Abstract
Beech bark disease is a pathogenic complex that has been spreading throughout the American beech’s range since the 1800s. A litany of negative consequences have manifested from the infestation of this disease, many of which deteriorate the ecological functions of forestland. This case study sought to analyze the cost structure for removing a recalcitrant beech understory via mechanized shelterwood harvesting. High-resolution data regarding the day-to-day operation of harvesting equipment was collected using daily production journals. Interviews were conducted with the logging company owner and maintenance supervisor to gather additional information required to calculate machine costs, overhead, job specific costs, and trucking costs. The yield from this harvest was 527 metric tonnes of sawtimber and 4,893 tonnes of clean chips. The total harvesting cost equated to $4,651/ha, with the cost attributed to removing beech at $204/ha. Despite the additional cost of beech removal, the logger generated a total profit of $5,965 and a return on investment of 7.5%, allowing us to conclude that mechanized harvesting can be a viable beech removal strategy given the forest stocking and market conditions that are in place.
Study Implications
This study breaks down the various costs associated with cutting, skidding, landing, and transporting wood products from a mechanized harvesting operation designed to remediate the effects of beech bark disease. The beech remediation harvest was economically viable for both the landowner and the logger because the timber sale included some valuable hardwood sawtimber, and the harvest system was capable of generating clean chips for a pulp mill with the low-grade hardwood. Furthermore, the landowner’s willingness to accept lower sawtimber stumpage revenues allowed the logger to make a profit and return-on-investment on the job. Had the timber sale been limited to only hardwood pulpwood or fuel chips, the operation would not have been economically viable without the landowner paying for the operation, which, based on our analysis, would be approximately $200/ha.