Speaker
Description
Weather events such as tornados and hurricanes can significantly impact forest stands and create operational challenges for harvesting and utilization. Rapid salvage following events is critical in the southeastern US due to the onset of insect damage and wood discoloration due to blue stain fungus. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted the region as a Category 4 hurricane, with recorded wind speeds of up to 225 kph. The storm caused an estimated 2.6 billion USD impact to the forestry sector in the state of Georgia alone. The urgency of salvage operations makes it difficult to study harvesting productivity, cost, and value recovery resulting in a significant need to better understand effective forest management strategies post-disaster. This study aimed to evaluate the use of cut-to-length harvesting systems in these unique conditions. Specific objectives were to assess individual machine and system productivity, system cost, and the effect of differing tree damage classifications on harvester productivity. We selected two loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the lower Coastal Plain physiographic region of Georgia, USA, that sustained significant damage from the hurricane. We conducted time studies of a Ponsse Ergo harvester and Elephant forwarder. Data collection consisted of an elemental time study for the three main functions: felling-processing, forwarding, and loading. Time study data combined with stem volumes from onboard computers and load weights from mill scale tickets were used to estimate individual machine and system productivity. Results indicate that overall system productivity was 14.19 m3 SMH-1, onboard truck cost was 16.03 USD m-3 and cut and haul costs were 24.03 USD m-3 which is competitive with published rates for the region. This study provides insight into the feasibility of using CTL harvesting systems in challenging salvage logging conditions following storm events and will aid forest managers and logging contractors in understanding productivity and cost expectations.
| Keywords | Salvage; Cut-to-length; US; Productivity |
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