Wildfire management is undergoing rapid transformation as data fusion, artificial intelligence, and participatory approaches are used to enhance ecosystem resilience and community safety. This paper presents the development of a concept of operations (ConOps) within the EU project SILVANUS, aimed at supporting design of an integrated, data-driven platform for wildfire management. The ConOps was developed using a methodology that combines systems engineering principles, standardized information management, and participatory stakeholder engagement across ten international pilot sites. Through iterative refinement, it captures the operational context and system requirements in pre-fire, active fire, and post-fire phases. The analysis identifies key limitations in existing wildfire management systems such as fragmented technologies, inconsistent data standards, limited interoperability, and weak institutional coordination. The proposed ConOps provides a structured and replicable framework to address these challenges. While the methodology effectively supports requirement definition and operational scenario development, real-world pilot testing remains necessary to assess implementation challenges.
The composition of manufactured wood-based boards is influenced by variations in the availability of input materials caused by changes in forestry practice. The effect of substituting the ubiquitous Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) was studied in manufacturing single-layer oriented-strand boards (OSBs) with larch (Larix decidua), alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) and birch (Betula pendula) at compositions of 10, 15 and 20
Climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation are key forest functions, but how to pursue them jointly in timber-managed forests is still unclear. We use a Europe-wide dataset of forest multi-taxon diversity and stand structure to (i) evaluate the importance of aboveground carbon stocks in determining species richness of six taxonomic groups; (ii) assess relationships between species richness and carbon stocks; (iii) discuss the potential to jointly enhance carbon and biodiversity and policy implications. Carbon-diversity relationships are positive for several groups, but mostly when deadwood pools are considered. Forest policies should consider the complex relationship between different carbon pools and taxonomic groups. Environmental policies emphasizing carbon sequestration in aboveground living biomass may conflict with biodiversity conservation by promoting homogeneous, fast-growing forests that fail to support species diversity of multiple groups. Sustainable forest management should acknowledge that deadwood carbon instead may translate into positive outcomes for both carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. Forests are essential for both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, yet how to balance these goals in managed forests remains unclear. Here, using a Europe-wide dataset, the authors find that biodiversity increases with carbon stocks, but mostly when deadwood is included.
Pellets produced from raw or torrefied shredded logging residues have been investigated in the study. The research material came from pine and spruce stands in Poland, Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary. Torrefaction temperatures (Tt) of 250, 300, and 400 °C were applied. Before pressure agglomeration, 3% wheat flour was added to the torrefaction material as a binding agent. Pellets with a diameter of 8 mm were produced at constant humidity, compaction pressure (P) of 140 or 180 MPa and agglomeration temperature (Ta) of 100, 120 or 140 °C. The produced pellets were assessed for their physicomechanical parameters (density, radial compressive strength, compression ratio, modulus of elasticity), chemical parameters (extractive compounds, cellulose, lignin) and energy parameters (ash content, elemental composition, calorific value). The results were subjected to basic statistical analysis and multi-way ANOVA. The produced pellets varied in physical, mechanical, chemical and energy properties. A significant effect of torrefaction temperature, agglomeration temperature and compaction pressure on the results was observed. In terms of physicomechanical parameters, the best pellets were produced from the raw material, while in terms of energy parameters, those produced from the torrefied material were superior. Pellets of satisfactory quality produced from torrefied logging residues could be obtained at Tt = 250 °C, Ta = 120 °C and P = 180 MPa. Pellets with specific density of approximately 1.1 g·cm-3, radial compressive strength of 3-3.5 MPa, modulus of elasticity of 60-80 MPa and calorific value of 20.3-23.8 MJ·kg-1 were produced in the process.
While the impact of forestry machinery on soil structure is well documented, large-scale monitoring of soil compaction in managed forests is hindered by the high spatial variability of soils, the labour intensity of conventional methods, and their time-consuming and destructive nature. These challenges obstruct the implementation of preventive strategies, such as optimised skid-trail design, to mitigate soil degradation. Meanwhile, efficient, non-destructive soil assessment techniques suitable for operational forestry remain underdeveloped. Here, we evaluate the potential of electrical resistivity tomography for detecting skidder-induced compaction in forest soils. Conducted in two Carpathian forests, the study employed two approaches: successive and spatially aligned soil electrical resistivity (ER) measurements before and after two loaded skidder passes in locality 1, and parallel ER measurements on a skid road formed by approximately forty passes alongside a non-trafficked area in Locality 2. Decreases of approximately 10 Ω m were observed after just two passes in locality 1 and > 200 Ω m after approximately forty passes in Locality 2, respectively. This study provides the first assessment of ER changes along forest skid trail sections almost 10 m long, accompanied by a soil porosity (φ) reduction of up to 13
