Harvested log damage associated with motor-manual tree felling and bucking (Case study: Beech and Hornbeam trees in Kheyrud Forest)

The log damage and value loss were examined by felling and bucking function, species, and damage type, in Kheyrud Forest in Namkhaneh district in the Hyrcanian Forest of Iran. In order to calculate the wood value following tree felling and bucking, 250 trees and 167 logs consisting of beech and hornbeam species were measured. There were five types of damage recorded following the tree felling operations: split damage, stump height, slab damage, splintering or breakage damage and no damage. Results showed that the total volume of damaged logs was 42.5 cubic meters (9%) for all trees. The majority of woody tissue damage is caused by splits, slab and splintering or breakage damage. Stump height consists of a small amount of volume loss. Also There were four types of damage recorded the effects of bucking operations: slab damage, log length split, measurement error and without damage. The total volume of damaged logs was 16.1 cubic meters (10.3%) for all logs. The majority of woody tissue damage consists of the measurement error. Slab and Log length split caused a small amount of volume loss. Value loss associated with splits was 46.52%, and value loss associated with high stump was 1.66%. Slabs and Splintering or breakage damage caused a small amount of average volume loss per damaged log which were 30.5 and 21.33%, respectively.