Examining the profitability of clear cutting operations in Nasu Forest Owners' Co-operative, Tochigi Prefecture
2015
Mizuniwa, Y. (Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya (Japan) Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Forest Science) | Uemura, R. | Aruga, K. | Nakahata, C.
This study investigated clear cutting operations conducted by Nasu Forest Owner's Co-operative, and compared productivities and costs of clear cutting operations with those of thinning operations. As a result, productivities and costs of clear cutting operations were increased and decreased compared with those of thinning operations. Productivities and costs of clear cutting operations on a gentle slope terrain were higher and lower than those on a middle slope terrain. Chainsaw felling operations included stump cut down because of preventing felled tree break down and conducting grapple-loader bunching operations efficiently. Grapple-loader bunching operations included clearing operations of tops and branches. Trees with DBH more than 40 cm were bucked by a chainsaw. In the future, productivities of processing operations would be reduced because of the increased number of trees with more than 40-cm DBH. Forwarding operations included measurement on small end diameters of woods excluding pulp woods sold by weights because of direct transportation to a sawmill. Costs with direct transportation were estimated and feasibility of bi-contracts was examined. As a result, costs with direct transportation were reduced by more than 1,000 yen / cubic m which were necessary for bi-contracts. Finally, economic balances for 15 years after clear cutting operations were estimated. As a result, both middle and gentle slopes were profitable. Therefore, sustainable forestry management would be conducted in these areas.
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