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Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering : Journal for Theory and Application of Forestry Engineering, Vol. 32 No. 2, 2011.

Original scientific paper

Comparing Terrain and Roadside Chipping in Mediterranean Pine Salvage Cuts

Enrico Marchi orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-6485-7044 ; DEISTAF University of Florence Via S. Bonaventura 13 I-50145 Firenze ITALY
Natascia Magagnotti ; CNR IVALSA Via Madonna del Piano 10 I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino ITALY
Lisa Berretti ; DEISTAF University of Florence Via S. Bonaventura 13 I-50145 Firenze ITALY
Francesco Neri ; DEISTAF University of Florence Via S. Bonaventura 13 I-50145 Firenze ITALY
Raffaele Spinelli ; CNR IVALSA Via Madonna del Piano 10 I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino ITALY

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Abstract

In central Italy, the increasing demand for fuel chips and the epidemic spread of maritime pine bast scale have favored the development of large-scale industrial logging operations. After years of extensive commercial trials, local operators have developed their own industrial harvesting systems, through a wise mix of Scandinavian and North American methods. The result is original and effective, and allows keeping harvesting cost below 20 € gt^–1. The study compared terrain chipping with roadside chipping, as applied to the coastal pine stands of Tuscany. Under the conditions of our study, roadside chipping was over four times more productive than terrain chipping, and it allowed reducing harvesting cost by one third (12.3 vs. 18.3 € gt^–1). Despite the intense use of diesel, total fossil energy inputs accounted for less than 3% of the potential energy in the wood chips. Terrain chipping and roadside chipping yielded 36 and 47 times the energy they used, respectively. The coexistence of the two systems was most interesting. The harvesting systems described in the study perform best in clear-cuts, but they can also work in partial cuts, including thinning operations. They are actually used in thinnings in the same Regional Park of San Rossore, although their productivity is lower than in clear-cuts.

Keywords

biomass; logistics; productivity; economics; salvage cuts; Mediterranean

Hrčak ID:

72660

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/72660

Publication date:

15.9.2011.

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