Accurate log processing by harvesters during bucking is of great importance if round timber is to be fully exploited for maximum value recovery. Logs that exceed the target length can cause difficulties in further processing (., in the pulp industry), while logs which are too short may not be of further use (., boards for pallets). | Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Turk J Agric For (2015) 39: 845-850 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Length accuracy of logs from birch and aspen harvested in thinning operations 1 1 2, 3 Mariusz BEMBENEK , Piotr S. MEDERSKI , Zbigniew KARASZEWSKI *, Agnieszka ŁACKA , 1 4 2 5 Witold GRZYWIŃSKI , Andrzej WĘGIEL , Dieter F. GIEFING , Jörn ERLER 1 Department of Forest Utilization, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland 2 Wood Science and Application Department, Wood Technology Institute, Poznań, Poland 3 Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Faculty of Agronomy and Bioengineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland 4 Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland 5 Institute of Forest Utilization and Forest Technology, Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany Received: Accepted/Published Online: Printed: Abstract: Accurate log processing by harvesters during bucking is of great importance if round timber is to be fully exploited for maximum value recovery. Logs that exceed the target length can cause difficulties in further processing (., in the pulp industry), while logs which are too short may not be of further use (., boards for pallets). It can be difficult to achieve accurate log lengths due to irregular tree trunk shapes or errors in the measurement system in the harvester head. The objective of the research was to investigate how tree species and log diameter affect bucking length accuracy. The research was carried out in a premature broadleaved stand of birch and aspen in the third age class in the Zaporowo Forest District, northern Poland (54°24′47″N, 20°8′50″E). The thinning operation was carried out in early spring before the start of the growing season and after the snow cover had melted. Trees were cut .
