{"id":{"repo_id":"wvu","oai_identifier":"oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2330"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wvu/oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2330","repository":{"repo_id":"wvu","name":"West Virginia University","base_url":"https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Production and cost analysis of two harvesting systems in central Appalachia","abstract":"Cost and productivity are major factors when considering which type of harvesting system to operate. Observations were conducted on manual and mechanized harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwood forest sites in order to obtain time study data. Production and cost analysis were conducted on the harvesting system data in order to compare the two systems. Chainsaw felling productivity was 363.4 ft3/PMH (2180.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Cable skidding productivity was 289.4 ft3/PMH (1736.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.28/ft 3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Manual harvesting system productivity was 181.7 ft 3/SMH (1090.2 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.36/ft3 ({dollar}0.06/bdft). Feller-buncher felling productivity was 1266.6 ft3/PMH (7599.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Productivity of top/delimbing with chainsaws after feller-buncher felling was 726.30 ft3/PMH (4357.8 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.04/ft 3 ({dollar}0.007/bdft). Grapple skidding productivity was 512.1 ft 3/PMH (3072.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.16/ft3 ({dollar}0.03/bdft). Mechanized harvesting system productivity was 716.94 ft 3/SMH (4301.6 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.29/ft3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Results indicated that although hourly costs of operation were considerably higher for the mechanized system than the manual system, cost per unit volume was only {dollar}0.07/ft3 ({dollar}11.6/MBF) lower for the mechanized system.","abstract_html":"Cost and productivity are major factors when considering which type of harvesting system to operate. Observations were conducted on manual and mechanized harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwood forest sites in order to obtain time study data. Production and cost analysis were conducted on the harvesting system data in order to compare the two systems. Chainsaw felling productivity was 363.4 ft3/PMH (2180.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Cable skidding productivity was 289.4 ft3/PMH (1736.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.28/ft 3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Manual harvesting system productivity was 181.7 ft 3/SMH (1090.2 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.36/ft3 ({dollar}0.06/bdft). Feller-buncher felling productivity was 1266.6 ft3/PMH (7599.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Productivity of top/delimbing with chainsaws after feller-buncher felling was 726.30 ft3/PMH (4357.8 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.04/ft 3 ({dollar}0.007/bdft). Grapple skidding productivity was 512.1 ft 3/PMH (3072.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.16/ft3 ({dollar}0.03/bdft). Mechanized harvesting system productivity was 716.94 ft 3/SMH (4301.6 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.29/ft3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Results indicated that although hourly costs of operation were considerably higher for the mechanized system than the manual system, cost per unit volume was only {dollar}0.07/ft3 ({dollar}11.6/MBF) lower for the mechanized system.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Long, Charles Robert"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Wood Science and Technology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jingxin Wang."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:15:31Z","subjects":["Forestry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1327"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1327","href":"https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1327","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.1327","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jingxin Wang."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Long, Charles Robert"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-01-17T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Wood Science and Technology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Forestry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.1327","https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1327"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cost and productivity are major factors when considering which type of harvesting system to operate. Observations were conducted on manual and mechanized harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwood forest sites in order to obtain time study data. Production and cost analysis were conducted on the harvesting system data in order to compare the two systems. Chainsaw felling productivity was 363.4 ft3/PMH (2180.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Cable skidding productivity was 289.4 ft3/PMH (1736.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.28/ft 3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Manual harvesting system productivity was 181.7 ft 3/SMH (1090.2 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.36/ft3 ({dollar}0.06/bdft). Feller-buncher felling productivity was 1266.6 ft3/PMH (7599.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Productivity of top/delimbing with chainsaws after feller-buncher felling was 726.30 ft3/PMH (4357.8 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.04/ft 3 ({dollar}0.007/bdft). Grapple skidding productivity was 512.1 ft 3/PMH (3072.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.16/ft3 ({dollar}0.03/bdft). Mechanized harvesting system productivity was 716.94 ft 3/SMH (4301.6 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.29/ft3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Results indicated that although hourly costs of operation were considerably higher for the mechanized system than the manual system, cost per unit volume was only {dollar}0.07/ft3 ({dollar}11.6/MBF) lower for the mechanized system."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Production and cost analysis of two harvesting systems in central Appalachia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jingxin Wang."],"dc:creator":["Long, Charles Robert"],"dc:date.available":["2019-01-17T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cost and productivity are major factors when considering which type of harvesting system to operate. Observations were conducted on manual and mechanized harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwood forest sites in order to obtain time study data. Production and cost analysis were conducted on the harvesting system data in order to compare the two systems. Chainsaw felling productivity was 363.4 ft3/PMH (2180.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Cable skidding productivity was 289.4 ft3/PMH (1736.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.28/ft 3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Manual harvesting system productivity was 181.7 ft 3/SMH (1090.2 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.36/ft3 ({dollar}0.06/bdft). Feller-buncher felling productivity was 1266.6 ft3/PMH (7599.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Productivity of top/delimbing with chainsaws after feller-buncher felling was 726.30 ft3/PMH (4357.8 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.04/ft 3 ({dollar}0.007/bdft). Grapple skidding productivity was 512.1 ft 3/PMH (3072.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.16/ft3 ({dollar}0.03/bdft). Mechanized harvesting system productivity was 716.94 ft 3/SMH (4301.6 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.29/ft3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Results indicated that although hourly costs of operation were considerably higher for the mechanized system than the manual system, cost per unit volume was only {dollar}0.07/ft3 ({dollar}11.6/MBF) lower for the mechanized system."],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.1327","https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1327"],"dc:subject":["Forestry"],"dc:title":["Production and cost analysis of two harvesting systems in central Appalachia"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Wood Science and Technology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:15:31Z"}