Guidelines for difficult terrain harvesting

FESA have produced guidelines for using ground based harvesting systems on difficult terrain.

The document was produced to provide more information for loggers when harvesting difficult terrain. The focus was on using ground based systems as a safe and economic option to harvest terrain (slopes, ground roughness and soil conditions) that fell outside of the traditional terrain boundaries of ground based systems. The guideline is structured as follows:
 

• Introduction – an explanation of the purpose of the guideline, and some of the specific issues that lead to its compilation.
• Terrain classification – the different terrain aspects of slope, ground roughness and ground conditions are described.
• Background information of harvesting systems – the terrain aspects of the common ground based logging machines are described, and specific aspects that enhance or hinder their terrain application are included.
• Machine components – This section focusses on the tractive systems of machines (including traction aids), cabs and upper structures, booms and boom configurations, and general aspects of the machine that influence its terrain handling properties.
• Operating techniques and equipment for difficult terrain – Innovative techniques and equipment available for difficult terrain are described. Operator experience and training is also covered.
• Harvesting planning activities – Planning aspects that can improve difficult terrain harvesting are described. This is discussed at the strategic, tactical and operational plan levels.

This Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA) and Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR) document is titled “Guidelines for difficult terrain ground based harvesting operations in South Africa”, and published as ICFR Bulletin 02-2013. It was compiled by A McEwan, M Brink and S van Zyl. It is free-for-download from http://www.icfr.ukzn.ac.za/icfrfiles/publication/FESA/xx-2013DiffTerrain3.pdf