This paper presents the research results of skidder Ecotrac 120V productivity in thinning and final felling half-length wood skidding. Terrain research was conducted using time and motion study at two worksites. Worksite A is a mixed stand of beech (48.74%), sessile oak (4.47%), hornbeam (21.06%) and linden (15.65%), aged 57 years, in which thinning was done. Harvesting density was 34.07 m3/ha, and mean cutting tree was 0.63 m3. At the worksite B, in the beech (92.03%) stand, aged 111 years, final felling was conducted. Harvesting density was 89.50 m3/ha, and mean cutting tree was 3.51 m3. Based on the data collected, the structure of the total time consumption and average daily output was calculated (Table 1). The analysis of recorded delays provided allowance time (Table 2). Differences between load volumes, travel speeds, line pulling and winching speeds and time consumption of individual felling site and landing work elements were investigated by a t-test (Table 3 and Table 4). For those work elements that showed significant differences between worksites, individual mean values were used for further calculations, while for the others, new common mean values were calculated. Travel time consumption was calculated based on the average speed and pertaining skidding distance. A significant difference (t = -3.571562; p = 0.000519) was found between load volumes of thinning (3.050 m3) and final felling site (3.717 m3). Differences in time consumption (Table 4 and Table 5) are the most obvious in the group of felling site work elements, and they are a consequence of different line pulling/winching distances needed for forming the achieved load volumes. The projected daily output (Fig. 2) of final felling skidding is in average 21% higher than in the thinning skidding with an average 26% lower costs per unit (Fig. 3). Detail analysis of each work element time consumption showed that harvesting density and mean cutting tree volume have an important impact on difference in productivity and costs. Different harvesting densities affect the felling site work time consumption, thus also affecting the achievable productivity. Besides the above mentioned harvesting density, mean cutting tree volume has an even greater influence on skidding productivity because it enables the formation of preferred load volume at short winching distances by choking fewer half-stems, often with the use of just one winch drum. Therefore, it can be concluded that the possibility of achieving greatest outputs, in given stand and harvesting conditions, lies in the optimal relation between the load size and the felling site work time consumption needed for its forming.

The study was carried out on 15 different forest trucks with trailers (forest truck units) for timber transport owned by the company »Hrvatske šume« d.o.o. Zagreb, Forestry Administration Bjelovar. The basic data used for the analysis of forest truck units are: mileage (full, empty), total fuel consumption, number of working days (in operation, out of order, technically correct but out of operation), quantity of transported timber, number of turns, age and type of vehicles. The data analysis showed the fuel consumption according to several criteria, the utilization rate and technical validity of the forest truck units and the driving relation considering the full/empty ratio. Based on the results of the research, recommendations are made on the organizational solutions of the timber truck transport and guidelines are given for the technical improvement and modernization of forest trucks and trailers.
According to the analysis of forest truck units over the one year period, vehicles up to 10 years of age meet the technical requirements. As the age of the vehicles increases, the days of malfunctioned and repaired vehicles will increase significantly.
The average fuel consumption value of 54.3 L/100 km of all investigated vehicles is lower than the previous survey results, and the lower consumption of the newest forest truck units stands out. However, unit fuel consumption per volume of transported timber is higher than the results of previous research, even with the newest forest truck rallies. The reason for this may lie in the fact that older vehicles are not equipped with axle load measurement systems and are loaded with smaller timber volumes to meet legal criteria when transporting timber on public roads. Likewise, this information may indicate smaller proportions of full driving. The average percentage of full truck forest rallies of 51% is satisfactory, but better organizational solutions need to be found to increase the share of full truck rides. It would also reduce unit fuel consumption by the volume of timber transported.

This paper examines the effect of Timberjack 240 C in timber extraction in the final and seeding felling. Field surveys were conducted in the area of Okučani Forest Office, compartmet 44a of the Management Unit »Okučanska brda« and in the area of Nova Gradiška Forest Office, compartment 74a of the Management Unit »Južni Psunj«. For Timberjack 240 C in the compartment 44a, during 11 days, 4406.12 minutes were recorded at the work site, which is 400.56 minutes per day, or 83.45% of the prescribed working time of 480 minutes. Of the total recorded time, the effective time is 3300.02 minutes or 74.90%, while the general time is 1106.10 minutes or 25.10%. For Timberjack 240 C in the compartment 74a, 2641.57 minutes were recorded during 9 days at the work site, which is 293.51 minutes per day, or 61.15% of the prescribed working time of 480 minutes. Of the total recorded time, the effective time is 2157.20 minutes or 81.66%, while the general time is 484.37 minutes or 18.34%. Allowance time is 16.09% and 20.37% of the effective time. Skidder Timberjack 240 C is one of the most efficient machines for timber extraction, and especially for final felling, when using the half-trunk and trunk method. For the application of such skidder, it is necessary to prepare the study site with all the influencing factors and constantly monitor the workflow. In skidding wood assortments, significantly smaller effects are achieved due to a smaller load volume.

Injuries at work and occupational diseases are a reliable indicator for assessing the state of occupational safety. The aim of this paper was to conduct an appropriate analysis of the state of safety at work in JP Šumsko privredno društvo Zeničko-dobojskoga kantona d.o.o. Zavidovići (Public Forest Management Company of Zenica-Doboj Canton ltd. Zavidovići). The subject of analysis were injuries at work, occupational and other diseases of forestry workers in the period 2006-2015. Injuries were analyzed based on 10 different indicators. During the analyzed period, 594 injuries were reported, three of which were fatal. The highest number of accidents was recorded in the harvesting process (66.3%), while the most hazardous occupation was that of timber cutter (57.7%). Wood and branches were the most common material cause of injury (49.3 %), and workers’ extremities (legs and arms) were the most commonly injured body part (70%). The highest number of injuries was recorded at the beginning of the working week and day. According to the number of injuries by the amount of cut wood (314/mil. m3), as well as an index of 60 injuries per 1,000, employees safety at work can be assessed as extremely unsatisfactory.

By selecting plus trees in a base population, a breeding process of Norway spruce as Christmas trees was initiated in Croatia. The next stage of the process is the optimization of the cloning procedure of selected plus trees for the mass production of their reproductive material (seedlings). The assumption is that qualitative reproductive material exhibiting stability of targeted phenotypic traits will be created in such a way.
The main aim of the research was to determine the success of various hormonal treatments on rotting of hardwood cuttings of older Norway spruce trees (10–12 years). Two experiments were carried out. In the first, 270 cuttings were cut off in early spring from each of the three crown levels (upper, middle and lower third of a crown), on a sample of 10 trees. The cuttings from each level were treated with 24 different treatments (dipped in IBA and NAA hormone solutions of 250, 500, 2500 and 5000 ppm for 10s, 1h and 2h). In addition to these treatments, 10 cuttings from each crown level were treated with a commercial hormone product named Clonex (a gel). Additional 10 cuttings were treated with distilled water for 2h and the remaining 10 were not treated. The last two groups of cuttings served as a control of the success of the analyzed hormonal treatments. Another study was conducted on 80 cuttings cut off in late fall from the lower third of a crown of the 13 selected plus trees. Thirty cuttings were treated for 10s with: (i) 2500 ppm IBA solution, and (ii) 500 ppm IBA solution. The remaining 20 cuttings served as the control. Afterwards, the cuttings were placed in containers filled with peat, sand and perlite substrate. The rooting success, the number of roots per cutting, and the length of the longest developed root were determined later in October.
The results showed that, on average, spruce trees at the age of 10+ years could be relatively successfully cloned (50% rooted cuttings on average) by rooting hardwood cuttings taken in late autumn or early spring from the lower third of a tree crown, without any treatment. The percentage of rooted cuttings and the quality of newly created roots can be improved at low cost and high effectiveness by treating cuttings with distilled water for 2 hours. However, the results indicated that by treating the base of cuttings taken in early spring with a hormonal solution of 500 ppm IBA for 10s, the percentage of successful rooting could be significantly increased (up to an average of 80% rooting). Hardwood cuttings taken from the lower third of crowns were most successfully rooted, even without any treatment (50% control cuttings, compared to 40% control cuttings from the middle and 20% rooted cuttings from the top third of crowns). The results also indicated marked individual differences in the success of rooting of cuttings taken from the lower parts of a crown (percentage of rooting ranged from 0% to 100%).

Well planned forest traffic infrastructure, which is optimally integrated into the forest ecosystem, represents one of the basic prerequisites for the rational management of the forest ecosystem. The total amount of forest roads, their location and their specified technical characteristics must be sufficient for the best possible forest management. If the forest traffic infrastructure is properly distributed in the area, it enables all the tasks covered by forest management plans, with minimal costs for their construction and maintenance. This paper presents the current state of primary accessibility of the Management Unit Crno jezero – Marković rudine and gives guidelines to achieve very good primary relative accessibility. The processing of field data was performed with the ArcGIS 10.4 and QGIS 2.18.20 computer programs. It has been established that the classical forest openness in the studied Management Unit was 13.66 km/1000 ha, which does not even meet the minimum specified classical openness, this being 15 km/1000 ha for mountainous/hilly areas. When analysing the results of primary relative openness, a very similar situation was found as in the case of classical openness; the primary relative openness was 45.05 %, which is insufficient. Furthermore, the existing mean geometric distances of timber extraction were analysed separately for each compartment and for the entire managemnt unit, which was 258.74 m. A careful planning resulted in the design of a total of 53.05 km of new forest roads, which ultimately resulted in an increase in the classical forest openness amounting to 22.82 km/1000 ha and an increase in the primary relative openness amounting to 75.8 %, while the mean geometric distance of timber extraction was reduced to 140.55 m.

From the very beginning of the development of remote sensing, humans have been trying to create a tool to study the Earth’s dynamic surface and its phenomena. With the advancement of technology, first for the military and then for research purposes, sensors have been developed to collect data by recording the electromagnetic spectrum (multi and hyperspectral). From the moment they became available for civilian use, the potential benefits of using hyperspectral data became apparent. The development of hyperspectral systems followed the development of computer technologies and the progress of software for processing a large number of collected data.
Nowadays, hyperspectral sensors are increasingly being used for various purposes: ecosystem study, atmosphere, climate, hydrology, mineral exploitation, land use, land cover, and vegetation. Thanks to the wide variety of information they provide, hyperspectral sensors have large application potential in environmental monitoring and management. Also, they help to improve management and better decision-making at early problem defining.
The first application of hyperspectral sensors in Croatian forestry relates to the European Community program of 2005, when the first imaging with a line hyperspectral scanner was conducted. Within the conducted imaging, the first spectral curves of Silver fir and White berried mistletoe were separated. On the basis of this separation, for the first time, the difference between these two species was established. In other words, hyperspectral imagery was used to distinguish shrubs of semi-parasitic species within the host canopy. Also, procedures for large-area imaging were defined.

With the development and advancement of mobile technology, approach to collection, processing and interpretation of various field data in all professions, including forestry, has changed. In performing professional forestry work, mobile applications have not replaced traditional forestry instruments and procedures so far. However, an increasing number of applications are emerging on the market that have been specifically developed for forestry or that, in addition to other areas, can also be used to perform some forestry tasks. In this regard, the paper provides an overview of mobile applications that can be used in forestry. The applications presented in this paper were selected based on set criteria by searching Google Play and App Store digital services. After describing the purpose and mode of operation of the selected applications, their main features were presented with the emphasis on the positive and negative sides of each individual application. The aim of the paper is to assess the extent to which mobile applications can truly be a useful innovation in forestry. The presentation of the selected applications provides insights into whether professional use of mobile applications is possible in forestry.

U slovenskom gradu Slovenj Gradec u veljači 2019. godine održana je 13. međunarodna licitacija drva iz privatnih šuma u suorganizaciji Saveza vlasnika privatnih šuma, Društva vlasnika privatnih šuma Mislinjske doline te Zavoda za šume Slovenije. Bilo je izloženo 3420 sortimenata od 29 vrsta drveća. Brojčano najzastupljenija vrsta bio je hrast kitnjak (tablica 1) s 1732 primjerka raznih sortimenata i prosječnom postignutom cijenom od 1002 €/m3. Najviša postignuta cijena po kubnom metru ostvarena je za gorski javor (tablica 1) u iznosu od 9275 €.

U organizaciji Katedre za korištenje šumskih resursa Šumarskoga fakulteta Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci održano je 6. međunarodno savjetovanje »Šumsko inženjerstvo jugoistočne Europe – stanje i izazovi« od 12. do 14. rujna 2019. godine u Nacionalnom parku Kozara, Republika Srpska (jedan od dvaju entiteta Bosne i Hercegovine). Tim je savjetovanjem završen prvi šestogodišnji ciklus okupljanja znanstvenika i stručnjaka (slika 1) koji se bave problematikom šumarskoga inženjerstva u jugoistočnoj Europi, koje je potaknuto prvim održavanjem u travnju 2014. godine na Nastavno-pokusnom šumskom objektu Zalesina u organizaciji Zavoda za šumarske tehnike i tehnologije Šumarskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Šesto po redu savjetovanje organizirano je u hotelu Monument, koji se nalazi u srcu Nacionalnoga parka Kozara na visoravni Mrakovica, gdje je podignut Memorijalni kompleks (spomenik, memorijalni zid i muzej) u znak sjećanja na poginule borce iz okolnih područja tijekom II. svjetskoga rata.
Savjetovanje je okupilo šezdesetak sudionika iz znanstvene i stručne zajednice jugoistočne Europe. Aktivni sudionici savjetovanja bili su djelatnici Šumarskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Šumarskoga fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu, Biotehničkoga fakulteta Univerziteta u Ljubljani, Šumarskoga fakulteta Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Šumarskoga fakulteta Univerziteta »Sveti Kiril i Metodij« u Skoplju te Šumarskoga fakulteta Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci…

U Sopronu je od 6. do 9. listopada 2019. godine održano 52. međunarodno znanstveno savjetovanje udruženja FORMEC pod naslovom »Exceeding the Vision: Forest Mechanisation of the Future«. Uz redoviti program savjetovanja također je, prvi put u Europi, održan sastanak COFE-a (Council on Forest Engineering), dok je posljednji dan savjetovanja bio rezerviran za posjet sajmu AUSTROFOMA u Forchtensteinu. Organizatori su bili Sveučilište u Sopronu, BOKU u Beču i Državno sveučilište u Oregonu.

Tvrtka Hittner nastupila je na jednom od najpoznatijih događaja u segmentu šumarstva u Francuskoj u mjestu Les Gets. Navedeni događaj ili bolje rečeno natjecanje okuplja veliki broj profesionalaca i strastvenih šumskih stručnjaka iz cijele Francuske i susjednih zemalja (oko 30 000 posjetitelja).
Tvrtka Hittner ove je godine u suradnji sa svojim poslovnim partnerom, zastupnikom za Francusku – Groupe Bernard Maurice u sklopu već tradicionalnog i poznatog natjecanja Les Cognees demonstrirala rad svojeg najopremljenijeg zglobnog traktora EcoTrac 140 V, kojeg je francuski partner nazvao LATIL. Natjecanju je pristupilo 18 profesionalnih vozača velikog broja svjetskih proizvođača skiddera: CAMOX, HSM, TCI, CATERPILLAR, HITTNER i NOE.
Ovo natjecanje, jedinstveno u svijetu, uključivalo je 18 šumskih traktora (skiddera) kojima su upravljali iskusni vozači. Cilj natjecanja bio je u najkraćem mogućem vremenu proći obilježenom stazom (poligonom) s najmanjim brojem grešaka, a prilikom čega su traktori privlačili 5 kubika drveta. Također, prilikom prolaska poligonom traktorom i trupcima nije dozvoljeno dotaknuti ogradu, postavljene stupiće i prirodna stabla u šumi. Nadalje, mjerilo se vrijeme prolaska poligonom koji je bio pripremljen istovjetno teškim uvjetima u šumi. Za vrijeme prolaska poligonom zapaženo je kako Hittner skidder EcoTrac 140 V može konkurirati inozemnim proizvođačima, tj. snažnijim skidderima…