Harvesting systems in Hyrcanian Forest, Iran; limitations and approaches

TL;DRAbstract

The Hyrcanian (Caspian) forest in northern Iran has a richness of biological diversity, with endemic and endangered species and improper logging methods are widely seen which tended to cause the greatest environmental problems. About 45% of the Hyrcanian forests are located in mountainous areas, where forest lands are not readily accessible with ground-based logging equipments, but cable yarding technologies are still undeveloped in this forest area. This paper describes the various types of equipment and systems used for harvesting timber in Hyrcanian Forest. Trees to be removed are felled, limbed and topped motor-manually. The combination of the timber type, site, stand characteristic and topography limit harvesting mechanization to perform transport operations. Rubber-tired skidders are used on the more gentle slopes and on skid roads on steeper terrain. Crawler tractors are used on steeper topography to skid direct to the landing. In steep terrain that is not accessible by ground-b

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