Evaluation of Beech Biomass Harvest Systems for Improvement of Low Quality Beech-Dominated Hardwood Stands in Maine
Published: 2007
Abstract:
A project was initiated in 2007 to investigate biomass harvest systems and to compare approaches for rehabilitating low-value, beech-dominated hardwood stands. The project is jointly funded by the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) and the CFRU. This work could help Maine’s forest managers meet the challenges an emerging bioenergy/bioproducts market while providing a low-cost silvicultural approach for rehabilitating young beech stands. The study continued in 2008 with an analysis of the time and motion data and an assessment of residual stand damage.
This report presents results from the biomass harvesting phase of rehabilitating young beech-dominated hardwood stands in Maine. The objective was to investigate the influence of two trail spacings on a whole-tree biomass harvest operation. The first spacing, 18.3 m, was selected based on its dominant use in whole-tree operations in Maine. A narrower spacing of 12.2 m was selected to determine if feller-buncher productivity could be improved by limiting its movement to the harvest corridor, relying mainly on the boom reach to harvest treatment zones. An assessment of residual stand damage was used to determine the relative impact of the two harvest layouts.Abstract to come…