Costs of Selective harvesting and Clear cutting

[wyk]

Generally speaking, from a BC perspective and having done both. Clear cutting costs less and is a far safer and more productive method of logging, especially in the falling phase. If you have more pointed questions....fire away.

Ah man. And we were having such fun with him...

 

[Gologit]

Ah man. And we were having such fun with him...

Yup, but it was just because he didn't know how to ask the questions necessary to get the answers he needed. Not his fault...he's just a kid.

Now we've given him the impression that all loggers are pricks. We're not...but he probably thinks that way.

 

[hammerlogging]

Yup, but it was just because he didn't know how to ask the questions necessary to get the answers he needed. Not his fault...he's just a kid.

Now we've given him the impression that all loggers are pricks. We're not...but he probably thinks that way.

Pricks till you get to know us, then good folks, loggers.

What comes to mind to me, if he is still interested is that selective logging means so many different things, all in all there are so many different variables.

Here, selective logging generally means talking all the value and leaving the small stuff and low grade. Poor forestry, yes, but it is the cheapest logging for the main conventional logging systems out there where volume/acre is less of a factor-- like cable dozers or skidders after a certain threshold is met. They would lose money comparatively on a clearcut. But, if they were to do a selective improvement cut with that system, they would lose even more money. See? Not such an easy question to answer.

For some reason I think the poster is implying some sort of release thinning where the stand is improved. SOme loggers on flat ground are set up for this, for expample they would end up with a higher $/ton rate if they tried to cut diameters above there system capability. then you get to yarders, where volume per acre is more critical due to set up time, well, someone has to be able to sell that junk too (pulpwood). Even aged stand or uneven aged stand?

Start with the parameters involved in logging costs for different systems, slope, volume per acre, stem size, harvest sytem and you will see that sometimes you get one answer, sometimes the other.

 

[Oldtimer]

A clear cut will "cost" more to do, you're doing more work.
A Selective cut will cost less.

Now, a clearcut will generally be easier, and the timber buyer might pay more because he's getting more volume and the effort is a little less.

You needed to define "Cost". Does it apply to the cost of running the operations, or the money it returns?

 

[tramp bushler]

I think Donut tramped .

Too bad . He should have stuck around , lot to learn . .

If you've never experienced how a business is run . One minute you got money and the next u got none ..

 

[lmbrman]

I was not even convinced he was looking for financial costs - figured we could have been cited in some new plan to save 'X'

ps: perhaps environmental costs-

 

[OlympicYJ]

As I student I understand the broad question but as a forestry student your question was too broad and too in depth for the day before a debate! All you can do with that question is say clearcuts cost less than selective because selective has so many different parameters; just like everyone has pointed out. It's all about the system the logger chooses to use, what the company will let him use, and how effiecient his individual crew is.

And yes loggers and foresters are aresehats.... to sensitive virgin ears! LMFAO

 

[tbow388]

So you want to use second-hand info off an internet forum (a good one, i'll give you that!) as fact in a debate? Let me tell you a problem with america kid. The problem is exactly what you are doing. Reading about something new to you on the internet, then passing off what you read as fact. One question for you, why are you taking the easy way out? You are basically asking us to do the work for you.

Dude, the OP smacked the crap outa you with his reply. That should be in the WTF thread.

You're gunna get some rep for that.

Donout

The southern US is full of pine logging. Do a internet search and try and get ahold of one of the companies.

If you have no luck, let me know and I will call a timber buyer friend of mine.

 

[bitzer]

Selective cutting here means timber stand improvement. Some damn nice timber is left when I'm done, but I also take a lot of nice timber out. Seed trees are left and species are managed accordingly. I also end up cutting some crap trees and a lot of pulp trees depending on the job. When I'm done there is some high grade nice looking timber left, some wildlife trees, and hopefully several stages of the next generations of timber. I plan to be back on these same jobs in the next 10-20 years and I try to do my part as well as ####ty for production as that may sound. I'll brush out crap trees and swing the saw timber away from promising next generation if I can. Sometimes the emphasis on the leave trees can put me into some ####ty situations though that the forester should have anticipated. Like that domino I posted a week or two back in the falling pics thread. The smaller red oak was not marked, but both trees were leaning heavily at each other. Sometimes you just have to do what you've got to do. Logging is all about time. The money is not really the issue. Its the time it takes to do it is the deceiding factor. When I've got a couple of acres that nearly every tree is marked I damn near do clear cut and lay them all in lead. Production kicks ass then. Here it all depends on the density per acre, basically how long it takes to fill my bunk when the timber is spread out as opposed to stacked up like cord wood.