Radiata Pine Bark Removal Associated with Two On-Landing Log-Processing Methods

Abstract

Abstract Bark accounts for about 9 percent of the weight of the boles of mature radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) trees. The presence of bark can be considered as either a cost or benefit depending on the participant in the forest-to-customer supply chain. Understanding how much bark is lost or removed by different processing methods should help with managing bark quantities and with the design of harvesting systems and equipment. Bark loss was measured in autumn in New Zealand on radiata pine logs processed using two methods; delimbing and bucking with a mechanized, dangle-head processor fitted with spiked rollers, and delimbing with a static, pull-through delimber and manual bucking using a chainsaw. The line intersect method and photographic images were used to measure areal bark loss on a total of 302 logs. Equal numbers of logs were measured for each log-processing method. No difference in bark removal was found between methods for log grades cut from the lower portion of the stem. However, there were significant differences for grades cut from the upper portion of the stem. For the total stem, bark removal was greater with the mechanized processor method (75%) than with the static delimber and manual bucking method (48%).