Sal forest harvesting damage study Nepal

A study published in Agricultural Ecology and Environment on 20 May 2026 examined damage to residual plants during felling and timber extraction in Sal (Shorea robusta) forests in Nepal. Researchers from Agriculture and Forestry University, led by Rajeev Joshi, conducted field assessments in Nepal — Saraswati Community Forest and Nepal — Belakatari National Forest in Nepal — Udayapur District. They established 30 circular plots around harvested trees and 30 transects along extraction routes, inspecting vegetation before harvesting to distinguish new damage. The study found that timber extraction caused 45.41% of seedling damage, felling 43.35%, and other human activities 11.24%. For residual trees, felling caused 58.06% of damage, extraction 22.58%. Seedlings were most often bent, while residual trees suffered crown damage during felling and butt-end damage during extraction. Most tree injuries were low severity, but 53.4% of seedling injuries during extraction were medium or high severity. The authors recommend pre-harvest inventories, directional felling, planned skid trails, operator training, and post-harvest monitoring to reduce damage and support sustainable forest management.