Optimization of Skid Trails and Log Yards on the Amazon Forest

Abstract

Research highlights: We used Dijkstra Algorithm (DA) to define optimal allocation of yards in order to minimize total skid-trail’s distance in the Amazon Forest. DA minimized trails’ distances and associated transportation costs, leading to an even smaller value when the current planning was disregarded and suggesting the reduction of deleterious environmental externalities. Background and objectives: We sought to answer if it is possible to optimize distances and intrinsic costs in the management of Amazonian forests using DA. The objective was to minimize skid trails distances by best allocating yards using DA and to compare four scenarios of forest harvest planning in the Brazilian Amazon. Materials and methods: Tree census data from Gênesis-Salém Farm, state of Pará, Brazil, were used. The yards and roads located by Grupo Arboris (scenario 1) were compared to three alternative scenarios in terms of total skid distance, trails and road densities, and skidding costs for three successive harvests, seeking to minimize total skid-trails’ distance. Alternative scenarios were to keep the number of yards within work units (WU) and place them in the edge of existing roads (scenario 2); keep the number of yards within each WU (scenario 3); and place 23 yards, disregarding the current planning (scenario 4). Results: Total skid-trail’s distance, number of trees above optimal extraction distance and densities of skid trails and roads were smaller in scenarios 2, 3, and 4, compared to the current yard allocation (scenario 1). Scenario 4, with fewer restrictions, reduced skid-trails’ distances by 23%. Harvest costs decreased from scenario 1 to 4 in all three harvest cycles. Conclusions: DA allowed optimized distribution of yards and skid trails and generated efficient results for harvest planning. This reinforces the importance of optimized planning, which establishes satisfactory results in the effort to reduce costs and environmental impact keeping high efficiency.

Optimized forest planning: allocation of log storage yards in the Amazonian sustainable forest management area

“…On the other hand, in this work, in addition to assessing the optimization gains in the planning process, it was possible to verify that, in practical terms, that is, after the execution of traditional and optimized planning, the optimized process confirmed its superiority indicated at the level of planning. Similar results that corroborate the efficiency of an optimized exploration planning were found in the researches of Philippart et al (2012); Sales et al (2019) and Silva et al (2018b)…”

Harvesting Criteria Application as a Technical and Financial Alternative for Management of Degraded Tropical Forests: A Case Study from Brazilian Amazon

“…In this context, Brazilian regulations must supplement and promote the management of different types of forest formations and not impose limiting measures to prevent those forests from being rationally used. The adoption of a technically adequate silvicultural management system can significantly contribute to forest management, respecting the ecosystem's sustaining mechanisms and considering cumulative or alternative use of multiple species [13,30].…”

“…Research institutions and forestry companies concerned with the maintenance of natural forests began to invest in research that sought to make conservation and production aspects viable. Recently, advances have been made in the knowledge of anthropized forests with the use of new species, the technology for small-scale wood processing, the enrichment of forest clearings that had been intensively exploited, with fast-growing species, and the conduction of regeneration species that are interesting to the market [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Studies with this focus aim to enable ecological, productive, and economic management.…”

Silvicultural Management System Applied to Logged Forests in the Brazilian Amazon: A Case Study of Adaptation of Techniques to Increase the Yield and Diversity of Species Forestry

“…This method is conditioned to the values of the remaining basal area, the maximum intended diameter, the number of individuals per class of diameter per hectare and the choice of species to be harvested [29]. Associated with the balanced distribution model, the application of post-harvest silvicultural treatments, such as conduction of regeneration, thinning and enrichment planting, has been an alternative to recover the forest structure as well as the populations of species of interest [11,12,[30][31][32][33][34][35].…”

“…In a certain way, the management of natural forests for wood production is significantly questioned regarding the impact on species composition and richness [14,56], the provision and maintenance of ecosystem services [57], the frequency of silvicultural harvest and post-harvest operations [11,13] and the economic viability [12]. However, research on management in forests that were exploited in the past and that take into account the harvest criteria [58], techniques of harvest optimization and forest densification [11,33] and management compatible with the behavior of each species [59] has revealed great potential for the recovery and rational use of forests.…”