Criteria for Assessing the Sustainability of Logging Operations—A Systematic Review

Julian  Grünberg; Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan; Meghdad  Jourgholami; Eric R Labelle; Nopparat  Kaakkurivaara; Renato Cesar Gonçalves  Robert; Martin  Kühmaier

doi:10.1007/s40725-023-00198-x

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Criteria for Assessing the Sustainability of Logging Operations—A Systematic Review

Journal article

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Criteria for Assessing the Sustainability of Logging Operations—A Systematic Review

Julian Grünberg, Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan, Meghdad Jourgholami, Eric R Labelle, Nopparat Kaakkurivaara, Renato Cesar Gonçalves Robert and Martin Kühmaier

Current Forestry Reports, Vol.9, pp.350-369

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-023-00198-x

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Abstract

Timber harvesting

Machine impact

Three-pillar model

SDGs

Productivity

Soil compaction

Purpose of Review: The comprehensive assessment of timber and fuelwood harvesting operations through the consideration of the three pillars of sustainability: Economic, social, and environmental has not received much attention. The use of criteria can significantly improve impact assessment. Therefore, the objective of this review paper is to compile and analyze the most commonly used criteria and indicators for each dimension of sustainability in logging operations over the last 6 years. This review provides an overview of these criteria for different harvesting machines, geographical areas, slope classes, time periods, types of research, and silvicultural treatments. Recent Findings: The environmental pillar was the most studied (46%), followed by the economic pillar (38%). Productivity was the most investigated criterion (15%). On the one hand, productivity is linked to the environmental and social pillars, as it is related to the level of greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and the employment rate. However, productivity is mainly used as a criterion of financial interest, as it is most often studied in combination with costs. In addition to productivity, the other most frequently examined criteria were costs (10%), soil nutrients (9.5%), and soil compaction (9%). The social dimension was the least studied pillar (16%). This may be due to a lack of knowledge of social sustainability issues in this area. Summary: Sustainability is achieved when all three dimensions are balanced. The results of this review show an imbalance, with economic and environmental aspects being weighted more heavily than social aspects. Balancing all three dimensions typically requires an assessment of trade-offs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the criteria that have been studied to date and can be used as a checklist and guideline for future sustainability assessments of harvesting operations.

Details

Title: Criteria for Assessing the Sustainability of Logging Operations—A Systematic Review
Authors: Julian Grünberg (Corresponding Author) - BOKU University
Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Industries Research Centre
Meghdad Jourgholami (Author) - University of Tehran
Eric R Labelle (Author) - Université Laval
Nopparat Kaakkurivaara (Author) - Kasetsart University
Renato Cesar Gonçalves Robert (Author) - Universidade Federal do Paraná
Martin Kühmaier (Corresponding Author) - BOKU University
Publication details: Current Forestry Reports, Vol.9, pp.350-369
Publisher: Springer
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.1007/s40725-023-00198-x
ISSN: 2198-6436
Copyright note: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Grant note: 101677 and 101724 / Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions, and Water Management
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99968896802621
Output Type: Journal article

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