Journal of Forest and Environmental Science

Institute of Forest Science, kangwon National University (강원대학교 산림과학연구소)
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Computing the Bucking Rate of Japanese Larch Logs for Timber Harvesting

  • Daesung Lee (Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)) ;
  • Yonghee Lee (Department of Forest Management, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Ilsub Lee (Timber Industry Division, Forest Industry and Policy Bureau, Korea Forest Service) ;
  • Jungkee Choi (Department of Forest Management, Kangwon National University)
  • Received : 2023.09.03
  • Accepted : 2024.01.15
  • Published : 2024.03.31
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Abstract

The Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi [Lamb.] Carriere) is a major timber species in Korea. However, studies on bucking rates and merchantable logs of this species are insufficient in South Korea. To bridge these gaps, in this study, the bucking rate of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi [Lamb.] Carriere) was computed and the number of long logs and merchantable log volumes were analyzed. Sample trees were bucked according to the log grade for trading, and collected from a forest field in Gangwon Province. The bucking rate of all Japanese larch logs was >89%. The highly profitable 2-4 logs of 3.6 m length from trees with ≤30 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) and 5-6 logs with ≥34 cm DBH were produced. The bucking rate of long logs was >84%; thus, Japanese larch was found to be suitable for the supply of high-grade timber. Additionally, to follow reasonable wood supply plans, merchantable volume tables were offered based on 3.6 m-long number of logs and small-end diameter classes. Understanding the proportion of merchantable log volumes, bucking rates, and the number of long and short logs has large-scale applications in practical forestry.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Korean Ministry of Education (Grant No. NRF-2016R1D1A1B02011648) and supported by R&D Program for Forest Science Technology (Project No. 2022464B10-2224-0201) funded by Korea Forest Service (Korea Forestry Promotion Institute).

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