Multifunctional Machinery in Mountain Forestry/ The Italian Experience : Seminar on the Use of Multifunctional Machinery and Equipment in Logging Operations
Forestry in Italy is very different from that in North America and Scandinavia, and therefore mechanisation of forest operations cannot follow the Nordic example. The factors that prevent the application of heavy mechanisation are: - unfavourable terrain: 80% of the Italian forest surface is located on slopes steeper than 20% and in most cases the terrain is uneven and rocky; - silviculture: Italian stands are managed according to the rules of naturalistic silviculture. Clearcutting is allowed on small surfaces only, and most operations leave a rather dense residual stand. This yields a number of benefits in terms of soil protection, stand stability, and recreational and landscape functions, but it makes forest operations more difficult and prevents the use of heavy machinery; - infrastructure: the density and the standard of forest road networks are generally poor, and Forest Authorities are reluctant to allow their upgrading; - forest ownership and forest planning: about 70% of the Italian forest surface is privately owned. The number of forest owners is countless, and the size of the average forest holding is below four hectares. Forest owners are not gathered in associations, and it is impossible to set up any management plans. In turn, this results in job uncertainty for the logging firms, that are discouraged from making important investments; - currency: heavy mechanisation relies on Nordic or American machinery. These machines are paid for in hard currency, and that makes their cost disproportionate for the Italian user. While these causes prevent the italians from profiting from the operational efficiency of heavy mechanisation, they have the merit of pushing us to search for alternative solutions and eventually to provide logging planners with a broader range of options.
