Skogforsk News No.1, 2008

No. 1 2008
ARTICLES
NEWS ITEMS
NEW PUBLICATIONS
FROM SKOGFORSK
NEWS
Productivity in forestry
just keeps rising (p.4)
Award for logistics
experts
Mikael Rönnqvist,
one of the winners of
the prestigious award
Multitree-handling
taking off
Skogforsk’s project
was a kick-start,
says Jan Åhlund
Stumpwood can
give 5–10 TWh
Latest news on
stumpwood from
Henrik von Hofsten

Logistics prize
Mikael Rönnqvist and Mikael Frisk,
both at Skogforsk, are two of the
authors of a paper that won the
Management Science Strategic
Innovation Prize 2007 (MSSIP) in the
face of stiff competition.
The prize was awarded by the
Association of European Operational
Research Societies, at a large
conference in Prague. The two
other authors of the prestigious
paper were Kurt Jörnsten, of the
Norwegian School of Economics
and Business Administration (NHH),
and Maud Göthe-Lundgren, of the
Swedish National Road and Transport
Research Institute (VTI).
The research is part of a three-year
project, which is looking into the
distribution of costs in the transport
sector, and is using the forestry sector
as an example.
The four researchers have investigated
how eight forest enterprises
in southern Sweden can reduce
haulage costs in a collaboration to
optimize route planning.
“Our studies have shown that when
the enterprises optimize the routes
individually, they can achieve a 5%
reduction in haulage costs if they can
secure a return load,” says Mikael
Rönnqvist. “However, if instead the
enterprises work together, haulage
costs can be reduced by at least
14%”.
“The benefits should be shared
as fairly as possible among the
collaborating companies,” says
Rönnqvist. “To do this, we have
developed a new method that is able
to take into account the total volume
that each company has contributed
to the scheme. We call this the
equal-gain method..
“This prize underlines the advanced
position that Skogforsk occupies in
the field of scientific research both
in Scandinavia and internationally,”
concludes Rönnqvist.
Tough target: 50% rise in
productivity by 2020
Skogforsk has launched a large, offensive,
development programme in forest
technology: “Environmental and efficient
forest technology 2020”.
The goals are challenging — by 2020,
the forestry sector shall achieve:
• 50% rise in productivity
• 50% shorter lead times
• Reduced fuel consumption and
emissions
• Better operator ergonomics
• Reduced environmental impact
• Increased wood value
• A more attractive workplace.
To achieve these goals, intensified
research is to take place in four main
areas, as shown below.
“We want to establish a wide international
collaboration in the programme,”
says Lennart Rådström, who
is coordinating the work at Skogforsk.
The four main programme fields
“Discussions are now taking place
with Finnish and Canadian research
institutes, and others. We have also
invited machine manufacturers and
users to participate in the work”, he
says.
A number of projects are already
under way; these include work on
the automation of knuckleboom
manipulation, and systems analysis of
machine concepts.
“We are now working hard to get
financial support from the EU, and
other national and international
research financiers,” says Rådström.
Interested in more information
about the the programme and how to
be a partner Please contact Lennart
Rådström.
The digital chain in forest operations
• Market and customer needs
• Logistics
• Forest inventories
New machine
concepts
• Systems analyses
• Off-road-vehicle dynamics
• Power sources
• Ground–vehicle interaction
Contact: Lennart Rådström
Phone: +46 18 188550
lennart.radstrom@skogforsk.se
• Information and decisionsupport
systems
• Tracing and monitoring systems
New machine control
concepts
• Human-Machine Interaction (HMI)
• Automation
Mikael Rönnqvist
Productivity research
• Research concerning the factors and
relationships behind productivity in
forestry operations:
• Approaches in other business sectors
• Terminology and productivity
relationships
Cover photo: Staffan Claesson.
2 NEWS No. 1 2008

Productivity just continues to rise
The volume of timber harvested per manday
grows relentlessly, and will soon pass
the 30-cubic-metre threshold. Over the past
50 years in Sweden, productivity levels have
risen by an average of 5% a year!
The graph shown here is a familiar
one to forestry folk in Sweden. The
initial one was drawn up in the days of
Skogsarbeten — the Logging Research
Foundation. The graph has now been
updated, with the new data having
been produced to the end of 2005.
The graph is often used to show other
sectors that forestry is neither stuck
in the past nor in the mud — we are
talking of a high-tech sector here!
m 3 per man-day
Copies of the chart are available free of
charge from the Skogforsk website:
www.skogforsk.se/forskning
How long can the trend continue
“I am convinced that the sharp upward
trend will continue,” says Magnus
Thor, who is head of the technology
programme at Skogforsk. “With
continued rationalization, further
research, and new technology, we
should be able to push the curve even
higher”.
In the near future, thanks to
multitree-handling and unmanned
harvester systems like the Besten,
productivity will increase substantially.
Important advances in automation,
which will relieve the operator of some
of the routine work, are also being
made.
“But this is not just about technology,”
says Magnus Thor. “Speeding
up the process from an R&D result
or concept to practical application is
equally important. What is vital is that
research bodies and the forestry sector
combine to find more efficient forms of
work.
“However, on the back of these
impressive advances, one is also aware
of a slight lowering of ambition when
it comes to silviculture. Statistics from
other sources indicate that the rate at
which productivity increased in logging
was even faster up to about 1990, but
that thereafter the curve was not as
steep as that of the Skogforsk curve.
The difference lay in silviculture,
and the difficulty of introducing
mechanization into that field. If
the level in silviculture had been
maintained, the curve would have been
flatter.
”This provides an incentive to
speed up technological advances in
silviculture”, concludes Thor.
”We can undoubtedly push the curve
even higher through the use of ongoing
rationalization, new technology, continued
research and faster implementation,” says
Magnus Thor.
Contact: Magnus Thor Phone: +46 18 188596
magnus.thor@skogforsk.se
Explanatory Notes. The curve shows
the development in productivity in forestry
over the period 1956–2005, together with
technical systems used to achieve the results.
The chart data was taken from the Swedish
Statistical Yearbook on Forestry. The
quantity of harvested timber (measured in
cubic metres solid i.b.) was divided by the
number of hours worked in forestry. This
includes logging and silviculture but excludes
management and administration.
As regards volume, the statistics are
reasonably reliable. Less certain are the figures
for working hours, particularly in more recent
years, with logging and silviculture work
being undertaken by forestry contractors.
The curve presents a good general picture
of development, but should not be read too
literally. Moreover, figures for the most recent
years are only provisional.
Productivity figures are used throughout
industry as key indicators for development.
Talks are taking place between Skogforsk and
the forestry sector to find ways of increasing
the accuracy of such data in forestry.
3 NEWS No. 1 2008

”It was Skogforsk’s
implementation
project that triggered
the breakthrough,”
said Jan Åhlund.
Photo: Lars Klingström
A Log Max 4000 harvester head equipped with a tree-accumulator device. The base machine
is an Eco-Log 550C
Sudden breakthrough for
multitree-handling
In 2007, more than 80 tree-accumulator
devices for multitree-handling were ordered,
according to John Deere and Log Max — the
two manufacturers on the market. That’s 0 to
80 in just one year!
“We have believed in this concept for more
than 10 years,” says Skogforsk’s Magnus
Thor. ”Now, at last, multitree-handling is
taking off.”
The first studies of multitree-handling
units were made at the end of the
1980s. The findings were encouraging:
in small-diameter stands, productivity
was 15–20% higher than in conventional
single-tree methods.
Skogforsk kick-starts the technology
But the technology was slow to get off
the ground and virtually no action was
taken for years. Then came a sudden
breakthrough — but why Jan Åhlund,
head of technology at Holmen Skog, is
in no doubt.
“It was Skogforsk’s implementation
project under project manager
Åke Thorsén that triggered the
breakthrough,” says Åhlund.
Thorsén picks up the story. “In
2005, we invited the forest enterprises
to attend an implementation project on
multitree-handling,” he explains. “The
aim was to speed up the process from
research to implementation.
Mill requirements top priority
“We started by analysing the possible
problems together,” says Thorsén. “In
no time at all we were faced with one
major hurdle — the pulpmills were
sceptical about multitree-handling.
They were concerned that the timber
supplied might be poorly limbed,
resulting in pointed woodchips and
inferior barking.”
So, as part of the project, a number
of companies undertook a series of tests
at some of the sulphate pulpmills. The
results were unequivocal: downstream
from the wood room there was
no notable difference between the
properties of chips from smallwood
from conventional first thinnings, and
the chips from smallwood harvested
using multitree-handling. To all intents
and purposes, the chips exhibited the
same fractions and quality.
Jan Åhlund believes that the close
collaboration with the forest products
industry was key to the success of the
project.
“We did not give our customers
a ready-made solution; instead, we
offered them an opportunity to work
with us in the development process.
And the timing was also right,” said
Åhlund. “The mills saw that multitreehandling
would increase the supply
of timber from the woods as more
stands could now be thinned profitably
— which is a big plus in a tough,
competitive market.”
Inexpensive technology
The technology is not expensive, as
existing felling heads can still be used.
Accumulator arms will need to be
fitted, feed rollers made a little bit
wider, and a pair of limbing knives will
have to be added. This will amount to
a cost of about SKR50,000 (US$7,700).
“But just because a machine has
been equipped for multitree-handling,
it does not mean that the technique
has to be used all the time,” says
Skogforsk’s Magnus Thor.
“You can still carry out conventional
thinning in low-density stands where
multitree-handling is less appropriate.
The equipment will not hamper the
conventional work, and the technique
can then be used in denser stands, or in
parts of the stand where the technique
is appropriate.”
Contact: Åke Thorsén
Phone: +46 18 188597
ake.thorsen@skogforsk.se
NEWS No. 1 2008 4

NEW ISSUES OF RESULTAT (1)
Resultat is a Swedish publication, containing a short summary in English. These summaries are posted regularly on our website.
E = Also available in an English-language version: Results
Silviculture companies —
growing and developing the
business
Many silviculture businesses are
looking to expand. This makes
for new demands on leadership,
organization and efficiency.
In this issue of Resultat, we look
at a number of different ways in
which the silviculture companies
can enhance their business
by focusing on the customer
and customer benefits, and by
offering new services.
Resultat #3 2007.
Birger Eriksson
Knowledge Direct —
High-value hardwoods
Knowledge Direct (an Internetbased
forestry advisory portal)
has published a module entitled
”High-value hardwoods”.
Hardwood forest can produce
valuable timber, but it is also
an important habitat for
endangered species and a
popular place for recreational
pursuits. The module provides
advice and information on the
often complex decisions on how
to manage it.
Resultat #4 2007.
Mats Hannerz, editor
Timber-value tests 2006 —
measuring precision
Harvester measuring precision
has continued to advance —
thanks to improved hydraulics,
control systems and technical
components. This is the finding
of an extensive timber-value test
conducted by Skogforsk in 2006.
Seven harvesters took part in
the tests; five were standard
harvesters for final felling, one
was a thinning harvester, and
the other was a prototype of the
unmanned Besten system.
Resultat #5 2007.
Johan J Möller & John Arlinger
Timber-value tests 2006
— harvester computers
Harvester computers are
constantly improving, and
providing ever better support
for maximizing the value of
the timber. The computers are
also faster and more versatile
and today’s modern harvester
computers manage a range of
functions, such as: production
data, maps and logging
directives, satellite navigation,
and mobile communications.
Resultat #6 2007.
John Arlinger & Johan J Möller
Timber-value tests 2006—
timber damage and defects
Almost a third of all logs
bucked in the timber-value tests
conducted in 2006 contained
serious bucking splits.
There was also a high incidence
of damage to timber caused
by studs on the feed rollers.
The main cause of this is the
reintroduction of steel studs on
the harvester feed rollers.
Overall, the incidence of
damage was higher than in a
similar test conducted in 2001.
Resultat #7 2007.
Petrus Jönsson & Björn Hannrup
Cost-benefit calculation of
investments in silviculture
A cost-benefit analysis found
that the most profitable option
would be to increase the
proportion of lodgepole pine,
and to apply selective harvesting
in pine seed orchards.
Other profitable measures
extend the use of genetically
improved spruce, maintenance
of ditches, and better protection
against pine weevil.
Fertilization was profitable, but
less cost-effective due to the
higher investment costs.
Resultat #8 2007.
Rune Simonsen, Ola Rosvall & Peichen
Gong
Forestry costs & revenue 2006
a year between hurricanes
Timber prices in Sweden rose
in 2006, as compared with the
previous year. The cost of final
felling was unchanged, but
thinning costs were up. These
are the main findings of the
annual questionnaire survey
conducted jointly by Skogforsk
and the Swedish Forest Agency.
Haulage costs were higher,
mainly owing to a rise in fuel
prices, and longer average
haulage distances.
Resultat #9 2007. E
Torbjörn Brunberg
Hybrid forwarder – heavy
reduction in fuel consumption
El-Forest is the world’s first
electric-hybrid forwarder. In a
comparative study, the hybrid
forwarder’s fuel consumption
per cubic metre of harvested
timber was 20–50% lower
than that of a conventional
forwarder.
The El-Forest is equipped with
a small diesel engine that runs
a generator, which, in turn,
charges six heavy-duty batteries.
The batteries provide the power
to six electric motors — one in
each wheel.
Resultat #10 2007.
Claes Löfroth, Petrus Jönsson, Berndt
Nordén & Henrik v Hofsten

The stump cutter
The stump cutter is like a giant hole saw,
comprising a large steel cylinder, 70 cm in
diameter, with cutter teeth incorporated
in the lower edge. The rotary cutter is
positioned over the stump, where it severs
the buttress, enabling the wood-rich stump
core to be lifted effortlessly out of the
ground — in contrast to the old method of
using brute force.
Skogforsk has studied the stump cutter on
two cutovers. The productivity was perfectly
acceptable, given that the machine was an
early prototype, and that working methods
have not yet been finalized. Compared
with the more-mature systems that we had
assessed, the hourly output from the stump
cutter was only slightly lower.
The stump cutter causes less damage to the
ground than that occurring in conventional
stump-harvesting systems, but there is a
drawback, as the stumpwood yield is lower
than in conventional systems, owing to the
thick lateral roots being left in the ground.
Further reading on the stump cutter: Resultat
#18 2007 (In Swedish) from Skogforsk
Stumps can yield
5–10 TWh
”We believe that some
5–10 TWh (terawatt hours)
of energy per year will be
available from stump-derived
energy wood in the not-toodistant
future.” says Henrik
von Hofsten.
“The overall figure for the stumpwood
potential is obviously much higher
— in the region of 30 TWh per
year — but not all of the energy is
available; large areas are inaccessible
for conservation reasons, some sites
are simply too small, and so on,” says
von Hofsten, Skogforsk’s stumpwood
expert for the new energy-wood
project (the “ESS” project).
To put the stumpwood potential
into perspective, in Sweden we harvest
the equivalent of 30 TWh of energy
a year in the form of logging residue
from final felling.
Skogfork estimates that energy from
logging residue can be increased by
5–10 TWh per year, with an
additional 5 TWh per year from
smallwood in cleaning and thinning.
“If we are to increase the output of
energy wood, as is considered desirable
these days, then stumpwood must
account for a large share of it,” says von
Hofsten.
Skogforsk has studied a number of
stump-harvesting concepts, and we
are in continual discussions with our
Finnish counterparts.
“The Finns are ahead of us,” says
von Hofsten. ”They are now harvesting
stumpwood amounting to 2 TWh of
energy per year.”
Skogforsk’s environmental experts
have also been involved in a large
investigation on behalf of the National
Energy Board.
Contact: Henrik von Hofsten
Phone: +46 18 188574
henrik.vonhofsten@skogforsk.se
Stump harvesting — only
moderate environmental impact
Stump harvesting does appear to be brutal
and violent, but the environmental impact
is only moderate, according to a literature
study in which Skogforsk participated.
According to the findings, stump harvesting:
• is unlikely to have any long-term impact
on forest production
• can promote estabishment of hardwood
seedlings
• can reduce the risk of root rot in the new
regeneration
• favours some plants, such as common
crowberry and heather
• is detrimental to blueberry, raspberry
and Trientalis europaea
• reduces the quantity of deadwood in the
forest — but we do not know the effect
that ordinary stumps have on biodiversity
• increases the risk of spreading fine soil
particles into lakes and watercourses
• has no significant effect on the soil’s
nutritional status (stumps and thick roots
have a low nutritional value)
6 NEWS No. 1 2008

RESULTAT (2)
E = Also available in an English-language version: Results
Fertilizer-calculator module
in Knowledge Direct
The new fertilizer calculator
in Knowledge Direct enables
the user to determine how
much additional increment
there will be in the stand after
fertilization, and how much the
return on the investment will be.
Using this tool, the forest owner
can concentrate fertilization
operations on the stands that
will provide the greatest benefit.
The fertilizer calculator is a
module in Knowledge Direct
— an Internet-based portal
where forest owners can get
immediate advice.
Resultat #11 2007.
Staffan Jacobson & Mats Hannerz
Great potential savings from
fuel-efficient forwarding
In a study, two experienced
forwarder operators were
given the task of extracting
timber along a specified trail.
Two instructors analysed the
operation and advised the
operators on how they could
increase fuel efficiency. Using
this new advice, the operators
then carried out two new
runs along the same trail.
The outcome, compared with
the first operation, resulted
in a 7%-reduction in fuel
consumption, and a 6%-increase
in productivity.
Resultat #12 2007.
Petrus Jönsson & Claes Löfroth
Validation of forest-machine
operators – a proposal
Validation in this context means
assessing the true competence
and skills, regardless of how the
competence was attained.
The scope of Skogforsk’s work
was confined to forwarder
operators. The proposal
specifies that operators must
first successfully undergo three
tests in forestry and forest
management. Thereafter, the
operators will need to pass
a practical working test in
order to obtain a certificate of
competence as a forwarder
operator.
Resultat #13 2007.
Line Boberg & Karin Perhans
Inviting tenders from
logging contractors
A forestry cooperative in
southern Sweden has recently
used the process of tendering
to select logging contractors.
Skogforsk studied the process.
One finding was that the
selection process itself failed to
trigger any new development
work. But the prospects for
advancement are better since
the selected contractors are
bigger than before and have
more-qualified personnel.
Resultat #14 2007.
Anna Furness-Lindén & Klas Norin
Harwarders in final felling
There are 10–15 harwarders in
operational use in Sweden. The
Pinox 828 and Valmet 801C
dominate the market.
In ideal harwarder conditions,
logging costs can be reduced by
up to SKR17/m 3 (US$2.7 per m 3 )
compared with today’s traditional
harvester-forwarder system.
But the competitiveness of the
harwarder is reduced when
extraction distances are great
and/or the mean-stem volume
is high.
Resultat #15 2007. E
Isabelle Bergkvist
Head-up displays
With head-up display
technology, harvester data can
be projected straight onto the
windscreen. The operator can
therefore avoid having to look
away, and can keep his eyes
focused on the harvester unit.
Tests conducted in Skogforsk’s
simulator found that the
technology reduced the load
on the operator and boosted
productivity. The findings were
confirmed in a small field study.
Resultat #16 2007. E
Dan Järrendal, Hans Tinggård Dillekås
& Björn Löfgren
Sitka spruce and Douglas fir
in Sweden
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) are two introduced
conifer species that could
complement or replace Norway
spruce (Picea abies) in the south
of Sweden.
These species grow naturally in
a more maritime climate, which
is that predicted for the likely
climate change in southern
Sweden.
Resultat #17 2007.
Bo Karlsson
Rotary stump cutter —
a new technique for
harvesting stumps
The stump cutter is a new
technique for getting stumps
out of the ground. Rather than
using brute force, a rotary
cutter is used to remove the
wood-rich stump core and to
lift it out of the ground.
In a minor study on two
cutovers, the productivity was
acceptable given that this was
an early prototype.
Resultat #18 2007.
Henrik v Hofsten & Berndt Nordén

130
Regeneration felling
130
Thinning
130
Silviculture
120
120
120
110
CPI
110
CPI
110
CPI
100
100
100
90
90
90
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
130
Total forestry costs
130
Timber prices
130
Haulage
120
120
120
110
CPI
110
CPI
110
CPI
100
100
100
90
90
90
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
80
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Economic trends in Swedish forestry 1996–2006
Falling costs in regeneration felling and
thinning, falling timber prices and a sharp rise
in haulage costs to the mills — this is how
Torbjörn Brunberg of Skogforsk summarizes
the trend in Swedish forestry over the past
ten years.
Brunberg has kept a close watch on
forestry costs and revenue over many
years, and is responsible for the annual
questionnaire survey that is conducted
jointly by Skogforsk and the Swedish
Forest Agency.
The charts above show relative trends
in the key cost elements for the period
1996–2006. The grey line shows the
trend in the consumer price index
(CPI).
Comments
”The forestry sector has
managed to cut costs
appreciably in logging,
but not in silviculture
or road haulage,” says
Torbjörn Brunberg.
Logging costs fell sharply in the years
1996–9, and continued to fall thereafter, but
at a more gradual rate. However, compared
with the movement in the CPI, the fall in
logging costs was significant.
Silviculture. This chart shows trends in the
key elements, namely, scarification, planting,
and cleaning. Though somewhat unsteady,
the movement in costs was on a par with
that of the CPI throughout the period.
Total forestry costs. This chart shows the
total cost of logging, silviculture, and road
construction and maintenance. The abrupt
rise in 2004–5 was due to an increase in the
costs of logging, silviculture and roads.
Forestry revenue. Timber prices fell in
1998–2005, but rallied in 2006. The trend
continued during 2007.
Haulage costs were higher, mainly due to a
rise in fuel prices and longer average haulage
distances.
Contact: Torbjörn Brunberg
Phone: +46 18 188597
torbjorn.brunberg@skogforsk.se
Editor: Areca Information AB
ISSN: 1652–1323
Photos: Skogforsk unless otherwise
stated
Translation: Raymond W. Lipton
Printed by: Gävle Offset
ADDRESSES
UPPSALA (Head Office) Uppsala Science Park,
SE-751 83 Uppsala, Sweden Phone: +46 18 188500
EKEBO Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden
Phone: +46 418 471300
UMEÅ P.O. Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden
+46 90 2033350
www.skogforsk.se