Productivity of timber extraction using farm tractor equipped with trailer (Case study: in Kheiroud Forest in northern Iran)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Associate Prof., Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran.

2 Prof., Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran.

Abstract

In the Hyrcanian forest of Iran, farm tractors equipped with 2-wheels trailer are mostly used to perform forwarding operations of pulpwood and fuelwood in small-scale timber harvesting. This study was carried out in Gorazbon district in Kheiroud experimental forest to evaluate time regression models and estimate the forwarding costs. A continuous time study was conducted to explore farm tractor for forwarding pulpwood and fuelwood, to assess farm tractor productivity and costs and to identify those variables which are most likely influential. The model indicates that the most influential important on forwarding productivity were the forwarding distance and the number of logs per turn. The average productivity of forwarding with farm tractor was 2.66 and 3.83 m3 for pulpwood and fuelwood, respectively. When the forwarding distance increased, the total time of a cycle increased as well. In addition, productivity of farm tractor was decreased by increasing the forwarding distance in a logarithmic manner. The cost of the farm tractor logging system was 508635 Rial per productive machine hours. Furthermore, hourly costs of pulpwood and fuelwood forwarding were 132730 and 190960 Rial/m3, respectively. The cost of farm forwarding was increased as simple power equation when extraction distance was increased. The element time consumption showed that the loading phase was the highest time consumption phase per turn, mainly due to labor-intensive manual loading and physical handling of logs. The forwarding operation is, however, concluded to bear advantages such as larger payload, less soil disturbance, and transportation of the logs from stump to the logging truck off-ground. It is therefore a good alternative for extraction of pulpwood and fuelwood in gentle slope in the Hyrcanian forests.
 
 

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References

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