Productivity assessment of harvesting mechanization for sustainable forest utilization in mountainous areas.

Abstract

In this study, we define sustainable forest utilization based on forest information and assess the productivity of harvesting process of forestry machinery for sustainable utilization of forests in the Oku Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture. First, we look at the case of the Nishikata area in Mishima town and analyze its labor productivity. Then, we consider the adaptation of the harvesting system used in the Nishikata area throughout the Oku Aizu region and evaluate the number of personnel required for sustainable forest utilization. The productivity assessment of the harvesting system in the Nishikata area provided an estimate of 3.3–8.3 m ³ /person-day in the steeply sloping forests. Productivity in the gently sloping forests was estimated to be 38–53 m ³ /person-day. Sustainable forest utilization in the Oku Aizu region requires harvesting and reforesting 160–180 ha/year. The number of persons needed for harvesting in Oku Aizu was 34–110 in the first 50 years and 34–76 thereafter. Using the suggested process, productivity in the gently sloping forests in the Nishikata area was similar to that in Austria and other countries with developed forestry. Meanwhile, the productivity of the steeply sloping forests was either equal to or higher than that in Japan at present. Measures to improve productivity in countries with industrial forestry necessitate expanding the forest road network and revising working hours.