This study was conducted in order to determine the economic effect of replacing partially mechanized system of roundwood harvesting by assortment method with the system of wood chip harvesting by full tree method in conditions of unthinned common spruce forest plantation.

In the assortment method (M1), after felling, trees were processed into wood assortments (roundwood), which were then skidded to the landing, and in the full tree method (M2), trees were felled, skidded to the landing and subsequently chipped. Motor-manual felling and processing were done by chainsaw and primary transport was done by a skidder. Harvesting by full tree method was complemented by a chipper to produce wood chips at the landing.

Synergy of piece-volume-law and product-type-law is evident in the system of harvesting wood chips by full tree method. The absence of working elements: delimbing, bucking and scaling, resulted in a significant reduction in the effective time consumption per tree, but it also enabled the production of uniform semi-products (full trees) of a relatively large piece volume. This also enabled the increase of skidding productivity, while processing was reduced to the chipping process. Consequently, the investigated system of wood chip harvesting overtook the features of a highly mechanized system. Work rationalization achieved in this way resulted in a reduction in the cost of the motor-manual felling and processing subsystem as well as in the cost of skidding subsystem in such an extent that it enabled the introduction of a chipper in the harvesting system and at the same time the total cost of the system was reduced by an average 7.16% compared to the system of roundwood harvesting by assortment method.

The use of roundwood harvesting by assortment method results in profit under the conditions of the researched felling site at the skidding distance of up to 590 m, provided that there is demand for timber poles (TP) in the market (sawlogs – SL, timber poles – TP and pulpwood – PW are produced). At the same skidding distance, wood chip harvesting by full tree method can compete with roundwood harvesting by assortment method when the price of wood chips (P45B, M55, A5.0) produced from whole tree biomass of spruce exceeds €54.78/t of oven dry wood chips. In the lack of demand for timber poles (sawlogs – SL and pulpwood – PW are produced), timber harvesting by assortment method, under the conditions of the researched felling site, will result in financial loss in all of the observed skidding distances.

As an alternative to roundwood harvesting by assortment method, under the conditions of the researched felling site, from the aspect of cost it is more suitable to use wood chip harvesting by full tree method, but it should be noted that the economic viability of the above system will largely depend on the possibility of achieving adequate prices for the produced wood chips.

Keywords: unit cost, roundwood, wood chips

In recent decades, the establishment of short rotation energy plantations is becoming ever more common in marginal sites, including tailing dumps of open pits in mining basins. During the exploitation cycle, not only do short rotation energy plantations produce woody biomass for energy production, but they also accumulate large amounts of carbon from the soil and air. In this case, the energy plantations are primarily environmentally friendly, which is accompanied by their economic importance. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) has a number of advantages that justify its use in the establishment of energy plantations. The main objective of this paper is to assess the current state of energy plantations of black locust established in autumn 2008 on a tailing dump of the »Kolubara« mining basin (Serbia), as well as to determine the yield of dry matter of black locust per hectare. The data on the number of trees, diameter and height increments, the mass of trees per diameter class and the amount of biomass were obtained by the method of partial survey. The survey found a high percentage of survival of black locust seedlings (95.67%), the average diameter in the plantation (6.83 cm), medium tree height (7.15 m) and the absolute yield of dry matter (2.96 t/ha/yr). The results of this research on experimental energy plantations will be useful in the planning of future energy plantations in low-productivity sites, as well as in the selection of techniques and technologies for utilization of energy plantations.

Keywords: energy plantations, woody biomass, black locust, Robinia pseudacacia L., reclamation, productivity

In forestry practice, during forest harvesting there are many different situations while skidding timber assortments, which are dealt with individually depending on the circumstances.

The main purpose of this scientific paper is to offer a model for the calculation of the optimal distance for skidding timber assortments uphill or downhill, in mountain conditions. The working area i.e. the harvesting volume is situated between two storey (horizontal) forest roads. This solution would enable the forest experts to make the right decisions when planning timber assortment skidding, i.e. to achieve the most favorable financial results of the work.

The method is based on work efficiency i.e. the time required for skidding certain timber assortments (logs and firewood), when skidding is done by animals, adapted tractor equipped with winch, and mobile cable crane.

Keywords: skidding, timber assortments, optimal distance, uphill, downhill, logs and firewood

In the past, forest opening with forest roads was planned on the basis of forest wood production. By discovering the importance of other forest roles, gradual integration of individual role into planning processes of forest opening started. The modern approach to the planning of forest opening of multipurpose forests requires a simultaneous consideration of all forest roles. Economic justification for enlarging the existing forest road network is based on the density of forest roads, where the smallest total skidding and transportation costs occur. On this basis, insufficiently opened areas outside the band width of 574 m opened by each road are excluded. Further planning of opening insufficiently opened areas is based on terrain features and technical characteristics of the planned forest roads. The construction of an individually planned forest road is economically feasible when the reduction of wood skidding costs is bigger than the increase of transportation costs. The evaluation of the planned forest road in terms of the multipurpose forest role is done with the suitability map for forest road construction. It is based on the relative importance of each forest role, determined by a multicriteria decision-making method. Selection of the planned forest roads based on the multipurpose forest role represents the quality of the new approach to the planning of forest opening.

Keywords: network enlargement, insufficiently opened areas, multicriteria decision-making

This work presents the most significant elements that reflect the actual quality and quantity of forest transportation infrastructure in the FB&H.
The total length of all roads that provide access to forests in the Federation of B&H, without data for Herzegovina Neretva Canton, equal 11,421 km, which is an average forest openness of 10.9 m/ha. The highest rate of forest road construction has been recorded in the category of high forests that account for 45.7% of the total state forest area. The total length of forest roads in the category of high forests is 5 558 km, without data for Herzegovina Neretva Canton and Canton Nr. 10. The lowest rate of forest road construction has been recorded in the category of forest plantations and namely 691.2 km. The cause lies in the fact that the total area of forest plantations is the smallest, as well as that no reason has yet been found to make this type of forests accessible.
Forest roads in the FB&H are constructed based on Plans for allowable cut in FMP in areas where the wood mass is expected to cover the costs of forest road construction.
Although the existing forest road network in the FB&H is far below the one considered as the minimum needed for forest management in mountain areas – 15 m/ha, in the last 5 years the intensity of forest road construction of approximately 42 km on annual basis (which is far below the planned) shows that the above mentioned minimum of forest road network could be achieved in approximately 100 years.
Not much information can be obtained from the Cantonal Forest Management companies and forest offices on the condition of the existing forest transportation infrastructure. Numerous elements in this area are unknown. There is no categorization of forest roads, condition of construction road elements is unknown, as well as the condition of road facilities, etc. The Federal Forest Office keeps records on planned and constructed forest roads per cantons. The average construction costs of approximately 60,000 KM/km and reconstruction costs of approximately 8000 KM/km indicate the bad quality of these works, which leads to quick repair and imposes the need for reinvesting in maintenance.
This paper preents the most significant segments within which the recommendations were given for the improvement of the existing conditions of forest roads based on the review and analysis of the forest transportation infrastructure in the FB&H. In the planning phase, it is necessary to develop studies for the construction of forest roads in areas where it is difficult to reach wood mass. In the designing phase, improvement would be achieved by developing new technical specifications for forest roads and by applying modern techniques and technologies in data collecting and processing. In construction and maintenance phase, it is necessary to examine the profitability of purchasing new machinery and to conduct analysis of the effects of such purchase, with minimum investments in the construction and reconstruction for a long-term and cost-effective use.
The starting point for improving the actual situation in forest transportation in the FB&H is a detailed measurement of technical elements and assessment of the existing forest road network with facilities, as well as categorization of forest roads, both the primary and secondary ones. Taking into consideration that forest cableways are the most recommended means of work on slopes from the ecological aspect, it is necessary to make the analysis that will show the feasibility of their application in the FB&H.
The most significant factor for assessing the condition of forest transportation infrastructure in the FB&H in all segments from planning to maintenance is the lack of funds, so the issue of adequate and transparent funding is one of key factors for improving the situation in this area.

Keywords: forest transportation infrastructure, planning, design, construction, maintenance

Forestry and wood processing industry is an important segment of the economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its development is based on exploiting domestic natural resources. The wood processing industry has a long tradition and it is the oldest industry branch in B&H. It is environmentally acceptable, it has a huge exporting potential and a large surplus. Although the relations between forestry and wood processing industry represent a linked chain in creating added value, in practice it has been shown that these relations have not been regulated properly, neither while they were organized together, nor nowadays when they are separated. Scientists and experts generally consider that the utilization of wood and forest potential, and the functionality and availability of wood processing capacities are not on a satisfactory level. It is also evident that there is no coordinated strategy in the sector and among sectors for a stronger development of this industry branch.

The aim of this paper is to perceive and analyze the relations between forestry and wood processing in FB&H; to identify the most important issues and present the proposed measures for the improvement of these relations, i.e. the improvement of these industry activities in general.

The results of this paper, obtained after detailed analysis, indicate a very weak institutional connection between these industrial activities and the inability to determine and/or coordinate common strategic aims. An important discrepancy has been established between the installed wood processing capacities and the current production potential of forestry enterprises, and measures have been defined for improving this situation. The implemented SWOT analysis of wood companies identified and evaluated all internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats; and eventually defined the most suitable strategy (the alliance strategy).

All the implemented analyses lead to the general conclusion that the strategic aims of wood processing industry cannot be met without the cooperation and coordinated action with the forestry sector, and vice versa.

Keywords: forestry, wood processing industry, cooperation, condition improvement

Through history, the organizational structure of the company responsible for forest management has experienced many changes. The most commonly applied were simple (functional) and complex (forest district) organizational forest management methods. Since 1991, Croatian forestry has been using the Forest District Management System, a complex method implemented by a single state-owned company Croatian Forests Ltd. Zagreb. Forest district is a predefined forest area on which forestry engineers conduct all planned activities in accordance with forest management plans, taking full responsibility for their achievement. The current state of forest district system in Croatian forestry, with its characteristics and implementation, was rated through the investigation of opinions and viewpoints of: a) district forestry officers and forest office managers and b) higher managers in organizational units of the Croatian Forests, Ltd. Zagreb. SWOT analysis presented the main advantages and disadvantages of the Croatian Forest District Management System. The results emphasize the need to keep the structure of district forest offices as well as the necessity to improve the current system through development of human resources at all levels as the most important factor of the company success. Stimulating measures and employees’ involvement are emphasized as the key factors to reach the optimal use of available natural and human resources and achieve higher efficiency of the forestry company.

 Keywords: forestry, forest company, organizational structure, forest office, forest district