Technology Aids Forest Log Value Recovery

With competition from a plethora of alternative raw and synthetic materials, as well as from expanding forest plantations production in Brazil, Chile, and New Zealand, it's clear that the Pacific Northwest forest industry must be innovative in order to survive. To remain competitive, industry must control costs, sort and allocate logs to the most appropriate markets and milling processes, and maximize the wood value of the forest at the time of harvest. Glen Murphy, professor in Forest Engineering, notes that the world's best harvesting operations using the best equipment many of them in Scandinavia currently lose only 4-5 percent of the wood value of forests at harvest; in the Pacific Northwest, however, recent studies have shown losses of 10-19 percent. Hence, Murphy's research focuses on value recovery capturing the greatest economic value from each and every felled tree through the most innovative technology. Computerized harvesting equipment already allows foresters to take detailed electronic measurements during harvest. Information on stem quality is entered via a keypad, while sensor technology is used to measure the shape and diameter of the stem at all points along its length as the tree is being stripped of its branches at fast speeds.

Smart software is then used to cut each stem into the logs which will optimally match stem properties to market requirements. Current research efforts could lead to the use of such technologies as laser scanning for automatically detecting external stem quality features, acoustics bouncing sound waves through the stem for sorting stronger material from weaker material, and near-infrared spectrometry measuring absorbed and reflected light for determining the internal properties of the stem. "Smart sensors" will speed up the process and increase accuracy. After cutting, logs must be sorted and delivered to the right customer in order to capture the most economic value. To do that, logs must be tagged in some way to identify them. Stapled bar codes can be used but the metal staples can cause problems for sawmills and the bar codes can fall off. Murphy came up with the innovative idea of spraying logs with scent combinations, an identification system he calls aroma tagging. "With only 25 scents, we can uniquely tag 33 million logs," he says. He is now working with chemists to find waterproof scents that will last long enough to get the logs to market and to test the feasibility of using electronic noses to detect them. The latest in technology, combined with creative problem solving and innovative techniques, helps capture economic value and a competitive edge for the Pacific Northwest. Not only that, more efficient use of natural resources is likely to mean improved sustainability, lower fuel consumption, and less waste.

Mathematical Models Improve Planning

The world’s forests serve as important sources of materials, water, biodiversity, and cultural values. Their management ultimately affects the lives of every one of the planet’s more than 6 billion people. The Department of Forest Engineering is a world leader in the development of innovative techniques to solve large spatially explicit combinatorial optimization models that can be used to guide the management of forest landscapes to meet often conflicting goals. Dr. John Sessions, OSU Distinguished Professor and Stewart Professor, is widely recognized for his efforts to develop models that bring together a number of technologies including remote sensing, global positioning systems, geographic information systems, and tree growth and yield models. His models have been applied locally and around the world. He is currently supporting the planning efforts for almost 700,000 acres of forests administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Simultaneous choices are made considering cash flows, timber products, harvesting equipment and truck transportation, contributions to biological diversity, criteria for forest sustainability, and forest practice rules. Dr. Sessions brings this innovation into the classroom too. Graduate students from a number of OSU Departments, as well as visiting foreign students and faculty, look forward to his courses in combinatorial optimization methodologies, forest planning and transportation planning.