Jori Uusitalo, Zhu Mao, Son Cao, Omid Abdi. (2026). Assessing logging trail network performance using spatial configuration metrics. Silva Fennica vol. 60 no. 3 article id 26018. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.26018

Keywords: silviculture; sustainable forest management; forest operations; timber harvesting; forest machines; GNSS positioning

Highlights: Proposes two complementary metrics – Coverage Coefficient and Structural Efficiency – to assess spatial arrangement performance of logging trail networks beyond traditional density measures; A new method is also introduced that computes geometrically meaningful mean spacing between adjacent trails, overcoming limitations of density-based approaches that may produce geometrically uneven trail distributions; Demonstrates how new metrics can be applied to data gathered from thinning operations in Central Finland; The new metrics support improved harvesting efficiency, automated trail planning, and sustainable forest management.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Logging trails are a critical component of modern forest harvesting operations, particularly in thinning and partial cutting, where trail layout strongly influences harvesting efficiency, soil disturbance, future stand growth, and carbon balance. Despite their importance, existing regulations and commonly used metrics – such as mean trail spacing and trail density – primarily address quantitative properties of logging trail networks and do not capture the qualitative aspects of network design. In this study, we introduce a novel concept for assessing the spatial arrangement performance of logging trail networks based on two complementary spatial configuration metrics: a Coverage Coefficient, describing the proportion of forest area reachable by harvesting machinery, and a Structural Efficiency Coefficient, comparing the actual trail length to an idealized network layout. Together, these metrics provide a geometrically meaningful and operationally relevant evaluation of trail network spatial arrangement beyond conventional density-based measures. We also introduce a method for computing a geometrically meaningful mean spacing between adjacent trails. The methodology is demonstrated using ten thinning sites from Central Finland. The results reveal clear differences in the spatial pattern of trail layouts among sites that are not detectable using traditional metrics alone. The proposed approach offers a practical tool for evaluating spatial arrangement performance of logging trail networks after harvesting, supporting operator feedback, regulatory assessment, and the development of automated trail network design and planning procedures. More broadly, the metrics provide a foundation for improving harvesting efficiency, reducing unnecessary trail density, and supporting environmentally sustainable forest management.

Uusitalo, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3793-1215 E-mail: jori.uusitalo@helsinki.fi
Mao, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8464-2558 E-mail: zhu.mao@helsinki.fi
Cao, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5285-7312 E-mail: caothaison@outlook.com.vn
Abdi, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8048-8792 E-mail: omid.abdi@helsinki.fi

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