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Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering : Journal for Theory and Application of Forestry Engineering, Vol. 45 No. 2, 2024.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5552/crojfe.2024.2425

Timber Harvesting Economics in Early Commercial Thinning and Group Selection Prescriptions

Ashish Alex ; University of Maine School of Forest Resources Orono, Maine, 04469 UNITED STATES
Anil Raj Kizha ; University of Maine School of Forest Resources Orono, Maine, 04469 UNITED STATES
Alex K. George ; Paul Smith’s College Paul Smiths, NY, 12970 UNITED STATES
Libin T. Louis ; University of Maine at Fort Kent Natural Science Unit Maine, 04743 UNITED STATES
M. Chad Bolding ; University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Athens, GA, 30602 UNITED STATES
Steven Bick ; Northeast Forests, LLC Thendara, New York, 13472 UNITED STATES
Nicole S. Rogers ; University of Maine School of Forest Resources Orono, Maine, 04469 UNITED STATES

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Abstract

Forest management decisions that consider both short- and long-term objectives are becoming more challenging and costly, due to market uncertainty, labor shortages, and the evolving forest industry. Under such unpredictable circumstances, a better understanding of the production economics of various silvicultural prescriptions is crucial in implementing sound forest management activities. The objectives of this study were to: a) estimate stump to landing productivity and cost for Early Commercial Thinning (ECT) and Group Selection (GS) prescriptions; and b) compare the harvest system cost (USD/PMH) using machine rate and PATH (Planning and Analysis in Timber Harvesting) methods. Detailed time-motion studies were conducted in the spruce-fir forest of Northern Maine, USA, during the summer of 2019. The results, as expected, indicated the harvesting costs were 23% higher for ECT (21.08 USD/m3) compared to GS (16.32 USD/m3). The average productivity of the harvester and forwarder were reduced by 15 and 37%, respectively, for ECT compared to GS. The estimated harvesting system cost (USD/PMH) was 4% higher as indicated by PATH compared to machine rate method. Higher operational productivity in GS can be attributed to the larger volume of logs, and shorter travel loaded distance than ECT. These findings can help forest managers make more informed decisions while implementing appropriate silvicultural prescriptions under varying conditions based on management objectives and market conditions.

Keywords

cut-to-length, forest operations, machine productivity, silvicultural prescriptions, timber harvest layout

Hrčak ID:

322721

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/322721

Publication date:

15.7.2024.

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