Impacts of silvicultural prescriptions and implementation of best management practices on timber harvesting costs

• Published in: International journal of forest engineering Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 14 - 25
• Main Authors: Soman, Harikrishnan, Kizha, Anil Raj, Roth, Brian Edward
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 02.01.2019
• Subjects: Clear-cut; forest best management practices; logging operations; partial harvest; site disturbance; slash mat
• ISSN: 1494-2119; 1913-2220
• DOI: 10.1080/14942119.2019.1562691

Rising costs of forest operations and decreasing revenue generated from harvesting are becoming critical challenges in forest management throughout the Northeastern US. Along with this, the low markets for comminuted forest residues and stricter policies on environmental protection have prompted utilization of these materials as slash mats on skid trails for minimizing soil disturbances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of different silvicultural treatments and utilization of forest residues generated from a mechanized timber harvesting operation for implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs). The field-based experiment was done in central Maine, where four forest stands were managed at varying intensities following silvicultural prescriptions common to the region (partial harvest (PH) and clear-cut (CC) treatments). Variables measured included delay-free cycle times of various timber harvesting machines, predictor variables, and stand features. The total cost of PH was higher than that of CC ($22.94 m −3 versus $14.88 m −3 ). Of the various operational phases, the costs associated with skidding was the highest and ranged from 52 to 70% of the total cost for PH and CC, respectively. The cost of BMP implementation was estimated to be between $10 and $52 PMH −1 or $1.0 and $3.7 m −3 , and was influenced by several factors, including machine maneuverability and the extent of area which demanded BMP implementation. This information on the cost and productivity for timber harvesting operations, along with BMP implementation, will support the development of economic and environmentally sustainable harvesting strategies.