Log Damage and Value Loss Following Motor-manual Tree Harvesting in the Hyrcanian Forest, Northern Iran

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 35 - 43, 30.06.2017

Meghdad Jourgholami , Maryam Etehadi Abari

Abstract

Damage is often seen as an important
consideration when conducting partial harvests in hardwood stands. Damage to
harvested logs, especially hardwood saw and veneer logs can be an even more
important concern relative to value loss associated with log degrades. The
objectives of this study is to determine damage type,
to quantity of the log damage volume and value loss throughout the tree felling
process. The log damage and value loss were examined by felling
function, species, and damage type, in Kheyrud Forest in the Hyrcanian Forest
of Iran. To estimate wood value loss following small-scale tree felling, a
total 206 beech and hornbeam trees were measured, and four types of damage
recorded: split damage, gouge damage, slab damage and scrape damage. Volume and
value losses of damaged logs were significantly sensitive to tree species and
tree diameter. The total value of logs damage was calculated as 46.87 m³
or 0.6 m³/ha (5.2%) for all trees. Slightly over half (51.6%) of the volume loss was from woody
tissue damage caused by splintering or breakage.
Value loss associated with splits was 32.5%, and
value loss associated with high stump was 9.9%. Slabs damage caused a
small amount of average volume loss per damaged log. Splits damage caused the greatest
value loss to logs (183.3 USD per ha). Breakage damage caused losses of 165.3
USD per ha for the damaged logs while high stump was result 92.6 USD per ha in
value loss.

Keywords

Motor-manual tree felling, Wood value loss, Log damage, Fagus orientalis, Carpinus betulus

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