlighting issues that must be considered before any underwater harvesting operations are executed. While the economic reasons for harvesting underwater logs seem compelling, as do the associated social benefits, such as employment generation, there are significant environmental impacts of removing trees from reservoirs, as submerged trees serve as important ecological habitat for aquatic life. Due to the absence of any regulatory regimes encompassing underwater logging, we propose best-practice guidelines for underwater logging operations and suggest the need for a comprehensive sustainability framework based on internationally recognized criteria and indicators to ensure underwater logging operations are environmentally safe, socially beneficial and economically viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the concerns of Jerry Franklin, the forest ecologists who spent numerous years of his life in working for giant companies and who is considered hero to conservationists, on the detrimental effects of chainsaws on forests in the U.S. The topics discussed include his studies of the old-growth forests and how he helped in catalyzing logging restrictions to protect the different species of trees.

Airborne lidar is a technology well-suited for mapping many forest attributes, including aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks and changes in selective logging in tropical forests. However, trade-offs still exist between lidar pulse density and accuracy of AGB estimates. We assessed the impacts of lidar pulse density on the estimation of AGB stocks and changes using airborne lidar and field plot data in a selectively logged tropical forest located near Paragominas, Pará, Brazil. Field-derived AGB was computed at 85 square 50 x 50 m plots in 2014. Lidar data were acquired in 2012 and 2014, and for each dataset the pulse density was subsampled from its original density of 13.8 and 37.5 pulses·m-2 to lower densities of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4 and 0.2 pulses·m-2. For each pulse density dataset, a power-law model was developed to estimate AGB stocks from lidar-derived mean height and corresponding changes between the years 2012 and 2014. We found that AGB change estimates at the plot level were only slightly affected by pulse density. However, at the landscape level we observed differences in estimated AGB change of >20 Mg·ha-1 when pulse density decreased from 12 to 0.2 pulses·m-2. The effects of pulse density were more pronounced in areas of steep slope, especially when the digital terrain models (DTMs) used in the lidar derived forest height were created from reduced pulse density data. In particular, when the DTM from high pulse density in 2014 was used to derive the forest height from both years, the effects on forest height and the estimated AGB stock and changes did not exceed 20 Mg·ha-1. The results suggest that AGB change can be monitored in selective logging in tropical forests with reasonable accuracy and low cost with low pulse density lidar surveys if a baseline high-quality DTM is available from at least one lidar survey. We recommend the results of this study to be considered in developing projects and national level MRV systems for REDD+ emission reduction programs for tropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Understanding the causes underlying changes in species diversity is a fundamental pursuit of ecology. Animal species richness and composition often change with decreased forest structural complexity associated with logging. Yet differences in latitude and forest type may strongly influence how species diversity responds to logging. We performed a meta-analysis of logging effects on local species richness and composition of birds across the world and assessed responses by different guilds (nesting strata, foraging strata, diet, and body size). This approach allowed identification of species attributes that might underlie responses to this anthropogenic disturbance. We only examined studies that allowed forests to regrow naturally following logging, and accounted for logging intensity, spatial extent, successional regrowth after logging, and the change in species composition expected due to random assembly from regional species pools. Selective logging in the tropics and clearcut logging in temperate latitudes caused loss of species from nearly all forest strata (ground to canopy), leading to substantial declines in species richness (up to 27% of species). Few species were lost or gained following any intensity of logging in lower-latitude temperate forests, but the relative abundances of these species changed substantially. Selective logging at higher-temperate latitudes generally replaced late-successional specialists with early-successional specialists, leading to no net changes in species richness but large changes in species composition. Removing less basal area during logging mitigated the loss of avian species from all forests and, in some cases, increased diversity in temperate forests. This meta-analysis provides insights into the important role of habitat specialization in determining differential responses of animal communities to logging across tropical and temperate latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current scenario of human-induced environmental changes, boreal forest biodiversity appears to be threatened by both deforestation for timber production and climate change. A northern species which has experienced a decline due to ongoing habitat degradation in Finland is the Northern Goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis), a forest-dwelling avian predator that inhabits mostly mature coniferous forests. In order to uncover possible interactive effects of climate and landscape structure on this species, we tested whether temperature and precipitation affect Goshawk reproductive performance differentially in closed (i.e. forest) or open (mainly forest-farmland mosaics) habitats, accounting for land cover at different distances from nests (250, 500, 1000 and 2500 m). Long-term data on brood size and individual chick weight were used to describe breeding success over an 18 year period. Brood size was negatively associated with March and May temperature and positively with June temperature, but no trends related to landscape structure were identified. Chick body condition was negatively affected by high forest cover closest to the nest (250 m), but negative effects of June precipitation on this variable proved to be significantly greater in open than in closed habitats, with results consistent at different scales, i.e. precipitation had greater negative effects on chick body condition in open than in closed landscapes. Precipitation is forecast to increase in the region as a result of climate change, hence forest cover could exert a positive role in mitigating adverse effects of unfavorable climatic conditions. Outcomes of this study may be used to inform sustainable timber harvest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest management has been repeatedly mentioned as a strategy to reduce damage caused by logging when compared with conventional logging. Much has been learned about logging impacts and prospects for forest management, but there are still too many gaps regarding the CO 2 emissions in logging, due to residues and their impact on the carbon balance. Here we compare CO 2 emissions between two timber harvesting intensity systems. Logging with an intensity of 30 m 3 ha −1 (L30) and logging with an intensity of 15 m 3 ha −1 (L15) were compared over 4 rotation periods (120 year total timeframe). Original logging residues (LR) data was used to determine emissions from residues decomposition. On average, L30 has produced more LR (41.60 t ha −1 ), than L15 (20.90 t ha −1 ); for each tonne of commercial stem in L30, 2.13 tonnes of logging residues were obtained and 2.05 tonnes of residues were found in L15. Moreover, we have created a scenario representing the carbon balance (emissions from residues versus carbon uptake from biomass re-growth) over a 120 year long period to evaluate the outcomes for both logging intensities. We find that it will need about 38.3 years under L30; whereas 18.2 years were required in the case of L15. The L30 growth period is greater than the cutting cycle, which means that aboveground standing biomass is not able to fully recover until the next cutting cycle. Fully biomass recovery was only achieved when L15 was applied. Furthermore, the diameter of the commercial tree species takes a longer time to recover than the cutting cycle. Finally, ignoring the post harvesting life cycle phases, both CO 2 balances were negative, which means that both practices ended up uptaking CO 2 from the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timber management directly influences the population dynamics of tree species, like Copaifera spp. (copaíba), which provide oil-resin with ecological and economic importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure and population dynamics of Copaifera in unmanaged and managed stands by reduced-impact logging (RIL) in eastern Amazon in Pará state, Brazil. Based on a stem map of the study area, 40 Copaifera trees were randomly selected, where an equal number of trees were selected in managed and unmanaged stands. A transect of 10 Χ100 m was centered at each tree (50 m each side) to assess Copaifera regeneration. Transects were subdivided into ten plots, of which six were systematically chosen to assess the height, diameter and number of Copaifera seedlings and saplings. The field assessment occurred in 2011 and 2013. To estimate the amount of sunlight transmitted to the forest floor, we computed canopy cover from airborne LiDAR data. According to the results, the abundance of Copaifera seedlings/saplings was higher in managed than unmanaged stands. About 5% of Copaifera regeneration was found between 45–50 m from the Copaifera tree while ~73% of regeneration was concentrated within a 10 m radius of the Copaifera tree. We verified that the diameter distribution of Copaifera regeneration was not a negative exponential distribution, as is typical of most tree species in natural forest. Rather, the Copaifera regeneration had a spatially aggregated distribution. In this short-term analysis, the impact of timber management is not negatively affecting the population structure or dynamics of Copaifera regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, in response to forest loss, the Myanmar government banned logging operations for 1 year throughout the entire country and for 10 years in specific regions. However, it is unclear whether thismeasure will effectively reduce forest loss, because disturbance agents other than logging may have substantial effects on forest loss. In this study, we investigated an approach to attribute disturbance agents to forest loss, and we characterized the attribution of disturbance agents, as well as the areas affected by these agents, in tropical seasonal forests in the Bago Mountains, Myanmar. A trajectory-based analysis using a Landsat time series was performed to detect change pixels. After the aggregation process that grouped adjacent change pixels in the same year as patches, a change attribution was implemented using the spectral, geometric, and topographic information of each patch via random forest modeling. The attributed agents of change include "logging", "plantation", "shifting cultivation", "urban expansion", "water invasion", "recovery", "other change", and "no change". The overall accuracy of the attribution model at the patch and area levels was 84.7% and 96.0%, respectively. The estimated disturbance area from the attribution model accounted for 10.0% of the study area. The largest disturbance agent was found to be logging (59.8%), followed by water invasion (14.6%). This approach quantifies disturbance agents at both spatial and temporal scales in tropical seasonal forests, where limited information is available for forest management, thereby providing crucial information for assessing forest conditions in such environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed analyses were conducted of human impact on juniper forest landscapes occurring within the Zarafshan Range (Pamir-Alay). Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa belong to forest-forming species in Central Asia. At present, juniper forests all over Tajikistan are seriously threatened as a result of excessive logging and cattle grazing. The aim of this paper is to present juniper forest transformation as a result of human activities as well as the diversity of soil properties in the organic and humus horizons in the altitudinal system of soil zonation. Three groups of phytocoenoses were distinguished: those with a dominant share of Juniperus seravschanica; those with a dominant share of J. semiglobosa; and mixed. Associations with Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa feature several variants of phytocoenoses with dominant species: Artemisia lehmanniana, A. dracunculus, Eremurus olgae, Festuca sulcata, Ligularia thomsonii, Stipa turkestanica, Thymus seravschanicus, and Ziziphora pamiroalaica. The collected soil samples differ in their granulometric composition. Gravelly cobble fractions >2 mm are dominant; the share of sandy particles <2 mm is much lower (about 10-20%). Fraction 0.5-0.05 attains 35% on average. The Corg content of the soil varied from 0.26 to 11.40% in the humus horizon (A) and from 4.3 to 25% in the organic (O). Similar relationships were reported in the case of Ntot concentration. A clear relationship can be observed between concentrations of Corg and Ntot. Soil pH varied, ranging from very low acidic (pH 5.5) to neutral (pH 8.5). The content of available P varied; high concentrations were noted in organic (O) (40.46-211 mg kg) and mixed horizons (OA) (2.61-119 mg kg). Maximum accumulations of Pavail (1739.6 mg kg) and Ptot (9696 mg kg) were observed at a site heavily affected by intense grazing. Concentrations of Mgavail varied from 116 to 964 mg kg. Most of the analysed soil profiles lacked an organic horizon; only thin humus occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stand dynamics were monitored for 10 years after conventional logging (CL), reduced-impact logging (RIL) and RIL followed by enrichment line planting (LP) and annual slashing (S) (RIL + LP/S) in three 1-ha plots in each of the three sites of a lowland dipterocarp forest in Central Kalimantan. All trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) >10 cm and planted Shorea johorensis were monitored for survival and growth. Natural recruitment poles of commercial Shorea sp. (DBH > 10 cm) were very low in CL site, intermediate in RIL and high (46 ± 29.5 trees ha-1) in RIL + LP/S. Ten years after treatment, 78% of the planted seedlings were still alive. Although LP increased the stock of desirable Shorea sp. relative to RIL, the improvement of light conditions caused by strip cutting and slashing significantly promoted natural regeneration. For sustainable forest production, LP/S are appropriate treatments. From a financial perspective, LP is recommended when reintroducing desirable species. Selection of the appropriate silvicultural treatment will depend on the post-logging state of the forest and the relative cost of LP and S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Fennoscandia, logging residues (LR) are increasingly being harvested to provide fuel for renewable energy. However, the removal of LR is thought to lead to decreased growth in the next generation of trees. The effect on tree growth has generally been obtained by comparing the total removal of residues with retained residues spread evenly on the ground. With current clear-cutting practices, residues can be left with different spatial distributions, confounding the effects of residue removal. Field experiments were, therefore, established at two Norway spruce sites, comprising six treatments with varying distributions and volumes of residues. Before planting seedlings, the sites were disc-trenched. At one of the sites, seedling survival was significantly lower when all residues were removed immediately. At both sites, after 10 years there were statistically significant growth losses after removal of residues. There were no differences in plant growth if the residues were concentrated in small heaps and strings, simulating the normal distribution of LR following stem-only harvesting, compared with residues left evenly spread on the ground. To determine the duration of the observed growth effects, these study sites must be monitored more long term. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Forest management for timber production has improved in tropical forests with the adoption of a polycyclic silvicultural system (PSS) where harvesting is carried out using reduced-impact logging (RIL). In this study, the natural regeneration of forests harvested under RIL restrictions was assessed in three different sites of the Eastern Amazon two years after logging. A total of 7987 seedlings and saplings belonging to 197 species were sampled through 951 plots of 2 × 2 m in 11 different natural and logging created environments. Light-demanding commercial species presented their highest density in logging environments such as logging gaps, skid trails, and borders of log decks. Shade-tolerant commercial species were more common in natural and logging gaps. Regarding the densities of harvested species in the three study sites, only 26.3% were represented by ⩾5 individuals and 28.1% were completely absent in the surveys two years after logging. These results suggest a lack of natural regeneration of the current commercial tree species in the Eastern Amazon. Therefore, post-harvesting silvicultural treatments as enrichment planting and the tending of the natural regeneration in logging gaps should be applied to ensure the regeneration of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based logging operation is potentially one of the major soil-disturbing activities that cause soil displacement, rutting depth and soil compaction. Thus, logging operations should be carefully planned considering the factors that influence soil disturbance. In this study, soil displacement and rutting on the skid roads caused by a farm tractor during a logging operation were investigated in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) plantation forest of Istanbul, Turkey. After each tractor pass, field measurements were performed on the selected cross sections that were established at 15 m intervals along a designated skid road. Soil disturbance caused by both rubber-tires and skidded logs was considered in this study. It was found that the average volume of soil displacement was 0.060 m² m-1 along skid road. It was also found that the rut depth on skid road became significant after 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 30th passes, reaching an average of 4.0, 7.2, 8.7, 9.8 and 10.5 cm, respectively. Results indicated that soil displacement and rut depth increased as the number of tractor passes increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Brazilian Amazon, multiple logging activities are undergoing, involving different actors and interests. They shape a disturbance gradient bound to the intensity and frequency of logging, and forest management techniques. However, until now, few studies have been carried out at the landscape scale taking into account these multiple types of logging and this disturbance gradient. Here we address this issue of how to account for the multiple logging activities shaping the current forest landscape. We developed an inexpensive and efficient remote sensing methodology based on Landsat imagery to detect and track logging activity based on the monitoring of canopy openings. Then, we implemented a set of remote sensing indicators to follow the different trajectories of forest disturbance through time. Using these indicators, we emphasized five major spatial and temporal disturbance patterns occurring in the municipality of Paragominas (State of Pará, Brazilian Amazon), from well-managed forests to highly over-logged forests. Our disturbance indicators provide observable evidence for the difference between legal and illegal patterns, with some illegal areas having suffered more than three explorations in fifteen years. They also clearly underlined the efficiency of Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) techniques applied under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines to reduce the logging impacts in terms of canopy openings. For these reasons, we argue the need to promote legal certified logging to conserve forests, as without them, many actors mine the forest resources without any concerns for future stocks. Finally, our remote tracking methodology, which produces easy to interpret disturbance indicators, could be a real boon to forest managers, including for conservationists working in protected areas and stakeholders dealing with international trade rules such as RBUE (Wood regulation of European Union) or FLEGT (Forest Law for Enforcement, Governance and Trade). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest recovery from past disturbance is an integral process of ecosystem carbon cycles, and remote sensing provides an effective tool for tracking forest disturbance and recovery over large areas. Although the disturbance products (tracking the conversion from forest to non-forest type) derived using the Landsat Time Series Stack-Vegetation Change Tracker (LTSS-VCT) algorithm have been validated extensively for mapping forest disturbances across the United States, the ability of this approach to characterize long-term post-disturbance recovery (the conversion from non-forest to forest) has yet to be assessed. In this study, the LTSS-VCT approach was applied to examine long-term (up to 24 years) post-disturbance forest spectral recovery following stand-clearing disturbances (fire and harvests) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Using high spatial resolution images from Google Earth, we validated the detectable forest recovery status mapped by VCT by year 2011. Validation results show that the VCT was able to map long-term post-disturbance forest recovery with overall accuracy of ~80% for different disturbance types and forest types in the GYE. Harvested areas in the GYE have higher percentages of forest recovery than burned areas by year 2011, and National Forests land generally has higher recovery rates compared with National Parks. The results also indicate that forest recovery is highly related with forest type, elevation and environmental variables such as soil type. Findings from this study can provide valuable insights for ecosystem modeling that aim to predict future carbon dynamics by integrating fine scale forest recovery conditions in GYE, in the face of climate change. With the availability of the VCT product nationwide, this approach can also be applied to examine long-term post-disturbance forest recovery in other study regions across the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforestation rates have declined in the Brazilian Amazon since 2005, yet degradation from logging, fire, and fragmentation has continued in frontier forests. In this study we quantified the aboveground carbon density (ACD) in intact and degraded forests using the largest data set of integrated forest inventory plots ( n = 359) and airborne lidar data (18,000 ha) assembled to date for the Brazilian Amazon. We developed statistical models relating inventory ACD estimates to lidar metrics that explained 70% of the variance across forest types. Airborne lidar-ACD estimates for intact forests ranged between 5.0 ± 2.5 and 31.9 ± 10.8 kg C m−2. Degradation carbon losses were large and persistent. Sites that burned multiple times within a decade lost up to 15.0 ± 0.7 kg C m−2 (94%) of ACD. Forests that burned nearly 15 years ago had between 4.1 ± 0.5 and 6.8 ± 0.3 kg C m−2 (22-40%) less ACD than intact forests. Even for low-impact logging disturbances, ACD was between 0.7 ± 0.3 and 4.4 ± 0.4 kg C m−2 (4-21%) lower than unlogged forests. Comparing biomass estimates from airborne lidar to existing biomass maps, we found that regional and pantropical products consistently overestimated ACD in degraded forests, underestimated ACD in intact forests, and showed little sensitivity to fires and logging. Fine-scale heterogeneity in ACD across intact and degraded forests highlights the benefits of airborne lidar for carbon mapping. Differences between airborne lidar and regional biomass maps underscore the need to improve and update biomass estimates for dynamic land use frontiers, to better characterize deforestation and degradation carbon emissions for regional carbon budgets and Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horse skidding for extracting logwood is characterized as a niche activity in small-scale forestry, limited to small tracts and low volumes, where environmental impacts and aesthetics are concerned, and to operations with no wood-processing facilities. This article documents and analyzes the widespread persistence, current magnitude, and multiple advantages of horse skidding in large-scale industrial community forest enterprises in Chihuahua, Mexico. We extracted data from the logging permit files of 59 communities in the Sierra Tarahumara and conducted semi-structured interviews with community leaders and foresters in 18 communities, 17 random selections, and one purposefully selected case. There are nine communities that can be considered large-scale. Six of them use animal traction for 20%-100% of their volume. All have sawmills integrated with their operations. This includes the El Largo community with a ten-year volume of 3,169,019 m3 extracted from 123,810 ha entirely with horses. Respondents to the interviews report that horse skidding is more cost-effective than mechanized skidding, generates more employment, and has less impact on forests due to reduced carbon emissions. The widespread use of animal traction in large-scale industrial community forestry in Chihuahua demonstrates that horse skidding is not only a niche activity in small-scale forestry. Our data is preliminary, but we suggest that it highlights a need for further assessments of whether animal traction should be part of future efforts towards reduced impact, lower carbon emissions, and socially and economically just forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests have high biodiversity, but are under threat worldwide. Sustainable forest management such as close-to-nature silviculture is needed. In this context forest management practices should be tested in regard to biodiversity. Therefore, we investigated the influence of gap formation and logging intensity on different functional groups in a close-to-nature managed fir-beech forest. Plots were selected in three areas in the Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia. In every area, nine plots were selected per area, of which three were established as control plots, three were treated with 50% logging and three with 100% logging. In every plot, the species of different functional groups were observed: ectomycorrhizal fungi, ferns, graminoids, forbs, hoverflies, carabid beetles and birds. For each of these groups, the species richness, species assemblage dissimilarity and indicator species were calculated for the different treatments. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and birds both responded to high logging intensity with a sharp decrease in the number of species; however, the results for ectomycorrhizal fungi were highly nested, while some additional bird species appeared. Graminoids and forbs were positively affected by logging intensity and saw increases in the number of species. Forbs had an almost completely new species assemblage compared to the forest species assemblages. Hoverflies were most favored by 50% logging, as these plots contained species from open areas and forest. Ferns and carabid beetles did not exhibit a response to different logging intensities. The number of indicator species was highly affected by the total number of species of the groups. However, which treatment they indicated was independent of the species richness but varied strongly per species group. The variability in responses shows that functional groups react differently to logging intensities, and the use of more functional groups improved the detection of changes due to logging. Fifty percent removal of the growing stock retained the diversity of most of the studied groups. The association of the group to vegetation structure, host species specificity or abiotic factors made them more responsive to the change associated with retention logging. The results are discussed in the context of forest management implications in regard to biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stumps comprise up to 80% of the residual deadwood following clear cutting and are a significant source of biomass for bioenergetic applications. However, stump harvesting may pose significant conservation risks for saproxylic organisms that occur in residual deadwood. To define retention targets for stump harvesting operations, we compared abundance and species richness of saproxylic beetles within individual stumps as well as species accumulation curves in replicated pairs of clear cuts with and without stump harvesting in northern Sweden. Using 20 stands, we sampled 1049 stumps using eclector traps and collected 9821 beetles representing 253 species with known saproxylic biology. Nineteen of these species were red-listed in Sweden. We hypothesized that individual stumps left following stump harvesting would contain higher densities and species richness than in clear cuts without stump removal due to crowding of beetles into increasingly limited habitats. However, we found no difference in density or richness within individual stumps between control clear cuts and stumped stands. We also compared species richness between control and stumped treatments using rarefaction within individual stands and across all stands and found no difference. As with density and richness, beetle composition at the stand-level did not differ between control and stumped stands. Thus, the density of surrounding stumps within a stand had very little effect on beetle assemblages in residual stumps. We estimated the effect of stump harvest on species richness at the stand level by combining all samples and extrapolating a rarefaction curve derived from the landscape-level species pool to an accumulated sample volume of 48 m 3 which corresponds to the total volume of stumps on average-sized clear cuts in Northern Sweden. Using this curve, we compared differences in species richness in average-sized clear cuts with 100% (48 m 3 ) and 25% (12 m 3 ) stump retention and found that stump harvest resulted in a 26% (95% C.I. 7–41%) loss of species. While the absolute scaling of the landscape-derived rarefaction does not reflect species loss at the stand-level because the combined curve reflects all rare species in the landscape, the relative species loss derived from this curve may serve as credible benchmark for species loss at the stand level following current stump harvesting practices. This benchmark may be further calibrated with additional information on number of singleton species and estimates of maximum species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fuel harvesting increases the need to collect not just logging residues but also tree stumps from harvested stands. This biomass removal has raised concern over forest biodiversity. Here, the effects of stump harvesting on spiders, ants, harvestmen, ground beetles and epiedaphic springtails occupying boreal Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) forest floor were studied two and five years after harvesting by comparing pitfall trap samples from clear-cut sites with and without subsequent stump harvesting and from unharvested mature forests in central Finland. At harvested sites, traps were placed both on intact and exposed mineral soil surface. Open-habitat and generalist ground beetles benefitted from the stump harvesting, but generally the numbers of arthropods between stump harvesting treatments and different aged clear-cuts were rather similar. The intact forest floor hosted more ants, springtails and harvestmen than did the exposed mineral soil. Moreover, the community structure of spiders, ground beetles and springtails was affected by stump harvesting, forest-floor quality (intact or exposed), and time elapsed since harvesting. Based on these results we recommend minimizing the exposure of mineral soil during management practices. However, more long-term studies are required to document the development of fauna in the harvested areas and the ecosystem-level impacts of utilization of forest biomass for energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting stumps after clear-cutting can increase bioenergy supplies and thus reduce needs for fossil fuels, but more knowledge is required about associated changes in greenhouse gas emissions from forest soils to assess the climatic impact of extracting stumps for this purpose. The soil disturbance caused by harvesting stumps may alter soil processes, including N mineralization. N availability is an important determinant of emissions of the potent greenhouse gases N 2 O and CH 4 . Effects of stump harvest on these gases are largely unknown. Therefore, they were explored in this study by monitoring differences in N 2 O and CH 4 emissions associated with different types of disturbance during two years following stump harvest and site preparation (as well as their overall effects) at three mesic sites, using the chamber technique. N 2 O emissions at two of the sites were affected by the type of soil disturbance, but not at the other site. At one site, the N 2 O emissions were highest from undisturbed soil and mounds and significantly lower from mixed soil, bare mineral soil and wheel ruts. At this site the emission rates were clearly correlated with N availability across the disturbances. At the second site showing significant treatment effects, N 2 O emissions were higher from the bare mineral soil after site preparation than from other types of disturbed soil. At the third site there were no significant N 2 O emissions, possibly due to reductions in nitrogen availability caused by the fast establishment of vegetation at that site. The CH 4 fluxes included both uptakes and losses, but were generally low following all types of soil disturbances, although they were substantial from wheel ruts and soil pits. In conclusion there were no, or minor, between-treatment differences in N 2 O and CH 4 emissions. Furthermore, the radiative forcing potential of these emissions was small compared to mean CO 2 emissions from Swedish clear-cuts. Thus, our results indicate that stumps can be harvested without causing elevated emissions of N 2 O and CH 4 on mesic sites. The effects on wetter sites remain to be illuminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a response to the increased market for biomass for energy in Sweden logging residues such as slash and stumps, previously left in the forest at stemwood harvest, have been targeted as a resource. Negative effects on site and stand productivity have been suggested as unwanted effects of this increased harvest intensity. Slash with its high nutrient content has the potential to impact forest production on nutrient limited northern forest sites. Stumps, with a lower nutrient content, may therefore be more favourable from a production point of view and the additional soil disturbance caused by the harvest may counteract the nutrient loss as a result of stimulated mineralization and reduced competition from the ground vegetation. Seedling survival is another critical factor that could be affected with potential effect on future stand productivity. Here stand and site productivity data from four long-term field experiments planted with, Scots pine (2 sites) and Norway spruce (2 sites) seedlings following (i) conventional stemwood harvest (S), (ii) stem and stump harvest (SS), and (iii) stem, stump, and slash harvest (SSS) is analysed and presented. The statistical analyses based on data from all sites did not reveal any general treatment effects on seedling survival, standing volume (after 24–27 years), basal area growth (between the last two revisions), upper quartile mean height (25% highest trees) after 10 years or top height (after 24–27 years). Analyses at the species level revealed a significant main treatment effect on top height for the spruce sites, with lower top height following SSS (11.6 m) as compared to S (12.9 m). No main treatment effect was detected for the pine sites. Analyses at the site level gave significant but inconsistent results for the least productive site in both pine and spruce, suggesting site and possibly also species-specific responses. Response variables affected by treatments at the pine site were survival rate after 15 years (S < SS), standing volume after 24 years (S < SS and SSS), and upper quartile mean height after 10 years (S < SS and SSS). Response variables affected at the spruce site were standing volume after 27 years (SSS < S and SS), upper quartile mean height after 10 years (SSS < S and SS), and top height after 27 years (SSS < S and SS). Thus, responses on increased harvest intensity were from a forest production perspective positive in pine, whereas the spruce responded negatively – primarily on slash harvest. From a forest production perspective these results suggest that pine forests should be targeted before spruce forests and that stumps should be targeted before slash in spruce forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree stump harvesting could significantly increase the amount of bioenergy feedstock that forestry can supply to substitute for fossil alternatives. However, the climate mitigation potential of using stumps for bioenergy has been debated due to their often long residence time in the forest caused by slow decomposition. This study evaluated the climate effect over time of utilising stumps for bioenergy using ecosystem forest carbon modelling and time-dependent LCA methodology, including uncertainties in soil carbon changes. Different climate impact metrics were used (global mean temperature change, global warming potential and cumulative radiative forcing) and evaluations were made for single harvest as well as continuous supply over a landscape. Stump harvesting scenarios for spruce forests across Sweden were simulated and the forest net carbon balance was estimated as the difference compared with a reference scenario where the stumps were left to decompose in the forest. The results showed that using stump residues from commercial forestry in Sweden gives a climate benefit when they substitute for fossil fuel, even in a shorter perspective of around two decades. The temperature impact from using stumps for bioenergy at the stand level peaked after 10–15 years and then declined steadily to ∼15% of the maximum level during the following 4–5 decades. The remaining long-term climate impact was small compared to using fossil fuel. An immediate climate benefit was achieved when replacing fossil coal, whereas the parity time, i.e. the time to reach climate benefit was 12–16 years (±2 years) when replacing natural gas, depending on geographical location. For continuous supply of stump bioenergy over a landscape, the corresponding parity time was 22–28 years. There was a higher impact on global climate for northern Sweden, although the absolute difference was small. Sensitivity analysis indicated a moderate additional climate warming effect from the soil disturbance caused by stump harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden, tree stumps are currently considered as a potential resource for bioenergy production. However, environmental effects of stump harvesting – in particular when applied on a larger scale – are regarded as a potential threat to biodiversity in forests but are only poorly investigated. This is especially true for the numerous non-coleopteran macroarthropod groups inhabiting stumps. The aim of the present study was to investigate if a reduction in available dead wood due to stump harvesting in boreal coniferous forests has a negative effect on Diplopoda (millipedes) and Chilopoda (centipedes). We compared abundance, species richness and community composition (dominance patterns and similarity) of these groups on 3-year-old stumps remaining on stump-harvested (SH) clearcuts and non-harvested ‘control’ (C) clearcuts at 2 locations in central Sweden. For each investigated stump, animals were extracted from the total bark area (including the space between bark and wood), enumerated and determined to species level. Stump harvesting significantly decreased diplopod abundance per stump by 52% and changed community composition compared to clearcuts. Stump harvesting predominantly affected the abundance of two species ( Polyxenus lagurus and Proteroiulus fuscus ) that strongly dominated the diplopod communities on stumps. Mean species richness of diplopods on individual stumps was low (1–2 species depending on clearcut type and region) and was not affected by stump harvesting. Overall, eight diplopod species were found on stumps at both SH and C clearcuts. Only two species of chilopods were found on the stumps, occurring in low abundances and revealing no response to stump harvesting. The significant loss of diplopod specimens per stump after stump harvesting may be linked to a corresponding loss in function, particularly the mechanical breakdown of woody substrates. The results indicate that a reduction of habitats for stump species with low dispersal ability can both reduce their abundance per unit substrate and potentially also change the stump decomposition rate compared to sites with higher stump densities. Our results therefore highlight a need for careful consideration of increased intensity of stump harvesting at the landscape level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]