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Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering : Journal for Theory and Application of Forestry Engineering, Vol. 45 No. 1, 2024.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.5552/crojfe.2024.2130

Effects of Boom-Corridor and Selective Thinnings on Harvester Productivity in Dense Small Diameter Pyrenean Oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) Coppices in Spain

Lucía Herguido-Sevillano orcid id orcid.org/0009-0009-2924-0124 ; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural Dpto. Ingeniería y Gestión Forestal y Ambiental Avenida Ramiro de Maeztu s/n 28040, Madrid SPAIN
Eduardo Tolosana orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-2561-0342 ; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural Dpto. Ingeniería y Gestión Forestal y Ambiental Avenida Ramiro de Maeztu s/n 28040, Madrid SPAIN *
Rubén Laina ; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural Dpto. Ingeniería y Gestión Forestal y Ambiental Avenida Ramiro de Maeztu s/n 28040, Madrid SPAIN
Teresa de la Fuente orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-0338-4957 ; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural Dpto. Ingeniería y Gestión Forestal y Ambiental Avenida Ramiro de Maeztu s/n 28040, Madrid SPAIN
Dan Bergström ; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology Skogsmarksgränd, 17 907 36, Umeå SWEDEN
Raúl Fernandez-Lacruz ; The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden (Skogforsk) Tomterna, 1 918 21, Sävar SWEDEN
Tomas Nordfjell ; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology Skogsmarksgränd, 17 907 36, Umeå SWEDEN

* Corresponding author.

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Abstract

Due to socioeconomic transformations in the 20th century, Quercus pyrenaica Willd. coppices in Spain, as well as other European coppices, have experimented an abandonment and lack of intervention leading to stagnant high density stands with fragile health due to competition. Thinnings are often required to ensure their stability and health, producing forest products such as firewood or biomass, which are key energy sources in a carbon-neutral economy. However, thinnings are seldom performed because they lack economic sustainability due to a low productivity, high costs and low biomass prices. In this study, two thinning methods, selective thinning (ST) and boom-corridor thinning (BCT), were tested carrying out a time study in a high-density small-diameter Q. pyrenaica stand in the León province (Castilla y León, Spain) with a forest harvester base machine, on which an accumulating felling head Bracke C16c was mounted. The residual stands were significantly different regarding the final density (greater in BCT) and the final average DBH (bigger in ST), while thinning intensity (odt·ha-1) was the same. In most work elements, time per tree was not significantly different. BCT showed a significant 48.6% increase in harvester productivity when compared to ST, with averaging 4.43 and 2.99 odt·pmh-1, respectively, due mainly to the average weight per extracted tree, 42% greater in BCT. When considering the common range of unit tree weight, the productivity was 16–23% greater for BCT, far less than observed in the trials. These results show the potential of BCT over ST in the studied conditions, although there is room for improvement. Further studies could include the future evolution of the treated stands and perform a cost analysis.

Keywords

coppice thinning, biomass, forest time study, accumulating felling head, Bracke C16c, mechanization

Hrčak ID:

311913

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/311913

Publication date:

12.1.2024.

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