PRODUCTIVITY AND COST RELATIONSHIPS FOR HARVESTING PONDEROSA PINE PLANTATIONS

Realistic logging cost models are needed for long-term forest manageme nt planning. Data from many published studies have been combined with simple simulations to develop relations that can be used to estimate t he cost of harvesting plantation-grown ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa ) in western North America. For gentle terrain, whole-tree/log-length and cut-to-length systems were considered. Tree-length/log-length cabl e logging was included for steeper terrain. The relations are applicab le for trees from 3 to 250 cubic feet. A stand-alone program incorpora ting all the relations is available.