Download (PDF 79 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/45522.pdf
Abstract
Since the early 1990s, several studies have been undertaken to determine the planning requirements, productivity, costs, and residual stand damage of harvest operations in thinning treatments designed to promote development of complex forest structure in order to enhance ecological functioning and biological diversity. Th ese studies include the Oregon State Universityled cooperative Coastal Oregon Productivity Enhancement (COPE) project, the Willamette (National Forest) Young Stand Project (WYS), and the Siuslaw (National Forest) Th inning and Underplanting for Diversity (STUDS) project. Treatments focused on 35- to 50-year-old stands with density management targets included light thinning (100–120 residual trees per acre, tpa [~250-300 trees per hectare, tph]), heavy thinning (50–60 residual tpa [~125-150 tph]), very heavy thinning (30 residual tpa [~75 tph]), and light thinning with gaps. A second treatment was applied to the STUDS stands that had light and heavy treatments on the fi rst entry.
Parent Publication
Keywords
harvest planning,
thinning costs,
logging productivity,
skyline yarding,
tractor skidding,
mechanized harvesting,
cut-to-length,
young stands,
commercial thinning,
partial cutting,
timber harvesting,
Douglas-fi r,
logging damage,
riparian buffer
Citation
Kellogg, Loren D.; Pilkerton, Stephen J. 2013. Harvest operations for density management: planning requirements, production, costs, stand damage, and recommendations. In: Anderson, P.D.; Ronnenberg, K.L., eds. Density management in the 21st century: west side story. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-880. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 218-218.
