• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.2
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• pp.221-229
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• 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
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• v.109 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 2020

Two strategies for calculating economic feasibility are the machine rate and cash-flow methods. This study used the cash-flow method to evaluate the economic feasibility of the HAM300 yarding operation for extracting tree length logs in Larix kaempferi forest stands. In financial analysis based on 7-year cash-flow, the net present value and pay-back period method were used. We analyzed two scenarios: operating opportunities (50, 100, 150, and 200 days per year) and productivity change yield (7.5 and 10.5 ㎥/scheduled machine hour: SMH). The analysis indicated that high rates of return on extraction activity investment can be achieved when machines are used for >150 days per year. In addition, improved productivity (10.5 ㎥/SMH) increased financial feasibility compared to current productivity (7.5 ㎥/SMH) when machines were operated for 100 days per year. These results suggest that the appropriateness of HAM300 harvesting depends on the number of annual operating days and productivity.