Progress 02/01/00 to 12/31/05
Outputs
Accomplishments for 2005 are as follows: (1) A simulation system was developed to aide project efforts by estimating the productivity, cost, and traffic intensity of different harvesting configurations under a variety of harvesting prescriptions and stand conditions. Stands used in the simulation were generated by using the stand generator that was validated by comparing the generated stands with the actual mapped stands statistically. Results indicated its validity and have shown that it can be used to visualize the stand structure and composition of hardwood stands and perform dynamic analyses of various management prescriptions. (2) Three harvesting systems of chainsaw (CS) /cable skidder (CD), feller-buncher (FB)/grapple skidder (GD), and harvester (HV)/forwarder (FW) were modeled and simulated on five generated stands of different ages in the study. Five harvest methods of clearcut, shelterwood cut, crop tree release cut, diameter limit cut, and selective cut were
examined. Simulation results showed that felling production and cost were primarily affected by tree size removed, removal intensity, distance traveled between harvested trees, and felling machines. The feller-buncher was the most cost-effective and productive machine; the harvester was more sensitive to individual tree size. Clearcutting always presented the highest productivity while the shelterwood cut was the least productive method. Unit cost of the harvester was higher than that of the feller-buncher or chainsaw. Extraction operation was sensitive to payload size, average extraction distance, bunch size, extraction pattern, and extraction machine. The forwarder was the most productive machine under the simulated extraction prescriptions. The cable skidder resulted in a higher unit cost than the grapple skidder or forwarder. (3) System productivity increased from the chainsaw/cable skidder system to the harvester/forwarder system, and to the feller-buncher/grapple skidder system.
The feller-buncher/grapple skidder system could produce 28484 ft3 or 177 thousand board feet (MBF) per week with a unit cost of $27 per 100 cubit feet (cunit) or $44/MBF. For the chainsaw/cable skidder and the harvester/forwarder systems, the weekly production rate was 12146 ft3 (76 MBF) and 16714 ft3 (104 MBF), with a unit cost of $35/cunit ($57/MBF) and $44/cunit ($70 MBF), respectively. TI3 and TI4 are the major concerns since they caused the most soil compaction. The harvester/forwarder system was associated with more unaffected areas while the feller-buncher/grapple skidder system resulted in more affected areas. TI3 and TI4 level was 20% of the total area affected with the harvester/forwarder, 23% with the chainsaw/cable skidder system, and 44% with the feller-buncher/grapple skidder system. A total of 49% of the extraction site was recorded as TI3 and TI4 level for SP1, which was more than two times higher than that recorded for SP5. (4) An Economic Assessment of Implementing
Streamside Management Zones in Central Appalachian Hardwood Forests was presented in the Davis College Graduate Seminar Program. April 27-31, 2005. (5) Three research papers have been submitted or published.
Impacts
This harvesting simulation system successfully modeled the typical harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwoods and evaluated the interactions among machines, harvests, and stands. It is a useful tool in forest management and can provide valuable information for loggers, landowners, forest managers, and researchers. The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental impacts of forest operations. The results or findings from this project can be best used for BMP recommendations or guidelines in the region.
Publications
- Li, Y., C. LeDoux, and J. Wang. 2005. An Economic Assessment of Implementing Streamside Management Zones in Central Appalachian Hardwood Forests. Forest Products Journal. (in review)
- Li, Y., J. Wang, G. Miller, and J. McNeel. 2005. Production economics of harvesting young hardwood stands in central Appalachia. Forest Products Journal. (accepted).
- Wang, J., and C LeDoux, and Y. Li. 2005. Simulating cut-to-length harvesting operations in Appalachian hardwoods. International Journal of Forest Engineering. 16(2): 11-27.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Forest harvesting techniques other than clearcutting are increasingly prescribed on public and private lands to satisfy the demands of the public. These operations are nearly always more expensive to perform and can also have greater negative environmental impacts due to the more frequent entry into the forest. In the central Appalachian region, steep and uneven topography contribute to some of the most difficult logging conditions. Therefore, examining the harvesting techniques and studying the interactions of stands, harvests, and machines to minimize environmental impacts and logging costs and protect residual stands in the region are becoming the major concern to foresters, landowners, and the public. Progress: Based on the work schedule of this project, what we have accomplished in 2004 are as follows: (1) The harvesting simulation system was completely developed. Economics analysis of harvesting young stands in central Appalachia was presented in the COFE Annual
Meeting, Hot Springs, Arkansas. April 27-31, 2004. (2) A related cooperative project, Determining the Opportunity Costs of Implementing Streamside Management Zone Guidelines, was developed and funded by the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station. (3) Three research papers have been written and revised.
Impacts
The simulation system developed can be used to not only simulate the stand growth and yield but also evaluate the stand dynamics and structure. It can be also used as a harvest planning tool to provide quantitative results associated with interaction of stand, harvest, and machine in the central Appalachia including system comparisons, traffic intensities across harvested sites, production/cost, and tract layout. The system will be enhanced to assess the stand visual impact and photosynthesis simulation. The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs then can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental impacts of partial forest operations and associated activities. The results will be best used for BMPs guidelines.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Based on the work schedule of this project, what we have accomplished in 2003 are as follows: (1) Harvesting module was completely developed. Modeling and simulating two cut-to-length harvesting systems in central Appalachian hardwoods was presented in the COFE Annual Meeting, Bar Harbor, Maine. September 7-10, 2003. (2) A related cooperative proposal was written and funded by USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station. (3)Two research papers entitled Modeling and validating a 3D stand generator for central Appalachian hardwood forests and Simulating cut-to-length harvesting operations in Appalachian hardwoods were sent to Computer and Electronics in Agriculture and International Journal of Forest Engineering, respectively. (4) A Ph.D. student is working on this project. The 3D stand generator developed can be used to not only simulate the stand growth and yield but also evaluate the stand dynamics and structure. However, the other modules being developed in
the project can be used as a harvest-planning tool. It can provide quantitative results associated with interaction of stand, harvest, and machine in the central Appalachia: (1) System comparisons, (2)Traffic intensities across harvested sites, (3) Production/cost, and (4) Tract layout.
Impacts
The system can be used to assess the stand visual impact and photosynthesis simulation. The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs then can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental impacts of partial forest operations and associated activities. The results will be best used for BMPs guidelines.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Based on the work schedule of this project, what we have accomplished in 2002 are as follows: (1)A 3D stand generator for central Appalachian hardwood species was developed, which was presented in the International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO) S4.11 Symposium on Statistics and Information Technology in Forestry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, September 8-12, 2002. (2) Two related cooperative proposals were written and funded by USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station. (3) A research paper entitled "Modeling and validating a 3D stand generator for central Appalachian hardwood forests" was sent to Forest Science. (4) A Ph.D. student is working on this project. The 3D stand generator developed can be used to not only simulate the stand growth and yield but also evaluate the stand dynamics and structure. However, the other modules being developed in the project can be used as a harvest-planning tool. It will eventually provide quantitative
results associated with forest operations: (1) Soil compaction/disturbance, (2) Residual stand damage levels, (3)Production/cost, and (4) Tract layout.
Impacts
The system can be used to assess the stand visual impact and photosynthesis simulation. The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs then can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental impacts of partial forest operations and associated activities. The results will be best used for BMP's guidelines.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
The first product of this project should be an updated computer simulation system that potentially can be used on a variety of other similar projects. Based on the work schedule of this project, we have worked out the followings so far: (1) A stand generator for central Appalachian hardwood species, (2)Three cooperative proposals were written and sent to USDA Forest Service, West Virginia state agencies, and West Virginia University, (3)A research paper titled "Estimating and validating ground-based timber harvesting system through computer simulation" was accepted by Forest Science, and (4) A Ph.D. student is working on this project. It is still too early to state other findings in this project. However, the modeling techniques and simulation system being developed in the project can be used as a harvest-planning tool. It will eventually provide quantitative results associated with forest operations: (1)Soil compaction/disturbance, (2)Water quality change,
(3)Residual stand damage levels, (4) Production/cost, and (5) Tract layout.
Impacts
The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs then can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental impacts of partial forest operations and associated activities. The results will be best used for BMP's guidelines.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
A thorough literature review on modeling environmental impacts of timber harvesting has been completed. The first product of this project should be an updated computer simulation system that potentially can be used on a variety of other similar projects. However, the updating work is still going on at this moment. Based on the work of this project, we have worked out the followings so far: (1) Three cooperative proposals were written and sent to USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station and National Research Initiative. (2) The brief study results about the impacts of skidding patterns on traffic intensity levels across harvested site was presented in the 81st Annual Meeting of Canadian Woodlands Forum and 23rd Annual Meeting of Council on Forest Engineering (COFE), Kelowna, B.C., Canada, Sept. 11-15, 2000. (3) A paper titled Modeling operational forestry problems through computer simulations was another result and sent to Forest Science, which is in review
process. (4) A Ph.D. student has been recruited and she will probably start to work on the project this Fall. It is still too early to state other findings in this project. However, the modeling techniques and simulation system being developed in the project can be used as a harvest-planning tool, which considers both economics and environmental effects. It will eventually provide quantitative results about: (1) Soil compaction, erosion, and downslope sediment delivery, (2) Water quality change after harvesting, (3) Residual stand damage levels, Under the following alternatives: (1) Harvesting systems, (2) Tract layouts, (3) BMP options, and (4) SMZ buffer widths.
Impacts
The alternative environmental and production/cost tradeoffs then can be evaluated to minimize operational costs and environmental effects of partial harvesting techniques and associated activities. The results will be best used for BMPs guidelines. Thus, forestry can be practiced more sustainably and efficiently.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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