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, E. Tolosana, R. Laina, Teresa de la Fuente, Dan Bergström, Raul Fernandez-Lacruz, Thomas Nordfjell
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引用次数: 0
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.
期刊介绍:
Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering (CROJFE) is a refereed journal distributed internationally, publishing original research articles concerning forest engineering, both theoretical and empirical. The journal covers all aspects of forest engineering research, ranging from basic to applied subjects. In addition to research articles, preliminary research notes and subject reviews are published.
Journal Subjects and Fields:
-Harvesting systems and technologies-
Forest biomass and carbon sequestration-
Forest road network planning, management and construction-
System organization and forest operations-
IT technologies and remote sensing-
Engineering in urban forestry-
Vehicle/machine design and evaluation-
Modelling and sustainable management-
Eco-efficient technologies in forestry-
Ergonomics and work safety