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

Abstract

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.