• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 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 Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.104 no.2
• /
• pp.221-229
• /
• 2015

The purpose of study was to broaden our knowledge on the productivity and cost of thinning operations which has become increasingly practiced in Korea. The thinning operations were conducted in a 40-year old larch (Larix leptolepis) stand, including chainsaw felling and processing at the stump, followed by yarding tree-length logs using a Koller K301-4 tower yarder. The logs were further processed and sorted into 1.8 m and 3.6 m log piles at the landing. We used a standard time study method to evaluate key variables that affect the productivity of thinning operations. The total stump-to-pile operational cost was $41,707won/m^3$. The highest cost activity was the yarding phase which cost $20,083won/m^3$ (48.2% of the total cost), followed by the costs of processing treelength materials into marketable log lengths ($12,143won/m^3$; 29.1%), and then by the costs of sorting/piling the processed logs ($5,039won/m^3$; 12.1%). It was interesting to see that felling and processing trees at the stump had low costs at $1,315won/m^3$ (3.2%) and $3,127won/m^3$ (7.5%), respectively. We used the detailed time study data to develop regression equations which were to predict yarding productivity. Our analysis showed that harvesting system cost was highly sensitive to the number of logs, yarding distance and lateral distance per turn, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.97 no.6
• /
• pp.641-649
• /
• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate the productivity and the operational costs of the Chuncheon Tower-yarder, a skyline yarding system used in Korea. Detailed time study data were collected from 4 thinning sites in Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) stands; one site for uphill yarding and three sites for downhill yarding. This study derived regression models to estimate the average cycle time (sec.) for uphill and downhill yarding. The average yarding cost was $12,844won/m^3$ for uphill yarding, while downhill yarding cost was $13,221won/m^3$. The average yarding time was 239 sec/cycle for uphill yarding, while downhill average yarding time was 274 sec/cycle. We found that uphill yarding productivity was higher when the operation system was examined under the same work conditions (i.e. standardized comparison) except yarding directions for both uphill yarding and downhill yarding.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.97 no.1
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 2008

This study was conducted to develop a mobile tower-yarder with tractor for agriculture and forestry that is the efficient yarder in steep terrains, thinning operation and small scale logging operation. It was designed and manufactured that the power source of tower-yarder is equiped three hydraulic pump connected to PTO of tractor, and three hydraulic pump is used to operate the four motor for drum, the cylinder for clutch of interlocker, the cylinder for tower expanding and the out-rigger cylinder. It was to adopt the running skyline system and the inter-lock function, and to equip the double capstan drum, the storage drum and the clutch for interlock in the development of tower-yarder. It was to develop the tower-yarder which the winch torque of double-capstan drum, the traction force of double-capstan drum, the number of rotation of double-capstan drum and the line speed is $191kg{\cdot}m$, 1,910 kgf, 220.5 rpm and 138.5 m/min, respectively. And it was known that the optimum flange diameter of the main and haulback storage drum is about 360 mm and about 460 mm in order to storage the main line length of 250m and the haulback line length of 450 m. The carriage was made to adopt the running skyline system and to equip the lock function in order to the convenience of chocking and the fall down preventing of tree. It was provided to develop the wire remote controller for the inter-lock function, the convenience of control and the efficiency of yarding. In development process, this tower-yarder was attached the 3-point linkage hitch equipment and the tire wheel for the traction and moving of tower-yarder. Also, it was equipped that the out-rigger and the guy line in order to raise the safety and efficiency of yarding of tower-yarder.