Timber Harvesting Operations

Harvest Planning

It has been proven by several research projects that financial investments in sound harvest planning reduce the overall costs of timber extraction. Contrary to common belief, professional planning of timber harvesting operations is a cost saving investment, and not an unnecessary expense. Many studies have effectively demonstrated the fact that neglected planning aspects eventually emerge as a cost factor at a later stage, that may exceed the initial savings. This applies to road construction, timber extraction methods and many other operational activities.

Reduced Impact Logging (RIL)

Under an SFM System, RIL is the state-of-the-art timber extraction method for ground skidding operations with crawler tractors. The system includes proper skid trail planning and marking in the field, marking of trees to be retained and trees to be felled, directional felling, long distance winching and careful log extraction, thus reducing overall harvesting impacts on the residual forest stand.
Present studies indicate a highly improved stand recovery after timber harvesting, and a high benefit/cost ratio of RIL versus conventional logging methods.
ifmc experts have gained long-term practical experience with RIL methods and financial analyses. We can train your forest workers to become experts in RIL implementation on the ground. This will help your company in reducing harvesting costs, protecting the environment and hence achieve better economic results.

Low Impact Logging (LIL)

Similarly to RIL, the objectives of Low Impact Logging are to minimise the damage patterns caused by timber harvesting, particularly in environmentally sensitive terrain, such as steep slopes or in buffer zones around conservation areas. This is why LIL is designed as an airborne (i.e. off-ground) operation that does not cause damage to forest soils but maintains their full productivity for plant growth. LIL must be carried out with special harvesting technologies such as helicopters or long distance skyline (cable) yarding systems. Both systems require expert knowledge in harvest planning and extraction to warrant a cost efficient operation.
ifmc provides integrated off-ground solutions for complex terrain conditions, including indication of preferable equipment, harvest planning and training of company staff.