ABSTRACT

Timber harvesting operations are increasingly used to restore sensitive habitats such as longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems. However, logging companies are often functionally limited by operational costs and site-specific productivity potential. By employing a time study, this project quantified the cost and productivity of a two-person logging crew using conventional equipment in a South Carolina southern pine timber harvest used to restore a longleaf pine savanna ecosystem. Our study found that the feller-buncher, grapple skidder, and knuckle-boom loader produced, on average, 60.7, 23.6, and 45.2 tonnes per Productive Machine Hour (PMH), respectively. When the knuckle-boom loader was exclusively loading log trucks, productivity increased to 48.4 tonnes per PMH. Additionally, a machine rate analysis found that the total cost for each machine was 108.83 USD, 122.92 USD, and 121.25 USD per PMH, respectively, with a total per tonne cost of cutting, skidding, and loading amounting to 9.68 USD. Our findings indicate that restoration harvesting conducted in this manner under similar environmental conditions and price points may remain profitable for both landowners and logging companies. Moreover, the limitations of operating with a two-person crew resulted in minimal negative effects for both profitability and productivity, making it a viable option for similar restoration operations.

摘要

木材采伐作业越来越多地用于恢复敏感的栖息地，例如长叶松 ( Pinus palustrisMill.) 生态系统。然而，伐木公司在功能上通常受到运营成本和特定地点生产力潜力的限制。通过采用时间研究，该项目量化了在南卡罗来纳州南部松树木材采伐中使用传统设备的两人伐木队的成本和生产率，该木材采伐用于恢复长叶松稀树草原生态系统。我们的研究发现，伐木归堆机、抓斗集材机和折臂式装载机平均每生产机器小时 (PMH) 的产量分别为 60.7、23.6 和 45.2 吨。当折臂式装载机专门装载原木卡车时，生产率提高到每 PMH 48.4 吨。此外，机器费率分析发现每台机器的总成本分别为每 PMH 108.83 美元、122.92 美元和 121.25 美元，每吨切割总成本，打滑和装载总计 9.68 美元。我们的研究结果表明，在类似的环境条件和价格点下以这种方式进行的恢复性采伐可能对土地所有者和伐木公司都有利可图。此外，由两人工作人员进行操作的局限性对盈利能力和生产力的负面影响极小，使其成为类似修复操作的可行选择。