Mechanization in Forestry

The book Mechanization in Forestry provides a comprehensive overview of the technical, technological, and organizational aspects of mechanization in modern forestry. The publication covers fundamental knowledge of engineering materials, machine elements, and internal combustion engines, which form the basis for understanding the design and operation of forestry machinery. Particular attention is devoted to the historical development of mechanization in forestry and its importance for increasing labor productivity, reducing the physical workload of workers, improving occupational safety, and enhancing the efficient utilization of forest resources.

The book examines in detail the machines used for timber harvesting and processing, including chainsaws, brush cutters, pruning machines, debarking machines, wood splitters, and wood chippers, as well as advanced highly mechanized systems such as harvesters, harwarders, and feller-bunchers. A significant portion of the content is dedicated to machinery used in the first phase of timber transportation, including skidders, adapted agricultural tractors, forwarders, winches, cable yarding systems, and forest cableways, as well as machinery for transporting logging residues. The second phase of timber transportation is also addressed, covering road, rail, air, and water transport systems.

In addition to forest harvesting operations, the textbook includes machinery used for forest establishment, tending, and protection, operations in forest nurseries, and equipment employed in the construction and maintenance of forest roads. Special emphasis is placed on contemporary trends in automation, digitalization, and the application of intelligent systems in forestry. As a university textbook, the work provides students and forestry professionals with the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for understanding, selecting, and applying forestry machinery under a wide range of operational conditions.