All posts by Jo English

climate change

Morocco discovers planting trees slows climate change

Climate change – Humanitarian crises have recently been declared in Sudan, Yemen, Niger, Mali, and Somalia—affecting at least 450,000 people—due to flash floods and landslides. Areas with low tree coverage and poor soil quality are more likely to experience flood and drought, as the soil is less able to retain excess rainwater.

Countries like Morocco, which are highly susceptible to long periods of drought, are welcoming reforestation efforts to improve agriculture. In partnership with civil society, the Moroccan government will plant 800,000 trees across the country by 2024.

Like Morocco, many are turning to agroforestry, or tree-farming, as an eco-friendly solution to climate issues. Globally, at least 650 million hectares of land (13.3% of total farming land) are used for agroforestry systems.

Planting trees also diversifies farming. Estimates claim forest-farms can be eight times more profitable than staple crops like grain, which can increase farmers’ incomes and reduce rural poverty.

Deforestation and poverty are linked

Almost 30 percent of the world’s 821 million malnourished people live in Africa, the highest prevalence by region. Despite socioeconomic improvements in Morocco (1.7 million Moroccans have moved out of poverty in the last decade), droughts continue to threaten agricultural production, which accounts for 20 percent of GDP and 30 percent of the Moroccan workforce. Low crop yield can exacerbate poverty, especially in rural regions, as two thirds of people who are in extreme poverty work as agricultural laborers.

However, African farmers are beginning to diversify their incomes, a method Morocco has been successful with in improving rural economies and reducing poverty throughout the region. For Moroccan farmers, this has meant investing in cash crops, such as fruit and argan trees, as opposed to producing principal crops, such as wheat and barley.

An oasis in the desert

Forest-gardens, or “food forests,” have been around since ancient times. These cultivated forests contain several layers. The top layer, usually fruit or nut trees, provides shade and traps moisture for smaller edible plants, such as shrubs and root crops.

One of the most well-known forest-gardens in Morocco, located in Agadir, is the Inraren forest, a strip of tropical fruit trees that covers approximately 65 acres. While the exact origins of the forest are untraceable, many believe that it has existed for at least 2,000 years.

The area began as a small gathering of plants, an alternative to transporting and cultivating food sources far away from home. Locals tended the area over thousands of years, creating a support system—beneficial insects, cultivation techniques, and traditional horticultural knowledge. The end-result was the creation of a “self-sustaining” ecosystem, a so-called oasis in the desert, where local produce—goats, chickens, pheasants—could live within and contribute to the survival of the trees and crops.

In addition to food staples and non-native produce, these forests provide shady spaces where cool, moist air can gather, keeping the surrounding land firm and water-retentive. The goal of food-forest developers is to create these forests in areas where the soil is prone to becoming loose and dry.

Resilience by planting trees

In order to combat the effects of global warming, governments are embracing reforestation initiatives. A simple initiative may involve tree planting as an activity. The Chinese government, for example, enacted a program in 1982 to combat the effects of climate change within the country, establishing that all able-bodied citizens between the ages of 11 and 60 have the obligation to plant three to five trees every year. Local governments are required to organize voluntary tree-planting activities that engage all citizens. This ensures that trees are not planted in unwanted areas that could harm the land or the people. Since the program began, a total of 42 billion trees have been planted across the country.

The High Atlas Foundation (HAF), a development nonprofit based in Marrakech, offers a method of reducing rural poverty by providing farmers with natural-grown fruit and nut trees to diversify and boost local incomes.

The approach connects three levels of stakeholders—individuals within the community, government, and local organizations—and provides a solution to barriers local farmers may face in trying to grow their own trees. Local farmers may not have available land or proper equipment to grow saplings from seeds, and nearby nurseries may be too expensive to purchase from.

HAF nurseries use land donated in-kind from donors such as the local Departments of Water and Forests, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Moroccan Jewish community. Locals grow seeds within these nurseries, keeping the process within the community. Then tree saplings are sold at reduced prices to local farmers, planted, and monitored for proper growth. In this way, the organization has planted 1.38 million tree seeds this year, partnering as well with Ecosia.

Similar support within the country has helped build women’s argan oil cooperatives, by providing argan trees, thereby reducing inequalities and bringing money back into local economies.

As climate change continues to affect communities around the world, reforestation and tree farming methods provide a solution. However, economic and political aspects of land ownership can challenge these initiatives. It will be important for those who choose to plant trees to do so in the right places.

Source: Scoop News

HarvestTECH 2021

HarvestTECH 2021

Early expressions of interest are being called for to present at next year’s major wood harvesting and log transport event, HarvestTECH 2021. Early details on the planned event can be found on the event website.

Background:
If you’re involved in wood harvesting, you’ll remember well the major harvesting event, HarvestTECH 2019 that ran in Rotorua, New Zealand last year. The event SOLD OUT well in advance of it running. It was the largest gathering of its type ever seen in New Zealand with close to 500 harvesting contractors, harvest planners, forestry managers and equipment and technology suppliers into the region’s logging industry attending.

In addition to most major New Zealand contractors being at HarvestTECH 2019, a large contingent of contractors and forest managers came across from Australia, Canada, the USA, Brazil, Chile, Finland, South Africa and Papua New Guinea. HarvestTECH 2020, with a focus on wood transport and logistics had been scheduled to run in September 2020, both in New Zealand and Australia. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the event had to be postponed.

The plan is to now run HarvestTECH 2021. It will run on 13-14 April 2021. However, the format, because of the uncertainty still surrounding travel internationally and between New Zealand and Australia (and even across state borders in Australia), for April next year has been changed.

So, what’s being planned?

1. One location. Like the 2019 event, the physical event (on-site presentations and trade exhibitions) for HarvestTECH 2021 will again be run in just one location, Rotorua, New Zealand. This enables delegates and exhibitors to plan with some degree of certainty.

2. LIVE + Virtual On-Line Event. Live links from the New Zealand event will be set up for those unable to travel into Rotorua.

3. Alignment with the Forest Safety & Technology 2021 event. As an added bonus, the very popular forestry safety event run by the Forest Industry Engineering Association is also being held at the same venue on the first day, Tuesday 13 April. This will enable delegates from both events to network during the breaks and to capitalise on the large number of trade exhibitions that are anticipated to be present in Rotorua.

Changed format and content:
With the theme of the postponed HarvestTECH 2020 series being on wood transport and log measurement and scaling technologies, this will still be forming an integral part of the planned two day-event in 2021. Day One of HarvestTECH 2021 will focus on log scaling, log segregation and loading, wood transport, logistics and technologies allowing data integration through the wood supply chain.

Day Two of HarvestTECH 2021, like the sold out 2019 event, will detail new equipment and operating practices being used to increase the mechanization, productivity and the safety of steep slope logging, new technology being rolled out by local wood harvesting contractors, the integration of automation & robotics into wood harvesting operations and best practices around ensuring environmental sustainability (roading, stream crossings and harvest residues management) in felling and in extracting wood from the forest.

So, if interested in saving a speaking space within the programme, best get back to the organisers to avoid missing out this time around. E mail your interest through to brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz BEFORE Wednesday 23 September.

As yet, they haven’t called for interest for those wishing to exhibit at the event. If wishing to express interest in receiving exhibition information as soon as it becomes available, please get in touch with gordon.thomson@fiea.org.nz.

exports

Exports – Port of Tauranga Offers Safe Harbour in a Global Covid-19 Storm

Exports decreased 8.0% in volume to nearly 15.8 million tonnes and imports decreased 7.8% to just over 9.0 million tonnes for the year ended 30 June 2020.

In the first half of the financial year, log volumes were hit by lower international prices and demand. By March positive signs were emerging in China, New Zealand’s major log export market, as business there returned to normal and demand increased.

However, forestry was deemed a non-essential industry during New Zealand’s Level 4 lockdown from late March. Log inventory stored at the Mount Maunganui wharves could be shipped to make way for essential cargoes, but cart-in did not resume through the port gates until early May.

Overall, log volumes decreased 21.5% compared with the previous year, to 5.5 million tonnes. Sawn timber exports decreased 10.4% in volume. Pulp and paper exports increased slightly over the full year.

For more info >>> here

Komatsu S132

Reliable Komatsu S132 in a new version

The 2021 version of the Komatsu S132 introduces a number of functions and improvements that make an already well-adapted harvester head even more versatile and suited to demanding logging assignments. The reliable and service-friendly design has been updated with new features such as Constant Cut as standard, improved length measuring and a reinforced frame.

Together with the twin feed rollers, the sturdy build makes the Komatsu S132 a highly reliable head, with the frame now reinforced exactly where needed, such as around the vertical knife and the end stops for the wheel arms.

With Constant Cut as standard, the Komatsu S132 delivers a steady maximum chain speed of 40 m/s. The saw unit design ensures that the saw motor does not run too fast while reducing the risk of cutting cracks and thereby increasing productivity.

To ensure the best possible measurement accuracy, the length measuring function has been improved and reinforced. The measuring wheel cylinder, the hydraulics and the measuring wheel arm and its mount have been updated, and the head also boasts a brand-new measuring wheel unit, complete with a larger measuring wheel.
“These changes enable the measuring wheel to better follow the contours of the stem, thereby providing even better measurement accuracy,” explains Tobias Ettemo, product manager at Komatsu Forest.

The Komatsu S132 has a brand-new rotator that has been redesigned to meet market demand for functionality, performance and service life. What’s more, the head has a larger tilt angle. The generous 133-degree angle affords the head greater manoeuvrability while reducing loads when working in steep terrain.

The head has smart hose routing and protected head components and is very service-friendly, with easy access to service points, the valve assembly and other important parts. The colour marking tank has an improved design for easier filling while its hose routing has been moved to the inside of the frame to avoid unnecessary wear.

One new option for the Komatsu S132 is the Find End Laser, a function that resets the length measurement without the need for a new cut. This maximises timber length and increases production capacity. Further to this, the head now has several options that enable it to be mounted on an excavator, such as a choice of two different felling links and a reinforced base plate.

“Together, this all makes the Komatsu S132 a productive and reliable head suited to all kinds of forests,” Ettemo concludes.

mechanised tree planting

Mechanised tree planting technologies profiled

Mechanised tree planting technologies profiled – For the first time since the annual ForestTECH series started back in 2007, this year’s event will involve two separate themes over the two days. ForestTECH 2020 runs in Rotorua on 18-19 November 2020. This year, it’s being run live and as a virtual on-line event for Australian and international delegates.

The usual focus for the end of year series is on remote sensing, data capture, GIS and mapping and forest inventory technologies. One of the two days this year will again be providing insights into new data collection technologies that have been developed and are being used operationally out in the forest. Advances that have been made on processing and better interpreting the big data streams now routinely being collected out in the field is also a key component this year.

ForestTECH 2020 has also set aside a full day to cover new technologies around forest establishment, mechanised planting and silviculture. A significant number of presentations given at last year’s ForestTECH series covered research and trials that had been undertaken on planting with drones, seedling deliveries onto planting site by drones and survival counts of tree seedlings using satellites, hyperspectral and multispectral imagery and deep learning. As these new remote sensing technologies are being rolled out, there is an obvious cross over between forest data collection and cutting-edge research and trials around tree crop management.

Recently, there has also been a resurgence of interest being shown by forestry companies in Australasia on mechanised or automated operations for planting and silviculture. The economics are starting to stack up and the technology can address the growing issue of labour shortages that are being faced over the planting season. Mechanised or machine planting is already successfully being used across Scandinavia and in South America. Operational trials have been undertaken in the central North Island of New Zealand last planting season with more extensive plantings using the mechanical planting systems planned for this year.

Aside from addressing the shortage of planters this year because of COVID-19 restrictions, some of the advantages being seen of mechanised planting using planting heads mounted on an excavator are much better soil cultivation (ripping and mounding) for the young trees and greater consistency in the quality of the tree planting. Fertiliser granules can also be integrated into the planting process, along with herbicides or insecticides if required.

In drier climates or at the end of the planting season, tree planting can also be extended by the application of water (or slow release irrigation) at the time of planting. This feature, particularly with eucalyptus plantings in countries like Chile, Brazil, South Africa, China and Indonesia, has been used successfully and is being trialled this season in northern NSW.

Each of the main mechanised planting head manufacturers; Bracke, Sweden, Risutec, Finland and the M-Planter, Finland (represented in this part of the world now by a CNI land preparation contractor) will be presenting as part of ForestTECH 2020. Early trial results and lessons from trials by some of the larger companies in both New Zealand and Australia will also be detailed to ForestTECH 2020 delegates as part of the November event.

Full details of the programme for both days can now be viewed on the event website and here.
Photo: Risutec

protector forest

HAIX Launches Evolution of Trusted Forestry Boot – Protector Forest 2.0

Few work environments present such a variation of potential hazards as the forestry, arboriculture and outdoor work sectors. From extreme weather to difficult underfoot terrain, working with cutting tools to working at height, wearers in these industries demand more from their protective footwear than any other.

Specialist functional footwear manufacturer HAIX understands that the exceptional demands on forestry workers require exceptional footwear. That’s the reason why the Protector Forest 2.0 has been designed from the sole up to provide the comfort and protection that forestry workers and tree surgeons need, no matter the job.

Based on the tried and trusted design of the original, the Protector Forest 2.0 boasts the comfort and safety features wearers have come to expect along with upgraded and enhanced elements to provide even higher levels of protection, support and fit; all day, every day.

The Protector Forest 2.0 features the same Class 2 Cut protection as the original, protecting wearers operating chainsaws and cutting tools up to 24m/s, giving peace of mind when undertaking challenging felling and clearing tasks. The anatomically designed, Protective Toe Cap provides added protection from stubs and falling object hazards, while the sturdy VIBRAM/PU sole provides confident grip and traction in slippery underfoot environments, while ensuring excellent impact absorption and correct toe-to-heel movement.

Working in all weather conditions means forestry and outdoor workers need boots that can protect them from the elements, keeping feet dry and at an optimum temperature. The Protector Forest 2.0 includes a GORE-TEX® Performance inner lining which is water proof, abrasion proof and highly breathable. Offering enhanced climate comfort, no matter the weather conditions, it works with the hydrophobized, breathable suede-leather upper to keep feet dry.

The HAIX 2-zone lacing system enables separate adjustment of the fit around both foot and calf, allowing the wearer to adjust the boot to provide a personalised best fit. The HAIX Climate System uses the pumping movement of the wearer’s steps to permit air circulation through vents at the top of the boot, creating a consistently comfortable internal temperature.

The addition of a full rubber rand around the boot ensures even greater protection and durability, and the updated red/fluorescent yellow colour scheme gives the boot a striking visual profile and works to keep wearers easily noticed and safe in poor-visibility environments like dense underbrush or low-light forests.

“Our forestry and arborist wearers really put HAIX boots through their paces, and it’s their feedback we turned to when evolving the Protector Forest 2.0,” says Simon Ash, HAIX UK Sales Manager.

“We’ve worked hard to increase levels of comfort, protection and durability while maintaining the features that wearers relied on from the original version. By using smart materials and enhanced design and manufacturing processes, we’ve made sure that the Protector Forest 2.0 will provide wearers with high levels of comfort and safety, not just this year, but for many years to come.”

To find out more about the Protector Forest 2.0, or HAIX’s full range of safety and work footwear, head to www.haix.co.uk

koppers

Koppers to invest in North Little Rock plant over next two years

Koppers, a global provider of treated wood products, plans to invest a minimum of $23 million and increase the number of workers at its North Little Rock facility in Arkansas over the next two years.

The investment will be used for new construction and to purchase equipment that will allow Koppers to upgrade and modernize the company’s processes and further improve its environmental footprint.

The North Little Rock facility, built in 1907, sits on 157 acres and currently employs approximately 80 people. The plant processes and treats more than 1.5 million wooden railroad crossties each year. The plant also produces switch ties, road crossings, and framed bridge timbers.

Koppers is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds.

grapple saw

New: Grapple saw with Total Tree Control

The Dutch company GMT Equipment is about to introduce a new product: the GMT TTC grapple saw. TTC stands for Total Tree Control. The products will enter the market as GMT035 TTC and GMT050 TTC. With the existing generation of grapple saws (GMT035 and GMT050), the branch will always tilt- down in a controlled manner after sawing. TTC combines the advantage of grasping the tree flexible with the ability to keep or hold tree sections in position when removing them. This ‘tilt-blocking’ method is unique and the system is patented.

Working safer
The mechanical felling of trees with a felling grapple is gaining in popularity. The biggest advantage is that the process is safer and more efficient than with traditional techniques. The new models of GMT Equipment’s grapple saws have been specially developed to make it possible to hold tree parts after the moment of sawing. Not only is the tilt cylinder of the grapple blocked, but so is the movement in all directions in the cardanic suspension. That means: flexible installation and fixed removal at the push of a button! There is no limit to the holding of the sawn tree sections, but for safety reasons, they are set at the factory to the maximum permitted loads of the crane on the load-bearing vehicle. The design and operation have recently been patented.

TTC: more possibilities with less manpower
Director Michel Gierkink of GMT Equipment provides the technical explanation: “We have fitted a double knee joint above the rotation section and the attachment to the crane or telescopic handler. Each knee joint has a hydraulic cylinder and a number of brake linings. These brake linings are clamped in place by the hydraulic cylinder pushing both suspension lugs toward each other. One push of a button suddenly transforms our pivoting grapple saw into a fixed grapple saw. This makes it possible to pick a branch from the tree exactly in the position in which it is attached. This allows you to work much cleaner when picking apart and removing entire trees.”

GMT Equipment noticed some customers need more control when removing branches. TTC combines the advantage of movement flexibility with the ability to keep or hold tree sections in position when removing them. The crane or telescopic handler operator can now bring the felled timber to the ground with even more control. This creates more possibilities when felling sick or dead trees or when there is little or no room to maneuver, particularly when there are surrounding objects such as houses, above-ground power and telephone lines or other obstacles. As a result, little loose wood ends up on the ground, which also saves a lot of manpower.

The Total Tree Control system will be introduced on 1 September 2020 and will become available in two variants: a 16 inch (GMT035 TTC) and a 20 inch (GMT050 TTC) felling diameter.

lumber mills

Western Forest to purchase Monterra Lumber Mills Ltd.

Western Forest, one of North America’s leading full service distributors and remanufactures of softwood and hardwood lumber and specialty products, located in Mississauga Ontario, has announced an agreement to purchase Bolton, Ontario-based Monterra Lumber Mills Ltd.

Monterra is one of the most respected lumber re-manufacturers in Ontario. Producing a wide range of high-quality lumber products for home centers in Canada and the U.S., as well as a diverse range of industrial products for the crating and packaging industry. The acquisition is targeted to close September 30, 2020.

 

stoltze

F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber company announces formation of Stoltze Timber Systems Inc.

The oldest family owned lumber company in Montana, F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company has announced that they are joining forces with a group of key partners to form Stoltze Timber Systems, Inc. to build North America’s first mass timber production facility aimed at using small-diameter trees to build large format, cross-laminated timber panels.

Currently, Montana forests are saturated with small-diameter timber. In terms of resource management, this is proving problematic — the majority of timber sales require the timber’s removal as a fuel-reduction measure, but the over-supply isn’t matched by a readily available or economically viable marketable demand.

The intent of Stoltze Timber Systems, Inc. is to use Montana’s vast supply of small-diameter trees to create large format panels and, ultimately, green and efficient building systems with high demand. Stateside production is slated to begin early next year with a phased-out, integrated manufacturing plan emulating the practices of mass timber production that has shaped European buildings landscapes for decades, while Stoltze’s existing sawmill will be used to process the supply of small timber — which has little value at the lumberyard — to produce large-format mass timber.