• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 2023

Directional felling is a felling method practised by the Forestry Department in Peninsular Malaysia as prescribed in Field Work Manual (1997) for Selective Management Systems (SMS) in forest harvesting. Determining the direction of tree felling in Peninsular Malaysia is conducted during the pre-felling inventory 1 to 2 years before the felling operation. This study aimed to predict and analyze the direction of tree felling using the vector-based path distance back link method in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and compare it with the felling direction observed on the ground. The study area is at Balah Forest Reserve, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. A Path Distance Back Link (spatial analyst) function in ArcGIS Pro 3.0 was used in predicting tree felling direction. Meanwhile, a binary classification was used to compare the felling direction estimated using GIS and the tree felling direction observed on the ground. Results revealed that 61.3% of 31 trees predicted using the vector-based projection method were similar to the felling direction observed on the ground. It is important to note that dynamic changes of natural constraints might occur in the middle of tree felling operation, such as weather problems, wind speed, and unpredicted tree falling direction.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.2
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• pp.210-216
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• 2021

Musculoskeletal disorders affect workers' safety in most industries, and forest operations are classified as a musculoskeletal burden according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act in South Korea. In particular, felling and delimbing operations are mainly conducted by manpower, and then, it is necessary to evaluate ergonomic risk assessment for safety of felling and delimbing workers. Three ergonomic risk assessment methods, such as Ovako Working posture Analysis System (OWAS), Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), are available for assessing exposure to risk factors associated with timber harvesting operations. Here, three ergonomic risk assessment methods were applied to examine ergonomic risk assessments in chainsaw felling and delimbing operations. Additionally, exposure to risk factors in each method was analyzed to propose an optimal working posture in felling and delimbing operations. The risk levels of these operations were evaluated to be highest in the RULA method, followed by the OWAS and REBA methods, and most of the exposed working postures were examined with a low-risk level of two and three without requiring any immediate working posture changes. However, two significant working postures, including the bending posture of the waist and leg in felling operation and standing posture on the fallen trees in delimbing operation, were assessed as the high-risk level and needed immediate working posture changes. Low-risk work levels were examined in the squatting posture for felling operation and the straightened posture of the waist and leg for delimbing operation. Moreover, the slope in felling operation and the tree height in delimbing operation significantly affected risk level assessment of working posture. Therefore, our study supports that felling and delimbing workers must operate with low-risk working postures for safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.23 no.4_2
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• pp.593-601
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• 2020

This study was conducted to analyze the physical strain with heart rate monitor in timber harvesting operations in order to reduce occupational accidents. The timber harvesting activities are manual cutting(felling, limbing and bucking) with a chainsaw and extraction by cable yarder. The study took place on Japanese larch stand. The average height was 26m and average diameter at breast height(DBH) was 3 7cm. The havest unit was gentle slope to steep slope. Results showed that the heart rate increases for chocking, felling, limbing and bucking were 94.0%, 87.9%, 84.8% and 56.4% respectively. The rate of Work Load Index was higher in the limbing(61.4%) activity than other activities chocking(55.2%), felling(54.1%) and bucking(32.1%). During 50% working heart rate test it was found that limbing(1.09), chocking(1.05) and felling(1.04) was exposed to high work intensity compared to bucking(0.83). The results showed that maximum acceptable work times(felling, chocking and limbing) were 2.30 hour, 1.85 hour and 1.60 hour respectively. To avoid occupational accidents, timber harvest workers may use a suitable working hour schedule to felling, chocking, limbing.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.4
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• pp.441-448
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to broaden our knowledge on the productivity and costs of felling operation in three different harvesting methods(whole tree, tree-length and cut-to-length). Felling was conducted in three different harvesting methods with two workers who have different work experiences. Worker A and B have had felling experiences for about 5 years and 15 years, respectively. Felling productivity in whole tree method was $10.3m^3/SMH$ for worker A and $12.7m^3/SMH$ for worker B. Felling costs for worker A and B were $2,066won/m^3$ and $2,201won/m^3$, respectively. Although felling productivity of worker B in whole tree method was higher than worker A, felling costs of worker A were similar to worker B because the wage of worker B was more expensive than the wage of worker A (p>0.05). In tree-length method, felling cost of worker B were cheaper than that of worker A. Felling productivity and cost in tree-length method were $2.2m^3/SMH$ and $9,890won/m^3$ for worker A and $3.3m^3/SMH$ and $8,459won/m^3$ for worker B, respectively (p<0.05). In cut-to-length method, felling productivity and cost were $2.3m^3/SMH$ and $9,584won/m^3$ for worker A and $3.0m^3/SMH$ and $9,395won/m^3$ for worker B, respectively. Felling productivity of worker B was higher than that of worker A(p>0.05). Our preliminary results found that harvesting methods and worker's experiences highly affect on the productivity and costs of felling operations. These results should be useful for forest managers when planning cost-effective harvesting operations.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2019

A tree-length harvesting system using the HAM300, which is mounted on a farm tractor prototype machine, have been recently introduced in South Korea for thinning old (>30 years) forests. However, no research has previously been conducted on the characteristics of residual stand damage associated with cable yarding systems on thinning treatment stands in South Korea. Therefore, there were assessed on the degree and quantity of residual stand damage caused by felling and yarding process to broaden the knowledge of residual stand damage on semi-mechanized skyline thinning operations. This study investigated scar size, direction, area, shape type and their distribution on the residual stand damage caused by felling and yarding operations. Damage to residual trees was generated for 7.4% and 6.9% of residual trees in felling and yarding operations, respectively. Damaged direction of scars was located in front-side (38.9%) and up-side (34.7%) for felling operations while the highest scar damage was found on down-side (44.6%) for yarding operations. Scar heights of felling damage were higher than those of yarding damage. In yarding operation, the most of the scars was located within l0m from the center of the skyline corridor. These results should be useful information for forest managers and landowners to reduce residual stand damages and retain valuable timber volume from thinning treatments.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine productivity and cost of tree-length harvesting using cable yarding system in a larch (Larix leptolepis) clear-cutting stand located in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do. We used tree-length harvesting method using cable yarding system with a tower yarder HAM300. The productivity was $17.6m^3/hr$ for felling, $12.4m^3/hr$ for delimbing, $4.2m^3/hr$ for yarding, and $8.1m^3/hr$ for processing. The total cost of the harvesting system was $48,381won/m^3$, which was majorly composed of yarding operation cost, at $40,169won/m^3$ (79.3%), while felling had the lowest cost at $1,154won/m^3$ (4.1%). Major factors affecting felling and processing productivity was tree volume and the number and thickness of branches for delimbing productivity. In addition, we suggest that training and education for machine operators were critical to improve yarding productivity.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2016

Logging equipment and method have a major influence on harvesting productivity and cost. This study investigated the productivity and operational costs of tree-length cable yarding system using HAM300, a domestically developed tower yarder. We tested HAM300 for thinning operation in Pinus densiflora stands at Gangreung, Gangwon-do on April, 2014. To assess the productivity we conducted time study for each stage of the operation. When the average time/cycle was examined for each stage of the operation, the longest was for yarding (241 sec), followed by delimbing (237 sec), felling (153 sec), and processing (103 sec). Furthermore, productivity for felling was $8.6m^3/hr$, followed by delimbing ($5.1m^3/hr$), yarding ($3.5m^3/hr$), and processing ($8.1m^3/hr$). The total cost for the tree-length logging system was $58,446won/m^3$, of which the majority was incurred by the yarding cost at $46,217won/m^3$ (79.3%), whereas the lowest cost was for felling at $2,359won/m^3$ (4.1%). We suggest that it is necessary to foster specialized operators and provide training in operating the tower yarder thereby implementing efficient harvesting system resulting from low-cost yarding.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.344-355
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• 2012

This study was conducted to analyze on the operational time and productivities of logging operations in whole-tree logging operation system by tower-yarder and swing-yarder, and in cut-to-length logging operation system by excavator with grapple in order to establish the efficient logging operation system and to spread logging operation technique. In the analysis of operational time, in case of whole-tree logging operation system, the felling time was 46.6 sec/cycle by chain saw, the yarding time was 480.6 sec/cycle by tower-yarder, the yarding time was 287.4 sec/cycle by swing-yarder and the bucking time was 155.14 sec/cycle by chain saw. In case of the cut-to-length logging operation system, the felling and bucking time was 225.65 sec/cycle by chain saw, the cut-to-length extraction time was 4,972 sec/cycle by excavator with grapple, the branches and leaves extraction time was 3,143 sec/cycle by excavator with grapple. The forwarding time was 4,688 sec/cycle by wheel type mini-forwarder, the forwarding time was 2,118 sec/cycle by excavator with grapple and small forwarding vehicle. In the analysis of operational productivities, in case of whole-tree logging operation system, the average felling performance was $57.89m^3/day$ by chain saw, the average yarding performance was $20.3m^3/day$ by tower-yarder, $31.55m^3/day$ by swing-yarder respectively, the average bucking performance was $20.3m^3/day$ by chain saw. In case of the cut-to-length logging operation system, the average felling and bucking performance was $11.96m^3/day$ by chain saw, the average cut-to-length extraction performance was $34.75m^3/day$ by excavator with grapple, the average branches and leaves extraction performance was $37.66m^3/day$ by excavator with grapple, the average length of operation road construction was 73.8 m/day by excavator with grapple. The average forwarding performance by wheel type mini-forwarder and the average forwarding performance by excavator with grapple and small forwarding vehicle was $15.73m^3/day$ and $65.03m^3/day$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.4
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• pp.567-582
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• 2022

Chainsaw use for motor-manual timber harvesting in South Korea is associated with worker safety issues. However, forestry operations such as timber harvesting have already been mechanized to reduce hazards to workers and increase productivity. This study analyzed the productivities and costs of felling and processing, felling and processing using an excavator-based stroke harvester for Pinus rigida and Quercus mongolica stands. To efficiently operate the stroke harvester, we developed a regression equation to estimate the productivities of felling and processing, felling, and processing operations,and we conducted sensitivity analysis of the operation costs using DBH and machine utilization. The felling and processing productivity was 6.53 and 4.02 m³/SMH for P. rigida a nd Q. mongolica, respectively, and the cost was 17,983 and 29,210 won/m³, respectively. The felling productivity for P. rigida a nd Q. mongolica wa s 40.9 and 23.0 m³/SMH, respectively, and the cost was 2,667 and 4,743 won/m³, respectively. The processing productivity for P. rigida and Q. mongolica was 8.25 and 7.75 m³/SMH, respectively, and the cost was 15,296 and 16,283 won/m³, respectively. In the developed regression equation, the DBH, traveling distance, and number of cuttings were found to be important factors (p<0.05). Therefore, it is necessary to construct a DB considering the various conditions and species associated with harvester operations, and further research is needed to increase the accuracy of predicting operation productivity and costs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 2013

This study was conducted to analyze on the operational cost of logging operations in the whole-tree logging operation system by tower-yarder and swing-yarder, and in the cut-to-length logging operation system by excavator with grapple in order to spread efficient logging operation technique and to establish the logging operation system. In the results of the analysis of operation cost, in case of the whole-tree logging operation system, the operation cost was 2,099 won/$m^3$ in felling by chain saw, 28,286 won/$m^3$ in yarding by tower-yarder, 18,265 won/$m^3$ in yarding by swing-yarder, 18,939 won/$m^3$ in bucking by excavator with grapple and chain saw, 20,484 won/$m^3$ in forwarding and accumulation by wheel type mini-forwarder, 12,701 won/$m^3$ in forwarding and accumulation by excavator with grapple and small forwarding vehicle. In case of the cut-to-length logging operation system, the operation cost was 10,160 won/$m^3$ in felling and bucking by chain saw, 7,567 won/$m^3$ in cut-to-length extraction by excavator with grapple, 6,982 won/$m^3$ in branches and leaves extraction by excavator with grapple, 3,040 won/$m^3$ in the operation road construction by excavator with grapple, 20,484 won/$m^3$ in forwarding and accumulation by wheel type mini-forwarder, 12,701 won/$m^3$ in forwarding and accumulation by excavator with grapple and small forwarding vehicle.