Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan‡Corresponding author: Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan ( mghaffar@usc.edu.au ) Academic editor: Ivaylo Markoff © Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation:
Ghaffariyan MR (2021) Review of studies on motor-manual felling productivity in eucalypt stands. Silva Balcanica 22(1): 77-87. https://doi.org/10.3897/silvabalcanica.22.e58750 |  |
Globally, about 20 million ha of land area is occupied by plantations of Eucalyptus. Motor-manual tree harvest-ing techniques (using chainsaws) are still applied in eucalypt plantations, especially in difficult terrains or for large- sized trees where mechanised felling may not be an effective and safe possible option to apply. There is little information available on motor-manual felling in eucalypt stands. This article reviewed available literature on the productivity of motor-manual felling. The results were classified into four regions, including Africa, Asia/Oceania, America and Europe. Results of international studies indicate that the main factors impacting the productivity of motor-manual felling include diameter at the breast height (DBH), travelling distance to trees, understory density and terrain slope. Operator experience also plays a key role in felling operations. The range of reported productivity varied from 0.6 m3/PMH0 to 48.9 m3/PMH0 in different regions. This article provides key recommendations on improving motor-manual felling productivity, which can provide a guide for sustainable harvesting planning purposes.