Journal of Forest Science, 2013 (vol. 59), issue 5
Forest visitors' opinion of recreational facilities and trails in forests in the Blaník Protected Landscape Area - a case studyOriginal Paper
A. Drábková, L. Šišák
J. For. Sci., 2013, 59(5):185-190 | DOI: 10.17221/77/2012-JFS 
Currently, recreation is the most common use of protected areas and there are scarce data on the users and their opinion. The research was focused on visitors to the Blaník Protected Landscape Area (hereafter referred to as PLA), a well-known recreational area where data on visitors, important for PLA management, are missing. Therefore, the aim of the paper is find out: what kind of visitors comes to the study area; the type of forest trails and tourist facilities the visitors prefer. A questionnaire survey of forest visitors was used. Results show that the visitors mostly prefer maintained trails. According to forest visitors' opinion, the most convenient...
Foliar nutrient status of a natural fir forest in GreeceOriginal Paper
P. Michopoulos
J. For. Sci., 2013, 59(5):191-195 | DOI: 10.17221/11/2013-JFS
The foliar nutrient status was examined in a degraded Greek fir (Abies cephalonica Loud.) forest in Mount Parnitha near Athens, Greece. The examination lied in comparing the foliar concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, N, P, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu with the critical values referring to conifers and the elemental percentages with regard to N of the forest with the corresponding percentages of a healthy Bulgarian fir (Abies borisii regis) stand, the closest relative of the Greek fir. It was found that the needles of the Greek fir had significantly lower concentrations from the N and P critical values. Significant differences were found for the Ca/N,...
Felling and skidding damage to residual trees following selection cutting in Caspian forests of IranOriginal Paper
F. Tavankar, B. Majnounian, A.E. Bonyad
J. For. Sci., 2013, 59(5):196-203 | DOI: 10.17221/53/2012-JFS
The felling and skidding damage to residual trees was investigated in a selectively cutting operation in the Caspian forest of Iran. The logging operation was performed by chainsaw and cable skidder. Prelogging, after felling and skidding operations residual tree injuries (species, DBH and damage) were inventoried by systematic plot sampling. Two types of tree damage were observed: destroyed and injured. In this study felling operations mainly injured trees whereas skidding was the main cause of destruction. The percentage of destroyed and injured residual trees by felling operations was 1.4% and 3.4%, whereas the percentage of destroyed and injured...
Comparing productivity-cost of roadside processing system and road side chipping system in Western AustraliaOriginal Paper
M.R. Ghaffariyan
J. For. Sci., 2013, 59(5):204-210 | DOI: 10.17221/81/2012-JFS
This research compared roadside chipping and road side processing systems. Two sites planted with Eucalyptus globulus were selected to study these harvesting systems. A time and motion study was applied to collect the data for both harvesting systems. The working cycles for each machine were recorded as well as the variables affecting the working productivity. Using the multiple regression method the appropriate models were developed. The results showed that the productivity of feller-buncher and processor was significantly affected by tree size. Productivity of skidders was dependent on extraction distance and load weight. Productivity for...
Time consumption and productivity analysis of timber trucking using two kinds of trucks in northern IranOriginal Paper
R. Mousavi, R. Naghdi
J. For. Sci., 2013, 59(5):211-221 | DOI: 10.17221/10/2013-JFS
Increasing productivity and reducing cost in long-distance transportation have become increasingly important in the logistics of forest harvesting operations. This paper presents the research results of the performance of loading with Volvo 4500 BM and timber trucking using two types of common trucks in the Nav watershed in Iran. Both trucks can carry logs shorter than 7.8 m in length. The study used a time study based on empirical data for loads collected from one procurement district in the Nav watershed. The models included the following explanatory factors: driving distance, number of logs, and load volume. The time consumption and productivity...