Igor Potočnik

The Environment in Planning a Forest Road Network

Slovenia is a small European country with varied natural characteristics. 30% of Slovenia’s total surface has a slate, tertiary or flysch basis and approximately 19% of the total surface is threatened by soil erosion. When planning the forest road network, three main groups of factors are studied: natural conditions, state of forests and existing traffic communications. It is essential to find an equilibrium between the forests (nature), economic with organisation and technology. Inside the environmental impact at planning forest road network the role of topography, relief, geological conditions, climatic conditions and water conditions is described. It is concluded that the knowledge and consideration of the forest’s natural laws and of the environmental factors is crucial for the planning of the forest road network.

Comparison of Electric and Petrol Chainsaws in Terms of Efficiency and Safety When Used in Young Spruce Stands in Small-Scale Private Forests

Since the electric tools are increasingly entering the field of forestry, the aim of this study was to establish the consequences of using electric powered chainsaws on work and its energy efficiency, as well as health of workers. For this purpose, 40 trees were felled in two young spruce stands, half with a cordless electric chainsaw and one half with a petrol chainsaw. Results showed that electric chainsaws are a good alternative to petrol chainsaws for use in small-scale forestry, since in terms of work efficiency their use is comparable to petrol chainsaws and they provide a lower level of energy consumption, and lower exposure of fellers to noise and hand-arm vibrations. Similar to other fields, the results confirmed a positive impact of hand toll electrification on man and environment. The development of electric tools for forestry is expected to intensify with the development of more powerful batteries which are currently still regarded as the major bottleneck.