Overseas developments in timber harvesting and transport and their relevance to Southern Africa

Abstract

Synopsis The paper deals mainly with the developments of timber harvesting and transport systems in Scandinavia and Canada. Those developments are certainly relevant to Southern Africa. The shortwood method is used to over 90% in Sweden. A better word for the system is the assortment method since the wood can be cut in random lengths as well as standard. In Canada, on the other hand, 85% of the wood is being harvested by the treelength method. The development of the small powerful chainsaw made a great impact under the 1960's and motor manual harvesting is still a very competitive system provided the men are trained to use effective and labour-saving techniques. During the later part of the 1960's the processors for delimbing-slashing were introduced and there are today nearly 600 of those units in operation in Sweden. The felling phase is now the next to be mechanized. Most of the equipment is working in clear-cutting operations, however, the development of mechanized harvesting systems for thinning has ...