scholarly journals Soil Disturbance Effects from Tethered Forwarding on Steep Slopes in Brazilian Eucalyptus Plantations

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin M. Garren ◽  
M. Chad Bolding ◽  
W. Michael Aust ◽  
Angelo C. Moura ◽  
Scott M. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Stability Loss ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantations ◽  
Designed Experiment ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Steep Terrain ◽  
Manual Felling ◽  
Steep Slopes

Traditional timber harvests on steep slopes have been conducted through labor-intensive and sometimes environmentally impactful methods, such as manual felling with chainsaws and extraction using bladed skid trails, winching, or cable yarding. Ground-based mechanized harvesting and primary transportation methods such as cut-to-length harvesters and forwarders have emerged in some parts of the world as low-impact, safe, and efficient alternatives to the aforementioned systems. However, when mechanized operations are used on steep terrain, problems such as poor stability, loss of traction, and increased soil disturbance can occur. Tethered or winch-assisted logging practices are being tested and applied in several countries to adapt to challenges associated with operating equipment on steep slopes while minimizing environmental impact. To better understand the feasibility of these systems, we conducted a designed experiment to quantify changes in soil properties and predicted erosion resulting from varying numbers of passes and payload levels by a forwarder operating on slopes ranging from 27 to 38 degrees. The machine was equipped with two different track configurations, tethered by either a machine-mounted or self-contained winch, in eucalyptus plantations in Brazil. On low slopes, bulk density significantly increased, but it did not increase on steeper slopes; this demonstrates traction winches’ effectiveness at reducing concentrated ground pressures. Rut depths were minimal and decreased with increasing slope classes due to reduced track slippage. Predicted erosion rates were high, primarily due to the extremely steep, long slopes and lack of adequate cover in some portions of the trail, illustrating the importance of proper erosion management practices on steep slopes.

scholarly journals The Effect of Yarding Technique on Yarding Productivity and Cost

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Spinelli ◽  
Natascia Magagnotti ◽  
Giulio Cosola ◽  
Eric R. Labelle ◽  
Rien Visser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Tree Length ◽  
Steep Terrain ◽  
Tree Extraction ◽  
Whole Tree ◽  
Lower Tolerance

Cable yarding is a well establish technology for the extraction of timber in steep terrain. However, it is encumbered with relatively low productivity and high costs, and as such this technology needs to adapt and progress to remain viable. The development of biomass as a valuable byproduct, and the availability of processors to support yarder operations, lend themselves to increasing the level of whole-tree extraction. Double-hitch carriages have been developed to allow for full suspension of whole-tree and tree-length material. This study compared a standard single-hitch to a double-hitch carriage under controlled conditions, namely in the same location using the same yarder with downhill extraction. As expected, the double-hitch carriage took longer to load up (+14%), but was able to achieve similar productivity (10–11 m3 per productive machine hour) through increased inhaul speed (+15%). The importance of this study is that it demonstrates both the physical and economic feasibility of moving to whole-tree extraction using the double-hitch type carriage for longer corridors, for settings with limited deflection, or areas with lower tolerance for soil disturbance.

scholarly journals Potential Soil Erosion following Skyline Yarding versus Tracked Skidding on Bladed Skid Trails in the Appalachian Region of Virginia

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Worrell ◽  
M. Chad Bolding ◽  
Wallace M. Aust
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Appalachian Region ◽  
Plateau Region ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Erosion Rates ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Steep Terrain ◽  
Timber Sale ◽  
Soil Losses ◽  
Timber Harvests

Abstract The majority of timber harvests on steep terrain in the Appalachian region use ground-based skidding with bladed skid trails. Skid trails commonly occupy approximately 10% of harvest sites and are potentially erosive areas. Cable yarding systems are less commonly used in the Appalachian region, yet they have been found in other regions to cause less erosion than ground-based skidding on steep terrain. The goal of this study was to compare potential soil erosion losses from cable yarding and conventional skidding with bladed trails in the steep Appalachian Plateau region. Potential soil erosion rates were evaluated on three timber harvests in which cable yarding and conventional skidding with bladed trails were used to harvest different areas within the same timber sale unit. Potential soil erosion rates were estimated with the universal soil loss equation as adapted for forestlands. Potential soil losses were estimated in a minimum of three sample locations for each yarder operational area (deck, yarder landing, spur road, corridor, and harvest) and each ground-based skidder harvest operational area (deck, skid trail, and harvest) on three sites. Areas in each harvest operational area were also determined. Overall, cable yarder operations had less potential erosion than skidder harvests (1.70 versus 1.86 tons/ac per year, respectively). Differences between cable and skidder operations would have been greater had not the poorly designed spur roads within the cable yarder operations yielded >25 tons/ac per year of potential erosion. Cable yarder operations could have been significantly improved with additional preharvest planning and better design of spur roads.

scholarly journals Effect of Soil Management on Erosion in Mountain Vineyards (N-W Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1991
Author(s):  
Silvia Stanchi ◽  
Odoardo Zecca ◽  
Csilla Hudek ◽  
Emanuele Pintaldi ◽  
Davide Viglietti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Ecosystem Services ◽  
Erosion Mitigation ◽  
Management Approaches

We studied the effects of three soil management approaches (permanent grassing, chemical weeding, and buffer strips), and the additional impact of tractor passage on soil erosion in a sloping vineyard located in the inner part of Aosta Valley (N-W Italian Alps). The vineyard rows were equipped with a sediment collection system with channels and barrel tanks. A total of 12 events with sediment production were observed across 6 years, and the collected sediments were weighted and analyzed. Average erosion rates ranged from negligible (mainly in grassed rows) to 1.1 t ha−1 per event (after weeding). The most erosive event occurred in July 2015, with a total rainfall of 32.2 mm, of which 20.1 were recorded in 1 h. Despite the limited number of erosive events observed, and the low measured erosion rates, permanent grassing reduced soil erosion considerably with respect to weeding; buffering had a comparable effect to grassing. The tractor passage, independent of the soil management approaches adopted, visibly accelerated the erosion process. The collected sediments were highly enriched in organic C, total N, and fine size fractions, indicating a potential loss of fertility over time. Despite the measured erosion rates being low over the experiment’s duration, more severe events are well documented in the recent past, and the number of intense storms is likely to increase due to climate change. Thus, the potential effects of erosion in the medium and long term need to be limited to a minimum rate of soil loss. Our experiment helped to compare soil losses by erosion under different soil management practices, including permanent grassing, i.e., a nature-based erosion mitigation measure. The results of the research can provide useful indications for planners and practitioners in similar regions, for sustainable, cross-sectoral soil management, and the enhancement of soil ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Assessment of Soil Erosion Vulnerability in the Heavily Populated and Ecologically Fragile Communities in Motozintla De Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selene B. González-Morales ◽  
Alex Mayer ◽  
Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Negative Response ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Erosion Rate ◽  
Kap Survey ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract. The physical aspects and knowledge of soil erosion in six communities in rural Chiapas, Mexico were assessed. Average erosion rates estimated with the RUSLE model ranged from 200 to 1,200 ha−1 yr−1. Most erosion rates are relatively high due to steep slopes, sandy soils and bare land cover. The lowest rates occur where corn is cultivated for much of the year and slopes are relatively low. The results of a knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey showed that two-thirds of respondents believed that the major cause of soil erosion was hurricanes or rainfall and only 14 % of respondents identified human activities as causes of erosion. Forty-two percent of respondents indicated that the responsibility for solving soil erosion problems lies with government, as opposed to 26 % indicating that the community is responsible. More than half of respondents believed that reforestation is a viable option for reducing soil erosion, but only a third of respondents were currently applying reforestation practices and another one-third indicated that they were not following any conservation practices. The KAP results were used to assess the overall level of knowledge and interest in soil erosion problems and their solutions by compiling negative responses. The community of Barrio Vicente Guerrero may be most vulnerable to soil erosion, since it had the highest average negative response and the second highest soil erosion rate. However, Poblado Cambil had the highest estimated soil erosion rate and a relatively low average negative response rate, suggesting that soil conservation efforts should be prioritized for this community. We conclude that as long as the economic and productive needs of the communities are not solved simultaneously, the risk of soil erosion will increase in the future, which threatens the survival of these communities.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Logging Planning, Felling, and Skyline Yarding Costs Between Clearcutting and Five Group-Selection Harvesting Methods

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 90-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loren D. Kellogg ◽  
Pete Bettinger ◽  
Richard M. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Silvicultural Treatment ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Selection Harvesting ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Manual Felling ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Logging planning, felling, and cable yarding costs were determined for five group-selection treatments and a clearcut in a 90 yr old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stand in western Oregon. The harvesting system included manual felling and a yarder rigged in a standing skyline configuration with a mechanical slackpulling carriage. The clearcut treatment had the lowest total harvest cost; costs of the group-selection treatments were 7.3 to 31.5% higher than the clearcut. Yarding cost associated with road and landing changes, plus the cost of equipment moving, set up, and tear down allocated over different treatment volumes removed had the biggest influence on total cost for each silvicultural treatment. West. J. Appl. For. 11(3):90-96.

scholarly journals GuylinePC: An Interactive Guyline Tension Analysis Program for Guyed Logging Towers

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-141
Author(s):  
Matthew Thompson ◽  
Henk Stander ◽  
Sessions John
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
The Us ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Steep Terrain ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Tension Analysis

Abstract In the US Pacific Northwest and other mountainous regions, cable yarding using portable steel towers is a common harvesting system in steep terrain. These systems are expensive and can be unsafe if improperly rigged. For both economic and safety considerations, configurations are used that ensure that the system can sustain the forces applied during yarding operations. We present a computer-based application, GuylinePC, for evaluating the guyline and anchor loads resulting from an applied load. Our model extends the usability and scope of a model previously developed by other researchers. Specifically we (1) provide a more modern graphical user interface, (2) use optimization methods to determine equilibrium states, and (3) illustrate the capability of the program to be used in design. We briefly discuss the analytical model and software application and present a design problem. The program is intended to improve a forest engineer's understanding of cable yarding systems.

scholarly journals Benefits and Costs of Forestry Best Management Practices in Virginia

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Aust ◽  
R. M. Shaffer ◽  
J. A. Burger
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Water Quality Protection ◽  
Program Compliance ◽  
Plain Region ◽  
Benefits And Costs

Abstract Benefits and costs of Virginia's forestry best management practices (BMPs) were estimated for the Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions using three actual nonregulatory phases and one theoretical regulatory phase of forest water quality protection. The four phases ranged from passive, nonregulatory to regulatory BMPs with increasingly restrictive provisions. As the level of regulation increased, the benefit:cost ratio decreased, indicating that costs were accruing at a proportionately greater rate than benefits. This pattern was most pronounced in the Coastal Plain region where average erosion rates were low, and substantial acreages were harvested. Results suggested that an aggressive, nonregulatory BMP program is the most efficient approach to forest water quality protection assuming that overall program compliance levels are sufficient to satisfy society's needs. South. J. Appl. For 20(1):23-29.

Logging and soil disturbance in southeast British Columbia

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1345-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Krag ◽  
K. Higginbotham ◽  
R. Rothwell
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Slope Steepness ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
Soil Disturbances ◽  
Operational Factors ◽  
Primary Hypothesis ◽  
Slope Class

The purpose of this study was to document and to analyze extent, type, and degree of soil disturbance on ground-skidded and cable-yarded cutovers. The primary hypothesis was that ground skidding on steep, high elevation sites generates more soil disturbance than cable yarding. Thirty-one cutovers were surveyed in the Nelson Forest Region: 25 logged by ground skidding and 6 by cable yarding. Three replications were obtained for each season – slope class on ground-skidded sites. Cable-logged areas were also replicated three times, but only for season. Elevations of the cutovers ranged from 910 to 1970 m with an average of 1360 m. Slope steepness on cutovers ranged from 5 to 74%. Soil disturbance was significantly greater on ground-skidded than on cable-yarded cutovers, averaging 40–45% vs. 22–30%, respectively, regardless of season. Differences in soil disturbance between logging methods by season were small and not significant. Average soil disturbances for summer cable yarding and ground skidding were 30 and 45%, respectively, compared with 22 and 40% for winter operations. Analysis of soil disturbance by source revealed skidroads as the major cause of disturbance on ground-skidded cutovers, regardless of season. The primary source of disturbance on cable-yarded areas was yarding in the summer and haul roads in the winter. Ground skidding also caused more deep to very deep disturbance, averaging 30% in winter and 35% in summer compared with 18 and 14% on cable-yarded sites. For both methods deep and very deep disturbance were most common accounting for 75–80% of total disturbance. Extent of soil disturbance and slope steepness were not significantly related. The high variability in soil disturbance noted in this study was similar to other surveys. Most studies have attempted to associate such variation with major environmental factors but with little success. To fully explain soil disturbance, operational factors such as planning and layout of logging must be considered.

scholarly journals Assessing Harvested Sites in a Forested Boreal Mountain Catchment through Global Forest Watch

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Rossi ◽  
Johannes Breidenbach ◽  
Stefano Puliti ◽  
Rasmus Astrup ◽  
Bruce Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Catchment Management ◽  
South Central ◽  
Cable Yarding ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Steep Terrain ◽  
Forest Cover Loss

Global Forest Watch (GFW) provides a global map of annual forest cover loss (FCL) produced from Landsat imagery, offering a potentially powerful tool for monitoring changes in forest cover. In managed forests, FCL primarily provides information on commercial harvesting. A semi-autonomous method for providing data on the location and attributes of harvested sites at a landscape level was developed which could significantly improve the basis for catchment management, including risk mitigation. FCL in combination with aerial images was used for detecting and characterising harvested sites in a 1607 km2 mountainous boreal forest catchment in south-central Norway. Firstly, the forest cover loss map was enhanced (FCLE) by removing small isolated forest cover loss patches that had a high probability of representing commission errors. The FCLE map was then used to locate and assess sites representing annual harvesting activity over a 17-year period. Despite an overall accuracy of >98%, a kappa of 0.66 suggested only a moderate quality for detecting harvested sites. While errors of commission were negligible, errors of omission were more considerable and at least partially attributed to the presence of residual seed trees on the site after harvesting. The systematic analysis of harvested sites against aerial images showed a detection rate of 94%, but the area of the individual harvested site was underestimated by 29% on average. None of the site attributes tested, including slope, area, altitude, or site shape index, had any effect on the accuracy of the area estimate. The annual harvest estimate was 0.6% (standard error 12%) of the productive forest area. On average, 96% of the harvest was carried out on flat to moderately steep terrain (<40% slope), 3% on steep terrain (40% to 60% slope), and 1% on very steep terrain (>60% slope). The mean area of FCLE within each slope category was 1.7 ha, 0.9 ha, and 0.5 ha, respectively. The mean FCLE area increased from 1.0 ha to 3.2 ha on flat to moderate terrain over the studied period, while the frequency of harvesting increased from 249 to 495 sites per year. On the steep terrain, 35% of the harvesting was done with cable yarding, and 62% with harvester-forwarder systems. On the very steep terrain (>60% slope), 88% of the area was harvested using cable yarding technology while harvesters and forwarders were used on 12% of the area. Overall, FCL proved to be a useful dataset for the purpose of assessing harvesting activity under the given conditions.

scholarly journals Rainfall and human activity impacts on soil losses and rill erosion in vineyards (Ruwer Valley, Germany)

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 823-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rodrigo Comino ◽  
C. Brings ◽  
T. Lassu ◽  
T. Iserloh ◽  
J. M. Senciales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Analysis ◽  
Rill Erosion ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
The Village ◽  
Experimental Plots

Abstract. Vineyards are one of the eco-geomorphological systems most conditioned by human activity in Germany. The vineyards of the Ruwer Valley (Germany) are characterized by high soil erosion rates and rill problems on steep slopes (between 23 and 26°) caused by the increasingly frequent heavy rainfall events as well as deterioration due to incorrect land use managements. The objective of this paper is to determine and to quantify the hydrological and erosive phenomena in one vineyard in Germany during different seasons and under different management conditions (before, during and after vintage). For this purpose, a combined methodology was applied. Climatic (rainfall depth distributions and return periods), pedological (soil analysis and classification), geomorphological (sediment movements and rills evolution) and biological (botanic marks on the vines) variables were used on the two experimental plots in the village of Waldrach (Trier, region of Rhineland-Palatinate). The results showed high infiltration rates (near 100 %) and subsurface flow which were detected by rainfall simulations performed at different times of the year (between September and December). The highest variations of the monitored rills (lateral and frontal movements) were noted before and during vintage, when footsteps occurred concentrated during a short period of time (between September and October). Finally, two maps of soil loss were generated, indicated by botanic marks on the graft union of the vines. 62.5 t ha−1 yr−1 soil loss was registered in the experimental plots of the new vineyards (2 years), while 3.4 t ha−1 yr−1 was recorded in the old one (35 years).

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