Logging
Commercial trees are logged on selected areas. Trees with specific attributes are removed from the forest plot. At the same time, surrounding trees are damaged based on the chosen logging strategy, logging intensity, logging cycle, cutting limits and resulting damage Huth et al. 2005.
Logging strategy
The two logging strategies that are provided in
FORMIND, arise from different commercial and economical interests. The
two strategies differ in the falling direction of a logged tree:
The reduced impact logging (RIL) takes into account a substantial
planning of the logging scenario. This scenario is implemented into
FORMIND by defining the falling direction of a tree towards the biggest
gap. Thereby, the falling tree causes a reduced amount of damage to
surrounding trees. The conventional logging (CON) takes into account the usage of heavy
machinery, unskilled workers and low to no planing strategies. This is
implemented into FORMIND by a random falling direction of logged trees.
The random direction causes the possibility of higher damage to
surrounding trees.
Logging intensity
The logging intensity is defined by the minimum number of trees harvested within the forest plot $L_\text{N min} \, [\text{-}]$ and the maximum number of trees $L_\text{N max} \, [\text{-}]$.
Logging cycle
The first logging scenario is defined as $L_\text{start} \, [\text{y}]$. The logging cycle is the time between logging events $L_\text{C} \, [\text{y}]$.
Cutting limit
Commercial trees are are only logged if their stem diameter $D\, [\text{m}]$ exceed a minimum stem diameter $L_\text{D min} \, [\text{m}]$.
logging intensity
Logging intensity is defined as the number of remaining commercial trees in the forest after the logging event $L_\text{remain} \, [\text{-}]$.
Damage
The induced damage to surrounding trees depends on the stem diameter $D\, [\text{m}]$ of the logged tree - bigger trees cause more damage to surrounding trees than smaller trees. Therefore, a percental damange $L_\text{damage} \, [\text{-}]$ is defined for four different diameter classes $L_\text{dbhClass} \, [\text{-}]$.