Damages of skidder, cable system and animal logging to forest soils and natural flora in Turkey

ÖZTÜRK T.

Managed Forests In Future Landscapes: Water And Carbon Cycles 2011, Spain, 1 - 04 May 2011, pp.131, (Full Text)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Country: Spain
  • Page Numbers: pp.131
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The transport of forestry products is realized in two stages in Turkey. The first one is the primary transport stage which involves the haulage of timbers, while the second one is the secondary transport stage involving the main stage of transport of timbers, generally realized by trucks and tractor treylers on forest roads. Primary transportation of logs from stands to landings involves the usage of human power, animal power and mechanization. Ground skidding by hand (man and gravitation) is applied in small-scale forestry for extraction of small amount of timber and big amount of fuelwood over short distances. Animal skidding, mainly by horses, mules and oxes, is used for pre-skidding for bunching distance between 20 m and 100 m. Mechanized harvesting is carried out by ground based forestry vehicles. In the mountainous regions of northern Turkey, timber extraction using skidding vehicle and cable systems are the most common system. MB Trac skidder is used to skidding operations. Besides, modified farm tractors are used to skidding. Cable systems are used for primary transport device. These are Gantner, Koller and URUS cable systems.

 

The hauling operations of logs can be given on forest soils and natural flora. Especially, damages on forest soils are occurred during skidding of timber. The types of damages on soils are traces, erosion and splitting. Soil erosion can occur in damaged area in next years. The skidding operations with tractors and transporting operations with cable systems can be given trees and saplings in stand. This damages type on trees and saplings is generally in the form of bark injury. In this study, harvesting operations in different regions in Turkey are observed damages for animal power, skidder, farm tractor and cable systems. The types of damage were determined during the harvesting and transporting operations.