Efficiency of Harvester with the Debarking Head at Logging in Spruce Stands Affected by Bark Beetle Outbreak

Abstract

This paper deals with the use of debarking modifications of the conventional harvester head in the conditions of felling due to bark beetle calamity. For this purpose, a time study was established, in which the conventional heads were compared with the heads with debarking modifications on four research plots and two harvesters. The measurements were taken from August to September 2018. Harvester efficiency with the use of the head with the debarking configuration ranged from 41.2% to 41.8% from the efficiency of a machine with the conventional head, depending on the felling type. It was also demonstrated that the quality of debarking does not depend on the trunk moisture content in the growing season. In terms of diameter, it was found that the best debarked parts of the stem were those occurring in its middle. Specifically, in the central part of the stem with a diameter of 13 to 23 cm, 91.0% of the stem area was debarked in the main felling and 76.6% in the thinning. In contrast, the top parts of the stem (trunk diameter up to 13 cm) were the least debarked. In the main felling, it was 74.2% of the stem area and in the thinning, only 52.2%.