The Effect of Target Log Length on Log Recovery and Harvesting Cost: The Example of Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations

Abstract

Log production is the main target of new short-rotation poplar plantations, and their profitability depends on maximizing log yield. The authors set up a controlled experiment to determine the log yield increase obtained by shortening log length specification from 4 to 2 m, and to quantify the additional cost incurred by this change. The experiment indicated that reducing log length specifications allows a significant increase (+40%) in log yield in low-yielding (<25 BDT ha−1) plantations, only. Such increase is matched by a parallel increase in harvesting cost (+33%) that must be balanced against the recovered additional value. Measures are suggested to mitigate the harvesting cost increment, such as: dual log length specifications, modifications of the forwarder load bay and changing from cut-to-length to whole-tree harvesting.

A cost-benefit analysis of pre-sorting using a feller-buncher in underdeveloped short rotation poplar plantations

“…However, those rates were much lower than charged by neighboring Austrian contractors, located just across the border -which stresses the importance of recalculating cost whenever market conditions differ significantly from those described in this paper (Spinelli et al 2022b).…”