A Comparison of Residual Stand Damage along Yarding Trails in a Group Selection Harvest Using Four Different Yarding Methods

摘要

A study of residual stand damage along yarding trails associated with four harvest methods - harvester/forwarder, and cable skidder, tractor, and bulldozer with chainsaw felling - was conducted in a group selection harvest of a mixed hardwood stand in Maine. Bulldozer yarding was associated with the largest number of damaged trees per 100 m of trail length and the largest number of damaged trees per 1 00 m2 of near-trail space. The smallest number of damaged trees was associated with the forwarder method. The tractor method resulted in the most root damage, and the forwarder method resulted in the largest trail width. These results have implications for equipment selection and the planning of harvests and harvest access systems. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]