Metla Project 7210

Russian Wood Quality and Forestry Information Service

Duration: 2005-2007   Keywords: Russia, wood harvesting methods, wood quality
Research Program: Distinct projects - Social impact of forests

Objectives

An objective of the project is to strengthen pre-conditions for cross-border cooperation with Finnish woodworking enterprises by supplying basic knowledge about the quality of Russian wood and wood products. In addition, an electronic registry of enterprises working in the Northwest Russian forest sector and a two-way information service will be created. This information service will disseminate information about Finnish forest sector and quality standards to Russian companies.

The activities of the project can be divided into three parts:

• A study on the characteristics of wood products of Russian spruce and birch from the viewpoint of end-users working in construction, joinery and furniture production. Versatile measurements are being made of standing and cut trees and their wood, and test sawing and rotary-cutting are being performed to compare timber imported from Northwest Russia and timber grown in eastern Finland. Technical defects that affect the yield, quality and value of sawn timber and veneers are being detected and measured, and analyses are being compiled to determine the differences between Russian wood and domestic reference materials.
• A study on the currently used logging methods (tree-length and cut-to-length method) in the Republic of Karelia to determine their impacts on the quality of wood raw materials will be conducted. Logging methods will be compared and their positive and negative features analysed. The impacts of the most important factors, such as Russian and foreign harvesting technology, harvesting time and site, wood transportation and storage, and the education levels of the personel will be assessed for both methods. Additional topics will include a clarification of how quality is measured at the different phases of the harvesting and logistics chain, and which quality standards are being applied in Russia.
• The Russian forestry information service www.idanmetsatieto.info will be complemented with an electronic registry of enterprises working in the Northwest Russian forest sector. An information service in the Russian language will be created by publishing information about Finnish buyers of wood products, quality standards, etc.

Project leader: Karvinen, Sari
The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu Research Unit, PL 68, FI-80101 JOENSUU, FINLAND
Phone: +358 10 211 3256 Telefax: +358 10 211 3251
E-mail: sari.karvinen@metla.fi

Other researchers: Arponen, Juha (2006), Heikkilä, Keijo (2007), Kannisto, Kari, PA (2006), Marttila, Juhani, JO (2006), Välkky, Elina, JO (2005,2007)

Top of page

Updated 03.01.2008
Comments