Assessing the Feasibility and Profitability of Cable Logging in Southern Upland Hardwood Forests

Abstract Procedures developed to assess available timber supplies from upland hardwood forest statistics reported by the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis unit were modified to assess the feasibility and profitability of cable logging in southern upland hardwood forests. Depending on the harvest system and yarding distance used, cable logging can be profitable in as much as 14% of the area of upland hardwood forests on slopes that are 30% or greater. These slopes contain up to one-quarter of the board-foot volume in the 14-state area that was considered. The majority of the reported inventory that is profitable to log is on private and forest-industry land and would best be harvested by a medium-size yarder such as the Ecologger I. As the average slope yarding distance and yarder size increase, the available inventory that is profitable to log decreases. To achieve profitability with medium-size yarders at an average slope yarding distance of 500 ft, loggers must harvest trees that average at least 13.4 in. in dbh with a volume of at least 9200 bd ft/ac(2,300 ft3/ac). South J. Appl. For. 19(2):97-102.

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Estimating Fusiform Rust Losses in Five Southeast States

Southern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/sjaf/10.4.237 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 237-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Robert L. Anderson ◽

Joe P. McClure ◽

Noel Cost ◽

Robert J. Uhler

Keyword(s):

Loblolly Pine ◽

Forest Inventory ◽

Slash Pine ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Quality Loss ◽

Forest Inventory And Analysis ◽

Fusiform Rust ◽

State Area

Abstract Annual losses to fusiform rust are estimated at over $35 million in the five States from Virginia to Florida. Losses were estimated by taking Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data on fusiform rust through a series of growth and yield equations and sawtimber quality loss projections. The result is a system that estimates cordwood and sawtimber losses by state for loblolly and slash pine in natural and planted stands. Each time a state is resurveyed by FIA, a new estimate of loss can be made. This system applied to a 5-state area also shows that about 8.8 million acres of the 24 million acres of slash and loblolly pine have at least 10 percent of the trees infected. South. J. Appl. For. 10:237-240, Nov. 1986.

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Assessing Timber Availability in Upland Hardwood Forests

Southern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/sjaf/16.2.82 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 82-88

Author(s):

Dennis M. May ◽

Chris B. LeDoux

Keyword(s):

Prediction Model ◽

Forest Inventory ◽

Hardwood Forests ◽

Forest Service ◽

Hardwood Forest ◽

Cost Prediction ◽

Usda Forest Service ◽

Forest Inventory And Analysis ◽

Experiment Station ◽

Forest Experiment Station

Abstract Reported forest inventory statistics gathered by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (SOFIA) have been criticized because not all of the inventory volume reported is truly available for harvest. In response to this criticism, a procedure has been developed for assessing timber availability from reported inventory statistics for upland hardwood forests. The procedure uses forest inventory and ownership statistics gathered by SOFIA, a stump-to-mill cost prediction model developed by the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, and published wood price reports. Under the specific assumptions and conditions set forth in a demonstration of the procedure, a quarter of Tennessee's reported upland hardwood forest, containing about 40% of the reported inventory volume, was estimated to be available for harvest. The usefulness of the procedure in assessing available timber supplies for individual mills was also demonstrated. South. J. Appl. For. 16(2):82-88.

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