The Relevance of Criteria and Indicators For Sustainable Timber Harvesting From The Perspective of Different Stakeholders

This study presents findings from a systematic literature review covering the years 2017 to 2022, focusing on sustainable timber harvesting operations. Out of 423 selected studies emphasizing the impact of timber harvesting technology, 33 criteria were identified as relevant for evaluating sustainability. To assess the importance of these criteria, an online survey was conducted among Austrian stakeholders between April and May 2023, with 599 participants solicited and a response rate of 48%.

The survey respondents, primarily male (94%) with an average age of 47 years and an average work experience of 20 years, held responsibilities in various aspects of timber harvesting operations, including planning (80%), execution (36%), controlling (77%), analysis (57%), or consulting (46%). Predominantly utilized harvesting machines included chainsaws (97%), tractors with winches (93%), cable yarders (76%), harvesters (73%), forwarders (69%), skidders (57%), tractors with trailers (51%), and manual or animal-assisted timber extraction (49%).

Across all stakeholder groups, critical criteria identified for sustainable timber harvesting operations encompassed work hazards, residual stand damage, timber quality loss due to poor work performance, biomass regeneration, water erosion, noise exposure, soil rutting, physical workload, working conditions, and vibration exposure. While productivity, cost, and fuel consumption were not considered critical by most stakeholders, they were considered highly relevant by research institutions and harvesting companies, likely due to their use in scientific comparisons and economic considerations. Similarly, criteria related to machine-soil interaction, such as machine trafficability, soil rutting, and compaction, were prioritized by most stakeholders but received comparatively less emphasis from administration authorities and harvesting companies. Research institutions are particularly interested in minimizing impacts on humans. Notably, differing stakeholder preferences were observed due to the focus on different machines, leading to varied assessments of criterion relevance. The identified stakeholder preferences will be used to develop of a decision support model for sustainable timber harvesting in mountain forests, using these criteria as input parameters.