Greenhouse gas emissions of two mechanised wood harvesting methods in comparison with the use of draft horses for logging

• DOI: 10.1007/s10342-011-0585-2
• Publication Date: 2011-12-29T07:22:04Z
• Authors: A. -M. Engel; J. Wegener; M. Lange
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 12. Responsible consumption

In this investigation, three different methods for the harvesting of spruce under otherwise identical conditions were analysed with respect to their greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output: a partially mechanised method using motor saws and draft horses, a more highly mechanised method using motor saws and a forestry tractor and a fully mechanised method with a harvester and forwarder. All the sub-steps from the harvesting of the fallen trees to the transportation to the road were included in the investigated greenhouse gas audit, which followed the rules of a streamlined life cycle assessment. The lowest greenhouse gas emissions were produced by the partially mechanised method (305.7 kg CO2e ha−1), followed by the more highly mechanised method (510.5 kg CO2e ha−1) and by the fully mechanised method (554.3 kg CO2e ha−1). The greatest proportion of the greenhouse gas audit within each method was taken up by the fuel, lubricant and hydraulic oil utilisation. In the horse audit, transportation to and from the site of operation caused the greatest effect (60%). With these results, it could be confirmed that horses when used for logging could be assessed as being more positive with respect to their climate friendliness than large-scale machines despite their lower harvesting capacity per hectare of spruce. However, as this study did not take all environmental impacts into consideration, this relatively better environmental audit for draft horses could be changed when other environmental impacts (e.g. land use) are also included. This possibility should be investigated in further investigations.