engleski

Relation between Forest Roads and Extraction Machines in Sustainable Forest Management

The area of the Republic of Croatia is quite diverse regarding the terrain, forest stand, climate, ecological, social economic and other conditions. Globally, we can differ between the Pannonian area of even-aged forests, Dinaric area of uneven-aged forests and Eumediterranean and Sub-Mediterranean area of uneven-aged and even-aged forests. Particularly demanding is the opening by forest roads of Dinara mountainous forest areas of Gorski kotar, Velebit, Velika and Mala Kapela, Plješivica, Lika central mountains, but also individual mountain massifs of other parts of Croatia. The principle of functionality is applied in opening mountain forest. Here, the basic function of forests is emphasised as a dominant factor which influences the quality and quantity of forest transport network. Further on, the attention is given to the method of felling and processing used in exploiting economic forests, i.e. extraction machines used in the second phase of forest harvesting. The optimisation of the forest roads network (primary and secondary) is done regarding the assortment method of felling and processing and for ground machines used in skidding roundwood (skidders). Modern technologies and contemporary working methods are used in planning and designing, while ecologically acceptable machines and tools are used in construction. The use of cables in roundwood yarding in the mountain area of Croatia is not common. This ecologically acceptable method of wood extraction is used in areas of steep slopes of a terrain, rocky, karst phenomena of rich and firm building categories of soils, but also in sensitive, erodible soils. Introducing new working devices instead of the already adopted ground extraction machines, assumes a different approach to opening unopened areas and improvement of openness of insufficiently opened forests in all work phases. This procedure of introducing new technologies of cables, more acceptable both for a forest and natural site has its repercussions on forest communications. The aim of this paper is to show, as objectively and as extensively as possible, problems of forest opening by forest roads in classical systems of forest harvesting by ground extraction machines on one hand and in forest openings for the needs of cable on the other hand. We would also like to determine the relationship between forest roads and machines used in wood extraction in continuous, ecologically aware intensive management of forest ecosystems.

cable systems; extraction machines; forest communications; Croatia; mountain area

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