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& Key message Coppice harvesting technology is evolving toward increased mechanization and larger more efficient equipment. Nevertheless, cheap and versatile general-purpose machines (excavators and farm tractors) still represent the backbone of coppice mechanization, which is consistent with the rural character of coppice economy. & Context Operating within the scope of COST Action FP1301 "Eurocoppice", the authors conducted a survey of coppice harvesting studies produced in Europe from 1970 to present. The survey focused on traditional coppice stands and excluded industrial short-rotation coppice, established with willow, poplar, eucalyptus, or other fast-growing species. & Aims The goals of this study were to calculate productivity benchmarks for coppice harvesting operations and to gauge the progress achieved over the past 40-plus years. & Methods Data from existing studies (published and unpublished) were collected through a harmonized questionnaire and gathered into a single master database. Statistical analysis was used to estimate productivity models and determine possible differences between methods, work conditions, and time periods. & Results Six productivity models were estimated for the main harvesting steps and technologies. Productivity varied with a number of factors and notably with removal (m 3 ha −1). The analysis disclosed a clear trend toward increased mechanization and higher productivity. & Conclusion Coppice harvesting is being mechanized, but the mechanization deployed in coppice stands is adapted to the specific conditions offeredbythesestands.Light,cheap,andversatile machines are generally preferred to heavy industrial equipment.

In recent years, industrial roundwood production has enjoyed a steady success due to the development of a new bioeconomy and the rapid structural changes of the wood market. A very promising new solution for industrial fiber crops is the integrated production of logs and biomass in short rotation poplar plantations. In Europe, the expansion of these crops is concentrated in the Eastern regions, where contractors face strict limitations in their capital availability: hence the interest in developing semi-mechanized, low-investment harvesting systems based on general-purpose equipment that may serve as a stop-gap solution to assist the transition to fully mechanized systems. This study focused on designing and testing such a system, based on two low-cost machines (an excavator with a grapple saw and a second-hand forwarder) and requiring a minimum workforce (two operators only). The system was tested for productivity, cost and work quality, under two variants: production of 2 or 4 m logs. This system can produce approximately 3 loads (90 t) per day, at a cost between 14.5 and 16 € t −1 , from stump to roadside landing, ready for loading and transportation. The 4 m log variant was more efficient, resulting in a 10% cost reduction around 1.5 € t −1 . However, log yield was relatively low: between 1/3 and 1/4 of the total harvest, the balance consisting of lower-value biomass. The 2 m log treatment offered a higher log yield. The introduction of simple technology may allow increasing log yield and should be the subject of future research.

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