Purpose of review This review traces the development of mini forestry crawlers (MFCs) from earlier small-scale skidding machines to modern remote-controlled tool carriers, and evaluates their current applications, technological characteristics, operational performance, safety, soil impact, ergonomics, and automation potential. Recent findings Recent studies show that MFCs have evolved from simple extraction-oriented machines i...

Purpose of Review We evaluated the development of mechanized cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting systems outside of the Nordic countries in areas with great potential but limited adoption. We explored the Nordic countries for context, then focused on Central/Southern Europe and North America as two examples. Within North America, we highlighted the US South as an area of potential growth for CTL systems, despite this region current...

Purpose of Review The introduction of cable yarding systems has transformed timber harvesting operations on steep slopes. Subsequent adaptations and modernizations of rigging configurations, carriages, and work practices have led to substantial improvements in safety, productivity, and environmental performance. This review focuses on the base, or carrier, of the cable yarder and identifies recent improvements, thereby offerin...

Purpose of the Review Recent technological innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have successfully revolutionized many industrial processes, enhancing productivity and sustainability, under the paradigm of Industry 5.0. It offers opportunities for the forestry sector such as predictive analytics, automation, and precision management, which could transform traditional forest operations into smart, effective, and sustainab...

Purpose of Review The aim of this literature review was to bring together the most relevant and recent research information on the fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions caused by the fully mechanized cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting machinery when applied to industrial roundwood. A specific aim of this review was to describe the effect of different independent variables on fuel consumption in fully mechanized CTL wood-harvesting o...

Radical changes are necessary to address challenges related to global warming and pollution. Ever-tightening emission standards for combustion engines have already led to a drastic reduction in the amount of harmful gas and matter emitted. Drivetrain hybridization and electrification, which are becoming increasingly popular in all sectors, are two additional ways to achieve that goal. However, within the forestry sector most o...

Purpose of Review Carriages are an integral component of cable yarding systems that are used to harvest timber on steep terrain. They provide the mobility component by allowing a payload to be pulled along a skyline that spans a harvest setting, as opposed to a brute force pulling a load along a slope. While yarder machinery and cable yarding systems are extensively studied and reported, this paper provides a first detailed re...

Purpose of the Review The review synthesises the current knowledge of post-windstorm management in selected European countries in order to identify knowledge gaps and guide future research. Recent Findings Despite the differences in forest ownership and national regulations, management experiences in Europe converge at (1) the need for mechanization of post-windthrow management to ensure operator safety, (2) the importance to...

Small tree size represents the main challenge when designing a cost-effective harvesting system for European short-rotation plantations. This challenge is further complicated by the need to obtain 4-m logs for high-end products, which rules out the possibility of deploying whole-tree chipping. Both challenges can be met through mass or multi-tree handling (MTH), which must begin at the time of felling and continue uninterrupte...