Residual Tree Damage During Forest Operations: a Comprehensive Review of Operational, Silvicultural, and...

Minimizing residual tree damage during mechanized forest operations is vital for sustainable forest management since this damage can affect stand structure, timber quality, and long-term forest health. Although various studies have examined tree damage factors, evidence remains fragmented across regions and systems. The review synthesizes the state of knowledge of residual tree damage during forest operations, identifying how operational, silvicultural, and human factors have been reported to influence damage characteristics and synthesize mitigation strategies.

Of the 547 articles that were systematically screened, 76 were selected for synthesis. Reported damage frequency ranged from 0.7% to 68% across studies, reflecting substantial variation associated with differences in assessment methods, damage thresholds, and operational contexts. The reviewed literature associated residual tree damage with stand and site conditions, harvesting systems and methods, harvesting intensity, trail configuration, tree position, and operator-related factors. However, the direction and magnitude of these reported relationships varied across the studies suggesting substantial context dependence. Human-related factors received comparatively limited attention, and direct evidence relating to operator experience, mental workload, visibility, and related ergonomic conditions to residual tree damage remained limited.

Residual tree damage cannot be consistently explained by any single factor, instead, reported patterns reflect interacting operational, silvicultural, and human influences. By categorizing the literature into these three factors, this review identifies an imbalance in the evidence base, with human-related influences receiving less direct examination in relation to residual tree damage than operational and silvicultural factors. This underrepresentation highlights the need for further research examining operator experience, workload, and visibility in relation to residual tree damage, and evaluating these factors jointly with operational and silvicultural factors. To support this integrated perspective, the review proposes a conceptual framework that organizes the reported factor categories, damage characteristics, and mitigation strategies.