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The Use of Low-power Machinery in Wet Soils Allows for Careful Forest Management

About half of the forests managed by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) grow on wet soils, where heavy and powerful machinery sinks in. The use of low-power machinery in forest stands with increased soil moisture helps to perform forest maintenance work, especially forest thinning.

In 2021, a contract was signed with the logging service provider SIA “SERVISS BETTA” for forest thinning with low-power machinery for five years; this company performs maintenance work with “Jarcrac Evopro Eco” tractors.

“For both the company and the service provider, forest thinning with low-power equipment was a completely new experience two years ago, now the first practical knowledge has been gained. During this time, we have mostly worked in forest stands with bad and extreme logging conditions in LVM Kandava and Engure stations. The largest proportion is first thinning in thin-dimension trees. In the Engures area, we are currently developing cuttings on variable terrain and over-wet depressions,” says Jānis Folkmanis, Head of Logging in the LVM Zemgale Region.

When working with low-power machinery in forest stands with increased soil moisture, no damage to the remaining future trees has been observed. The access roads, which are three metres wide, are much narrower than when working with conventional machinery, which ensures a more even treatment of the stand and reduces the risk of wind damage in the later period. Avoiding soil and root damage is a major benefit of using this method.

“In general, it can be said that the use of low-power logging equipment has been very successful. As a result, we have gained valuable experience and, above all, well-tended future forest stands,” says Jānis Folkmanis, Head of Logging in the LVM Zemgale Region.