Wood products play a key role in the transformation to a more sustainable society based on renewable bio-based resources, together with the positive effects on climate mitigation by replacing fossil fuels. However, to increase the use of forest fuel in practice it is important to understand the effects of handling and storage on its quality and removal of nutrients from the forest. This thesis addresses these effects with special focus on a comparative evaluation of the traditional dried-stacked with “new” and to some extent more controversial fresh-stacked methods for extraction of logging residues from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst).

The results indicate that a normal extraction of logging residues will leave at least 20% of logging residues at the clear-felled area, in accordance with Swedish Forest Agency recommendations. However, the results also indicate that the ambition of the dried-stacked method to leave the majority of the needles well spread over the clear-felled area does not meet these recommendations. In fact, the harvesting operation is more important than the extraction method, with respect to how much logging residues (nutrients) being left in the forest. The results also show that the quality of fuel yielded by the two handling methods differs only to minor extent, indicating that other factors have stronger effects, where “dried-stacked” and “fresh-stacked” logging residues from different clear-felling areas is often similar. Generally, logging residues stored over summer (regardless method), seem to provide sufficiently dry forest fuel, with a needle content of about 5–10%. There is a clear correlation between drying and effective loss of needles from twigs, but the loss does not necessarily mean that the needles will remain in the forest.  However, needle color (green or brown) is not a strong indicator for a reduction in needle content.

Acceptance of the fresh-stacked method would provide opportunities for the development of new technologies, more efficient use of machinery throughout the whole year, reduced costs, shorter lead times and increased amounts of logging residues extracted from each clear-felled area. This is mainly because it would enable extraction at optimal times from a logistical, financial and/or forestry perspectives.

Written in English with summary and conclusion in Swedish.

Skogen och dess produkter har en nyckelroll i omställningen till ett framtida hållbart samhälle eftersom användande av träråvara har en positiv effekt på klimatet, t.ex. genom träbyggande eller att fossila bränslen ersätts med bioenergi. Men för att kunna ta tillvara mer skogsbränsle i form av grenar och toppar (grot) från bestånd dominerade av gran (Picea abies (L.) Karst) är det viktigt att förstå hur hanteringen påverkar såväl bränslekvalitet som bortförsel av näringsämnen från skogen. Denna avhandling belyser hanteringens effekter på bränslekvalitet och näringsförluster genom att jämföra den traditionella metoden (skotning av torkad grot, ”brunrisskotning”), med den ”nya” och till viss del ifrågasatta skotningen av färsk grot (”grönrisskotning”).

Resultatet visar att ett normalt grot-uttag kommer att lämna minst 20 % av groten kvar på hygget, helt i linje med Skogsstyrelsens rekommendationer. Däremot uppfylls inte rekommendationerna med avseende på att lämna merparten av barren väl spridda på hygget, detta trots att det är ambitionen med den traditionella hyggestorkningen av grot. Hur mycket grot (och således näringsämne) som lämnas kvar på hygget påverkas i själva verket mer av hur avverkningen utförs, än när groten skotas ihop. Resultatet visar också en skillnad i bränslekvalitet mellan de båda beskrivna hanteringsmetoderna. Denna skillnad är dock så liten att andra faktorer sannolikt påverkar mer än hanteringsmetoden. Hyggestorkad grot från ett enskilt hygge i södra Sverige, kan i verkligheten ofta vara ganska likt färskskotad grot från ett annat hygge. Grot som har lagrats över sommaren kan alltså förväntas ha torkat tillräckligt, samt ha en barrandel på ca 5–10 % oavsett hanteringsmetod. Det verkar också finnas ett klart samband mellan torkning och att barren släpper från kvisten, men det betyder inte nödvändigtvis att barren blir kvar i skogen. Hur som helst, barrens färg (gröna eller bruna) är inte en rättvisande indikator på avbarrning.

Om skotning av färsk grot accepteras ger det möjligheter för utveckling av ny teknik, effektivare användning av maskinresurser över hela året, minskade kostnader, kortare ledtider, samt möjligt ökat grot-uttag från enskilda hyggen. Detta beror främst på att det skulle vara möjligt att utföra grot-uttaget när det passar bäst ur ett logistiskt, ekonomiskt och/eller skogligt perspektiv.

Skriven på engelska, men med sammanfattning och slutsatser på svenska

The forest constitutes a very important element of renewable natural resources and makes a significant contribution to the Swedish bioeconomy. Biofuels are Sweden’s largest source of energy; of all the energy we use, 32% comes from biofuels, and of this approximately 85% comes from the forest and the forestry sector. In spite of this, logging residues constitute only a small component, compared to for example byproducts from sawmills and pulpindustry, and there is considered to be great potential for increasing their use.

In 2019 the Swedish Forestry Agency issued new recommendations for logging residue harvest and ash recycling. This was a further development of the 2008 recommendations, which formed the foundation for how forest fuel producers work today, and were based on several decades of research into, for example, the impact on forest productivity and technological development of machinery. This practice of logging residue harvest aims to yield a dry and defoliated fuel where the needles are left at the clear felled area.

However, if we are to increase the use of green renewable energy from forestry, it is very important to understand how different procurement systems affect the handling and storability of fuels from a quality perspective. It is also of great importance to understand, from the forest owners’ perspective, how removal of additional products from forestry influences nutritional balance and long-term productivity. If harvesting of logging residues does not affect long-term productivity, it is up to small-scale private forest owners to decide if removal of logging residues will be performed on their land. This thesis addresses some of these issues regarding removal of logging residues from the point of tree harvest up to the point of delivery to the energy conversion industry when the fuel chips are measured.

Regarding different methods of handling of logging residues, the traditional method – dry-stacking – was compared with the, fresh-stacking method. The logging residues investigated came from stands that mainly consisted of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst). The loads investigated in Paper 3 also came from logging of spruce-dominated forests. Both methods aim to dry the logging residues to an acceptable moisture content for delivery to the energyconversion industry. For the later part in the supply chain, moisture content measurements of logging residues were compared during a winter and summer season.

The results of the studies indicate that the two methods do not create results that differ from what is allowed by the Swedish Forestry Agency and that they are quite similar with respect to dry mass- and nutrient removal from the clearfelled area. The results also show that similar yields and distributions of material are obtained from the logging residues with different stacking methods; in addition, the final felling itself, combined with the work performed by the forwarder operator, has a greater impact on the result than the method chosen for residue stacking of the logging residues. For the individual clear-felled area and the individual forest owner the increased removal associated with freshstacked logging residue has no major impact, however from a national perspective this small increase in removed logging residues may yield a supplement of between 0.5 – 1 TWh of green energy annually.

Regardless of treatment, the studies indicated that the delivered fuel chips will have similar characteristics. The moisture content measurement techniques currently in use are sufficiently accurate and reliable. However, if the forest owner is unlucky and an error in measurement occurs or comminution and delivery happens during an especially wet period they may suffer a significant financial loss; indeed, it is generally not under the individual forest owners’ control when the logging residues are comminuted and delivered.