Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of harvesting method on biomass retention and operational efficiency in low-value mountain forests

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Forest Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

This study determined the biomass retention effects and the technical–financial performance of alternative harvesting practices, applied to mountain sites. The two alternatives were: whole-tree (WT) and tree-length (TL) harvesting. Five cable yarding sites were selected from a larger pool of available sales, and on each site two adjacent and parallel cable corridors were set up, using the same base equipment and crew. For each of the 10 corridors (i.e. 5 sites × 2 corridors), the following data were recorded: biomass retention, product output, time and fuel inputs. Opting for TL harvesting resulted in a large (66 %) and significant increase in biomass retention, which may prove attractive where intensified biomass removal may jeopardize soil fertility and biodiversity. TL harvesting also resulted in a moderate increase (13 %) of total harvesting cost. Furthermore, TL harvesting required 30 % more labour input than WT, which may represent a disadvantage when forest labour is scarce. The increased labour use in TL harvesting occurs mainly at the stump site, where accident risk is highest. For all these reasons, managers should take their decision very carefully and opt out of more efficient WT harvesting only when the risk derived from increased biomass removal is quite severe.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerman P, Belbø H, Eliasson L, De Jong A, Lazdins A, Lyons J (2014) The COST model for calculation of forest operations cost. Int J For Eng 25:75–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Adebayo A, Han H, Johnson L (2007) Productivity and cost of cut-to-length and whole-tree harvesting in a mixed-conifer stand. For Prod J 57:59–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Allred S (2009) Logging firm succession and retention. For Prod J 59:31–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Binder C, Hofer C, Wiek A, Scholz R (2004) Transition towards improved regional wood flows by integrating material flux analysis and agent analysis: the case of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland. Ecol Econ 49:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bisson J, Han S, Han H, Zhang J, Montgomery T (2013) Comparing whole tree to tree-length fuel reduction thinning operations: cost and actual amounts of biomass removal. In: Proceedings of the 36th annual meeting of the council on forest engineering, Missoula, Montana, USA

  • Bolding C, Aust W (2011) Potential soil erosion following skyline yarding versus tracked skidding on bladed skid trails in the Appalachian region of Virginia. South J Appl For 35:131–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Bont L, Heinimann H (2012) Optimum geometric layout of a single cable road. Eur J For Res 131:1439–1448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brang P, Schönenberger W, Frehner M, Schwitter R, Thormann J, Wasser B (2006) Management of protection forests in the European Alps: an overview. For Snow Landsc Res 80:23–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchholz T, Friedland A, Hornig C, Keeton W, Zanchi G, Nunery J (2014) Mineral soil carbon fluxes in forests and implications for carbon balance assessments. GCB Bioenergy 6:305–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalli R (2012) Prospects of research on cable logging in forest engineering community. Croat J For Eng 33:339–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Christie C (2008) Relationship between energy intake and expenditure during harvesting tasks. Occup Ergon 8:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung W, Venn T, Loeffler D, Jones G, Han H, Calkin D (2014) Assessing the potential for log sort yards to improve financial viability of forest restoration treatments. For Sci 58:641–651

    Google Scholar 

  • Cormier D, Volpé S, Spencer S (2012) Biomass availability related to operational constraints (in French). In: Presentation at the Démo international conference, Quebec City, Canada, September, 2012. http://www.oifq.com/pdf/congres/congres-2012/presentations/cormier.pdf

  • Cuchet E, Roux P, Spinelli R (2004) Performance of a logging residue bundler in the temperate forests of France. Biomass Bioenergy 27:31–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorren L, Berger F, Imeson A, Maier B, Rey F (2004) Integrity, stability and management of protection forests in the European Alps. For Ecol Manag 195:165–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drews E, Hartsough B, Doyal J, Kellogg L (2001) Harvester-forwarder and harvester-yarder systems for fuel reduction treatments. Int J For Eng 12:81–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Eliasson L, Von Hofsten H, Johannesson T, Spinelli R, Tierfelder T (2015) Effects of sieve size on chipper productivity, fuel consumption and chip size distribution for open drum chippers. Croat J For Eng 36:11–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghaffariyan M, Stampfer K, Sessions J (2009) Production equations for tower yarders in Austria. Int J For Eng 20:17–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghaffariyan M, Andonovski V, Brown M (2011) Application of slash-bundler for collecting harvest restudies in Eucalyptus plantation. Silva Balcan 1–2:83–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein J, Irland L, Senick J, Bassett E (2005) The intergenerational supply of loggers under conditions of declining economic well-being. Ind Relat 44:331–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han H, Lee H, Johnson L (2004) Economic feasibility of an integrated harvesting system for small-diameter trees in southwest Idaho. For Prod J 54:21–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Helmisaari H, Hanssen K, Jacobson S, Kukkola M, Luiro J, Saarsalmi A et al (2011) Logging residue removal after thinning in Nordic boreal forests: long-term impact on tree growth. For Ecol Manag 261:1919–1927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hytönen J, Moilanen M (2014) Effect of harvesting method on the amount of logging residues in the thinning of Scots pine stands. Biomass Bioenergy 67:347–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kizha A, Han HS (2015) Forest residues recovered from whole-tree harvest operations. Eur J For Eng 1:46–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamers P, Thiffault E, Paré D, Junginger M (2013) Feedstock specific environmental risk levels related to biomass extraction for energy from boreal and temperate forests. Biomass Bioenergy 55:212–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Littlefield C, Keeton W (2012) Bioenergy harvesting impacts on ecologically important stand structure and habitat characteristics. Ecol Appl 22:1892–1909

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lundmark R (2006) Cost structure and competition for forest-based biomass. Scand J For Res 21:271–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mika A, Keeton W (2013) Factors contributing to carbon fluxes from bioenergy harvests in the U.S. Northeast: an analysis using field data. GCB Bioenergy 5:290–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mika A, Keeton W (2014) Net carbon fluxes at stand and landscape scales from wood bioenergy harvests in the US Northeast. GCB Bioenergy. doi:10.1111/gcbb.12143

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikkola H, Ahokas J (2010) Indirect energy input of agricultural machinery in bioenergy production. Renew Energy 35:23–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy G, Marshall H, Dick A (2014) Time of day impacts on machine productivity and value recovery in an off-forest central processing yard. N Z J For Sci 44:19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onida M (2009) The Alps: eight countries, a single territory. Permanent Secretariate of the Alpine convention. Innsbruck (Austria)

  • Potočnik I, Pentek T, Poje A (2009) Severity analysis of accidents in forest operations. Croat J For Eng 30:171–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam N (1983) A comparison of productivity for whole tree, tree length, and log length skyline thinning in 35 year old Douglas-fir stands of western Oregon. Master Thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

  • SAS Institute Inc (1999) StatView reference. SAS Publishing, Cary, NC. ISBN-1-58025-162-5, pp 84–93

  • Seidl R, Rammer W, Lexer M (2011) Climate change vulnerability of sustainable forest management in the Eastern Alps. Clim Change 106:225–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smethhurst P, Nambiar E (1990) Distribution of carbon and nutrients and fluxes of mineral nitrogen after clearfelling a Pinus radiata plantation. Can J For Res 20:1490–1497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N (2010) Comparison of two harvesting systems for the production of forest biomass from the thinning of Picea abies plantations. Scand J For Res 25:69–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N (2011) The effects of introducing modern technology on the financial, labour and energy performance of forest operations in the Italian Alps. For Pol Econ 13:520–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N, Nati C (2009) Options for the mechanized processing of hardwood trees in Mediterranean forests. Int J For Eng 20:39–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N, Nati C (2010a) Benchmarking the impact of traditional small-scale logging systems used in Mediterranean forestry. For Ecol Manag 260:1997–2001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N, Picchi G (2010b) Deploying mechanized cut-to-length technology in Italy: fleet size, annual usage, and costs. Int J For Eng 21:23–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N, Picchi G (2011a) Annual use, economic life and residual value of cut-to-length harvesting machines. J For Econ 17:378–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Nati C, Sozzi L, Magagnotti N, Picchi G (2011b) Physical characterization of commercial woodchips on the Italian energy market. Fuel 90:2198–2202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Magagnotti N, Facchinetti D (2013a) A survey of logging enterprises in the Italian Alps: firm size and type, annual production, total workforce and machine fleet. Int J For Eng 24:109–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Laina-Relaño R, Magagnotti N, Tolosana E (2013b) Determining observer and method effect on the accuracy of elemental time studies in forest operations. Baltic For 19:301–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli R, Lombardini C, Magagnotti N (2014) The effect of mechanization level and harvesting system on the thinning cost of Mediterranean softwood plantations. Silva Fenn, vol 48, no 1, article id 1003

  • Spinelli R, Visser R, Thees O, Sauter U, Krajnc N, Riond C, Magagnotti N (2015) Cable logging contract rates in the Alps: the effect of regional variability and technical constraints. Croat J For Eng 36:179–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiffault E, Béchard A, Paré D, Allen D (2014) Recovery rate of harvest residues for bioenergy in boreal and temperate forests: a review. WIREs Energy Environ. doi:10.1002/wene.157

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyner W (2008) The US ethanol and biofuels boom: its origins, current status, and future prospects. BioScience 58:646–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wall A (2012) Risk analysis of effects of whole-tree harvesting on site productivity. For Ecol Manag 282:175–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Haarlaa R (2002) Production analysis of an excavator-based harvester: a case study in Finnish forest operations. For Prod J 52:85–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Westbrook M, Greene D, Izlar R (2007) Utilizing forest biomass by adding a small chipper to a tree-length southern pine harvesting operation. South J Appl For 31:165–169

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Provincia di Como, within the scope of the EU Interreg Project PIT SAPALP. Special thanks are due to Dr. D. Beccarelli and Dr. L. Guerci, for their assistance with the organization of the field trials.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR IVALSA, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy

    Raffaele Spinelli, Natascia Magagnotti, Giovanni Aminti, Fabio De Francesco & Carolina Lombardini

Authors
  1. Raffaele Spinelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Natascia Magagnotti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giovanni Aminti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fabio De Francesco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Carolina Lombardini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raffaele Spinelli.

Additional information

Communicated by Dr. Eric R. Labelle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Spinelli, R., Magagnotti, N., Aminti, G. et al. The effect of harvesting method on biomass retention and operational efficiency in low-value mountain forests. Eur J Forest Res 135, 755–764 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-016-0970-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-016-0970-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation