EFFORTE project in France: Let’s talk about soil!

When planning and undertaking logging operations in the plains, French forest companies are often confronted with multiple challenges related to soil bearing capacity and respective sensitiveness towards compaction and rutting. Risk mitigation measures are already in place both in the forest management plan and the pre-harvest planning but some knowledge gaps still hinder efficiency. French mineral soils make it a hard job because forest soils are heterogeneous and sensitive situations …

New version of the common protocol related to forest soil trafficability developed in WP1

The 28th of March, 2017, a scientific workshop was organized at FCBA’s headquarters in France, dealing with forest soil trafficability and all the potential impacts such as compaction and rutting due to intense traffic during logging operations. About 20 people attended to this meeting, coming from seven European countries and 13 research organizations. The objectives were to: Bring together a scientific community around the theme of forest soil trafficability; Exchange …

What are the challenges to succeed in driving traceless?

Today we have the knowledge and the technology to harvest and transport timber without causing damage to soil and water. In the film Traceless, machine operators and researchers show how it is possible. “It takes us longer to find the right main logging roads, due to more precipitation and shorter periods with frost in the ground. Quite often we have to drive around wetter patches to avoid rutting, and that …

EFFORTE featured in the UK’s Forestry & Timber News

The EFFORTE project is featured in the December 2016 issue of UK’s Forestry& Timber News. EFFORTE partners in the UK, Woodilee Consultancy and James Jones will undertake a field experiment in relation to trafficability of harvesting sites. These field trials will be performed in the Aberdeenshire area on sandy, loam, clay soils. In the article, Shaun Mochan, managing director of Woodilee Consultancy Ltd, explains the aims of the trials in Scotland. …

Boosting the European forestry industry

Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) is leading a pan-European research project to develop more effective and sustainable methods for forest harvesting and management. For the companies participating in the project, it means tangible benefits. Jori Uusitalo, Regional Director of Natural Resources Institute Finland, is not an easy man to reach by phone. This is understandable, given that the EFFORTE research project, worth some EUR 4.2 million, has just been launched. …

EFFORTE kick-off meeting connects researchers and industrial partners

EFFORTE project’s Kick-off meeting and Business Forum will take place on  3-5 October, 2016 in Tampere, Finland. The meeting will be held at the Kampusareena located at the heart of Tampere University of Technology campus. The first meeting day, starting with open ceremonies, will mainly focus on providing basic information about the administrative aspects of the project and dissemination. The first actions within the WP1 (Trafficability) and WP2 (Efficient silviculture) will also …