Foil Storage of Storm-Felled Timber-Long-Term Monitoring of Norway Spruce Piles in Germany

Windthrow and other calamities pose major challenges for forestry companies. In addition to difficult processing, solutions for the medium- and long-term storage of logs without the loss of quality are required in order to counteract the oversupply and falling prices of raw wood. The application of foil piles is a comparatively young and only regionally established procedure, which is of particular interest when wet storage is not possible. As part of a case study, a total of 32 piles of Norway spruce (Picea abies) wood were monitored under foil in the forest district of Dassel (Lower Saxony State Forests, Germany), and the conditions for wood-destroying fungi and the resulting wood quality were evaluated. A considerable depreciation in the stored wood was directly related to the atmosphere inside the pile and could be attributed to various types of damage to the foil. It became evident that quality losses can only be avoided by working quickly, being careful when sealing the piles and providing intensive support in the form of monitoring and rapid repairs.

Automated summary

Windthrow and other calamities pose challenges for forestry companies, and solutions for storage are needed to counteract oversupply and falling prices. Foil piles offer a viable option, especially when wet storage is not possible. A case study conducted on Norway spruce wood showed that quality losses in stored wood were related to the atmosphere inside the pile and damage to the foil. Quick action, careful sealing, and support for monitoring and repairs are essential to prevent quality losses.