Optimization of storage yards in sustainable forest management in the amazon

In the management of native Amazonian forests, infrastructure, such as stockyards and skid trails, are costly attributes and are responsible for a large part of the environmental impacts, productivity, costs and performance in forest management operations. The objective of this study was to apply a mathematical optimization model for the allocation of storage yards in native forest. The study was carried out in a native forest, in a sustainable forest management located in the Brazilian Amazon. The analyzed area has 3556.27 ha, which involved 16,425 trees and 311 wood storage yards. The study area was subdivided into three smaller areas by the company, which helped to optimize the number and size of yards. The dimensions of the storage yards were 25 × 25 m, with the maximum skid distance of trees from the felling site to the prioritized storage yard being 250 m. Two models were analyzed using integer linear programming: Model A - without penalties and Model B - with cost penalties (fictional) for opening storage yards through integer linear programming. The cost penalty served to prevent the selection of an excessive number of yards and thus the initial need to open them. Among the models, area 3 had the fewest storage yard exclusions when adding the opening cost penalty and can be considered the one that best managed the distribution in terms of cost and environmental impact of this infrastructure in the exploration. The number of storage yards allocated by model B was reduced by 27.3%, proving to be efficient in reducing impacts (5.3 ha) and in the uniformity of the amount of wood to be stored. The answers found by the models are viable solutions that allow for better results in infrastructure planning, and they can certainly be adopted by companies engaged in sustainable forest management.