Examples of Biomass Harvesting Systems

Abstract

Succeeding phases of biomass preparation and hauling from stump to the point of utilization are linked together to form a harvesting system. A common way of classifying harvesting systems is based on the form in which the timber is moved from the stump area to the woods landing or roadside. In shortwood or log-length systems the tree is delimbed and bucked into timber assortments and hauled typically by load-carrying tractors to the roadside as log lengths. In tree-length systems the tree is delimbed and topped at the stump and skidded as tree length to the woods landing. The tree lengths are bucked to conventional roundwood assortments at the woods landing, central terminal, or point of use. In whole-tree systems the entire above-ground portion of a tree is skidded to the landing. Intensified recovery of residual biomass, integrated in or separate from the harvesting of conventional timber, introduces totally new or partly modified biomass harvesting systems. Pottie and Guimier (1986) reviewed 29 systems for harvesting forest biomass.