ABSTRACT Rising costs of forest operations and decreasing revenue generated from harvesting are becoming critical challenges in forest management throughout the Northeastern US. Along with this, the low markets for comminuted forest residues and stricter policies on environmental protection have prompted utilization of these materials as slash mats on skid trails for minimizing soil disturbances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of different silvicultural treatments and utilization of forest residues generated from a mechanized timber harvesting operation for implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs). The field-based experiment was done in central Maine, where four forest stands were managed at varying intensities following silvicultural prescriptions common to the region (partial harvest (PH) and clear-cut (CC) treatments). Variables measured included delay-free cycle times of various timber harvesting machines, predictor variables, and stand features. The total cost of PH was higher than that of CC ($22.94 m−3 versus $14.88 m−3). Of the various operational phases, the costs associated with skidding was the highest and ranged from 52 to 70% of the total cost for PH and CC, respectively. The cost of BMP implementation was estimated to be between $10 and $52 PMH−1 or $1.0 and $3.7 m−3, and was influenced by several factors, including machine maneuverability and the extent of area which demanded BMP implementation. This information on the cost and productivity for timber harvesting operations, along with BMP implementation, will support the development of economic and environmentally sustainable harvesting strategies.

中文翻译：

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造林处方和最佳管理实践的实施对木材采伐成本的影响

摘要 不断上升的森林运营成本和减少的采伐收入正在成为美国东北部森林管理的关键挑战。与此同时，粉碎的森林残留物的低市场和更严格的环境保护政策促使将这些材料用作滑道上的斜线垫，以尽量减少对土壤的干扰。本研究的目的是评估不同造林处理和利用机械化木材采伐作业产生的森林残留物的成本，以实施最佳管理实践 (BMP)。田间试验在缅因州中部进行，根据该地区常见的造林规定（部分采伐 (PH) 和全伐 (CC) 处理），以不同强度管理四个林分。测量的变量包括各种木材采伐机的无延迟循环时间、预测变量和林分特征。PH 的总成本高于 CC（$22.94 m-3 对 $14.88 m-3）。在各个运营阶段中，与打滑相关的成本最高，分别占 PH 和 CC 总成本的 52% 至 70%。BMP 实施的成本估计在 10 美元到 52 美元 PMH-1 或 1.0 美元到 3.7 m-3 美元之间，并且受到多种因素的影响，包括机器可操作性和需要实施 BMP 的区域范围。这些关于木材采伐作业成本和生产力的信息，以及 BMP 的实施，将支持经济和环境可持续采伐战略的发展。